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Deserts
What is it like in the desert? Inform your class on what makes a desert, the type of climate they'll find there, and the interesting plant and animals that live in the desert environment. This is a text-rich presentation that will...
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Living in the Desert
Conduct an investigation on the plants used by the Hohokam tribe. To survive in the harsh desert environment the Hohokam used many natural resources. Learners read, research, map, and graph multiple aspects of Hohokam plant use as a...
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Desert Views: First Impressions
Students are introduced to primary source material and the ways in which early travelers viewed aspects of the desert environment. The lesson addresses the geography themes of location, region, and human/environment interaction.
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Desert Dwellers
What can a quarter possibly teach young learners about desert ecosystems? More than you might think. After displaying and discussing the included picture of the Arizona state quarter, the class participates in a series of shared reading...
Desert Discoveries
The Sonoran Desert
Elementary schoolers study the geographic location of the Sonoran Desert. They pay close attention to the characteristics of the plants and animals found in this desert environment. The student handouts embedded in this plan are...
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Oasis in the Desert
Students explore the challenges of building a thriving human civilization in a desert environment. They design new technologies to assist people living in the desert.
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Desert Plant Adaptations in the Sonoran Desert
Students are able to identify adaptations that plants have developed to deal with harsh desert conditions, as well as explain how these adaptations help to protect these plants.
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The Desert is Theirs: Adapting to Our Environment
Students determine how animals and people adapt to the desert environment. In this desert lesson plan, students review vocabulary about the desert and how humans have to make changes to accommodate their environments. They listen to and...
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Our Desert Backyard
Students make observations of their own backyard. For this environment lesson, students keep records of the plants and animals they see in their home or school yard. Students make notes of how the weather and environment changes over...
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Taking Count of Biodiversity
Here is a well-designed lesson on biodiversity that should intrigue your charges. In it, pupils compare a natural desert area to a school field to see how habitat destruction affects species diversity. Groups set up transects and collect...
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Desert Water Keepers
Young scholars experiment with models to find how plants survive in the desert environment. In this plant mechanisms activity, students make leaf models to understand how leaves conserve water. Young scholars collect cactus in bags and...
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High And Dry
Students explore the similarities and differences between desert environments and their local environment. After examining desert scened painted by Georgia O'Keeffe, they discuss the elements of their desert landscapes. Students use...
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The Sonoran Desert
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...
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Would You Like A Desert With That?
Students explore the four different deserts in the United States and their characteristics. They discuss the four different types of deserts in United States and their characteristics, and locate them on a map.
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The Desert Alphabet Book
Students explore world geography by researching a science book with their classmates. In this desert identification instructional activity, students utilize a U.S. map to locate the geographical locations of deserts. Students create an...
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Land Environments
In this land environments worksheet, students will complete a table by filling in the climate, dominant plants, and characteristic animals for 6 different habitats.
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Ecology
Young scholars explore, experience and experiment identifying the human impact on the environment of vegetative differences within the same biome. They assess what causes deserts, rain forests, savannahs, tundras and saguaros and how...
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Deserts: How Do You Define One?
Second graders identify what constitutes as a desert by reading a habitat checklist. In this environment lesson, 2nd graders read a nature website to discover facts about the desert and where they are located. Students utilize art...
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Desert Animals
Students survive within an ecosystem, an animal must be physically and behaviorally adapted to the conditions of its environment.
Desert Discoveries
Built for the Desert
The saguaro cactus has an amazing ability to survive in a harsh environment. Learners identify the many adaptations for desert life that the saguaro employs. They look at each part of the saguaro and determine what role it plays in the...
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Home in the Desert: Lesson for Use with This House is Made of Mud
Third graders examine how a family modifies their environment to create a home out of mud. They read the book "This House is Made of Mud" by Ken Buchanan, and write a description of their own home that compares the home of mud to their...
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Desert Plant Detectives
Students examine and categorize plants in their own schoolyard desert garden and then observe other plant areas of their schoolyard.
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Phoenix Growth and Environment
Learners participate in a discussion dealing with the relationship between Phoenix's particular history of growth and the environment issues it faces today. They read and examine various documents and charts to propose possible solutions...
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Desert Adaptations
In this desert adaptations worksheet, students are given a water filled sponge which represents an animal. Students observe their "animal" for a 24 hour period and conserve the water in the sponge as best they can. They measure and...