Vocabulary: Biomes and Vegetation

Subject: Geography | Year: 6

Name: _________________________ Class/Set: ____________ Date: ____________

Word	Definition	Example Sentence
Biome	A large area of the Earth’s surface with a specific climate and types of living things.	Scientists categorise the Earth into different sections, such as the desert biome or the rainforest biome.
Ecosystem	A community of living things interacting with each other and their non-living environment.	In a pond ecosystem, the fish, plants, and insects all depend on each other to survive.
Climate	The average weather conditions in a specific area measured over a long period of time.	The climate in the Arctic is extremely cold and dry throughout the whole year.
Adaptation	A special feature or behaviour that helps a plant or animal survive in its environment.	A cactus has a thick, waxy skin as an adaptation to prevent water loss in the desert heat.
Vegetation	The collective name for all the plants found in a particular area or biome.	The floor of the rainforest has very little vegetation because the tall trees block out most of the sunlight.
Tropical	Relating to the warm, humid regions of the Earth located near the Equator.	Many colourful birds and exotic insects live in the tropical rainforests of South America.
Deciduous	Trees or shrubs that shed their leaves annually, usually during the autumn.	In the UK, many deciduous trees change colour and drop their leaves before winter begins.
Coniferous	Evergreen trees that produce cones and have needle-like leaves to survive cold weather.	Coniferous forests are often found in colder northern regions and stay green all year round.
Tundra	A cold, treeless biome where the subsoil is permanently frozen.	Very few plants can grow in the tundra because the ground is frozen for most of the year.
Canopy	The thick layer of foliage formed by the overlapping tops of tall trees in a forest.	Most animals in the rainforest live up in the canopy, where there is plenty of fruit and sunlight.

Task A: Biome Matching

Match: Draw a line to connect the Biome to its correct Climate Description.

• 1. Tropical Rainforest | A. Cold, dry, and treeless with frozen soil.
• 2. Hot Desert | B. Warm and wet all year round with high rainfall.
• 3. Tundra | C. Extremely hot during the day and very dry.
• 4. Deciduous Forest | D. Cool summers and mild winters with trees that lose leaves.

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⚠ TEACHER’S GUIDANCE

💡 Pedagogical Opportunities

• Address Misconceptions: Year 6 students often confuse 'weather' with 'climate'. Explain: Weather is what is happening right now (short-term), while climate is the pattern over 30+ years (long-term).
• Active Learning: Use a "Think-Pair-Share" activity. Ask: "If you were a plant in the tundra, what adaptation would you need to survive the frozen ground?"
• Scaffolding for EAL/SEND: Provide visual aids or photographs representing each biome alongside the vocabulary table to anchor the Tier 3 terms to concrete imagery.

✅ Task A Answer Key

• Task A Answer 1: Tropical Rainforest — B (Warm and wet all year round with high rainfall).
• Task A Answer 2: Hot Desert — C (Extremely hot during the day and very dry).
• Task A Answer 3: Tundra — A (Cold, dry, and treeless with frozen soil).
• Task A Answer 4: Deciduous Forest — D (Cool summers and mild winters with trees that lose leaves).