Desert Ecosystem Teacher Resources

Students investigate ecosystems near their school and across the world. They examine both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) elements of each. They recognize ecosystems from various continents around the globe. The use of computers...

Students research a variety of local and world ecosystems. Students will create a collage to represent the biotic and abiotic factors and interactions important to their given ecosystem.Students will understand that an ecosystem is...

Fifth graders examine plants and animals in two ecosystems and compare them. In this ecosystem survival lesson, 5th graders compare and contrast a coral reef and kelp forest ecosystem. Students investigate the abiotic and biotic...

Do you know the difference between a biome and an ecosystem? Teach elementary ecologists exactly what a biome is with this captivating cartoon! It discusses six biomes: taiga, tundra, deciduous forest, desert, tropical rainforest, and...

Young scholars survive within an ecosystem, an animal must be physically and behaviorally adapted to the conditions of its environment.

In this ecosystem worksheet, students brainstorm the nonliving things found in a desert ecosystem and a polar ecosystem. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.

Little learners examine a map of the southwestern United States and identify the Sonoran Desert. They locate different cities and rivers, determining whether or not each is found within this special ecosystem. A student handout is...

Learners take a look at the relationship between organisms in food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids. After an opening demonstration by the teacher, pupils are split up into groups. Each one is assigned an environment such as:...

Brainstorm ideas to design a sustainable guest village in the Sonoran Desert. The first installment of a nine-part unit teaches young environmental scientists about the basics of the Saguaro National Park and about sustainable design....

After reading a short article about taiga ecosystems, middle schoolers are asked to identify the characteristics of this chilly environment.

Students examine and categorize plants in their own schoolyard desert garden and then observe other plant areas of their schoolyard.

Students examine how animals must be adapted to the conditions of its environment to survive.  In this biomes lesson students research desert adaptations then discuss how these animals have survived. 

Fourth graders go on a virtual field trip to five ecosystems. They investigate and videotape a temperate forest in the school's backyard.

Students determine how animals and people adapt to the desert environment. In this desert lesson, students review vocabulary about the desert and how humans have to make changes to accommodate their environments. They listen to and...

Students explore the characteristics of major ecosystems, the interactions of the organisms within the systems, and the effects of humans on the system. Both living and non-living components are examined in this five lesson unit.

Students explore U.S. geography by completing an observational activity with classmates. In this New Mexico lesson, students research the Chihuahuan Desert by visiting several Internet sites. Students write the data they've collected in...

What affects might an ecosystem undergo if the climate changes? This is the focus of a video that describes how a tiny change in an ecosystem can "throw everything off."

Pupils pick an ecosystem (forest, desert, coral reef, open ocean, grassland, mountain, savanna, etc.) and design an interaction web for their chosen ecosystem. Each group shares their ecosystem's web of life with the class.

Students examine the structure of ecosystems. In this ecology lesson, students listen to a lecture on relationships among organisms and biomes. Students use the information to create ecosystem organization pyramids.

In this ecosystems worksheet, students will brainstorm facts that relate to 6 different habitats found on the earth: tundra, taiga, grassland, temperate forest, tropical rain forest, and desert.

Ninth graders record information on aquatic ecosystems and create a labeled diagram of an ecosystem of their choice. They can choose from an ocean zone, estuary, river, lakes, or beaches. The student has to explain their biome of choice.

Learners examine climatic effects on ecosystems. They plant tomatoes and observe the differences in plant growth with differences in light. They create picture collages of plants, animals, and insects found in each climate of the U.S.

Learners conduct an internet study regarding habitat, ecosystem, biome and the region they live in. They observe the habitat by visiting a State Park and observing the organisms in their habitat. In addition, they create their own...

What a better way to have learners show what they know than with a diorama? Kids research an animal, its habitat, ecosystem, and environment in order to create a three-dimensional diorama. Have older children write a short paper on their...