The author is surprised every year when fifth-grade students react to the study of biomes as if they've never given any thought to the differences across parts of the world. Sure, they've all heard of the tropical rain forest and the desert, but it seems as though they think the rest of the world is just some undefined area with climate, animals, and plants similar to what they'd see if they looked outside their own back doors. Biomes are a perfect topic for integration--calling upon students to demonstrate knowledge and skills in life science, Earth science, and even geography. The author has also added an artistic component with an assessment activity called "Torn Paper Biomes" in which students depict a biome using only paper and glue.