Curated OER
Unit Plan Template
Learners research the adaptations of desert animals and build their research skills. In this the adaptations of desert animals lesson, students describe major factors that desert animals have on their habitat. Learners explore how to...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Exploring Biomes Lesson 5: You Need a Vacation
In cooperative groups, emerging ecologists research assigned biomes found in Arizona. Combining photos and facts, they use PowerPoint to produce a fully automated commercial that lasts 45 seconds. In addition to the lesson outline,...
US Mint
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...
Curated OER
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...
Desert Discoveries
Sonoran Desert Predators and Prey
Here is a fabulous instructional activity the animals found in the Sonoran Desert. Learners classify these animals as predators, prey, or both! They take a look at the many adaptations that these animals utilize to help them find food,...
Desert Discoveries
Sonoran Desert ABC's
Third graders make alphabet cards that depict the wide variety of life forms found in the Sonoran Desert. A terrific lesson that combines language arts, visual arts, and life science all into one wonderful package. Each of the cards has...
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...
Curated OER
A Virtual Museum of the Mojave Desert
Students study deserts and the plants, animals, and people who inhabit them. In groups, they create their own stories about the inhabitants of the Mojave desert.
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Introducing Habitats and Biodiversity
Students identify habitats in Arizona. Theys define and illustrate a food web, and explain the importance fo biodiversity.
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Which Way is Up? The Tree of Life in Africa
Students read a book titled This is the Tree about a baobab tree and draw a picture and label the tree. In this tree lesson plan, students also write a paragraph explaining why they drew that tree.
Curated OER
Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs and pictographs are compared in these simple slides. Some of the terms are very specific, but the basic information will be useful to accompany a lecture about this visual art form. Images and real examples would have ben a...
Desert Discoveries
Invent - A - Saurus
Fourth graders get to invent their own dinosaur! This is done by using a very clever worksheet embedded in the plan. The worksheet leads them through naming their dinosaur by having explanations of the Latin terminology that is used with...
Desert Discoveries
Who Depends on the Saguaro?
Young scientists design a picture of a saguaro cactus that shows the cactus and some of the animals and plants that interact with it. There are many of these special relationships between plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. Your...
Curated OER
Insect Collection
Young scholars investigate about various biological aspects of life, while examining desert insect species. They see the diverse range of species that live in the desert, despite the apparent lack of life in the desert. students...
Desert Discovery
Saguaro Parts
Young biologists identify the basic structures of a saguaro cactus. They study the functions of each of the structures, and label them on a picture of a saguaro cactus embedded in the plan. This simple, and easy-to-implement lesson would...
University of Connecticut
Building Your Own Biosphere
On September 26, 1991, four women and four men entered the scientific experiment, Biosphere 2; the doors were sealed for two years in order to study the interactions of a biosphere. In the activity, scholars explore biospheres by...
Curated OER
Desert Animal Presentations
Fourth graders assemble a presentation about a desert animal using presentation software and a teacher-created template.
Desert Discoveries
Creating a Garden Journal
Youngsters create science journals which are used to record observations from the school garden. The goal of this activity is to help kids tune into nature by making daily observations on the growth of the plants, and also to take note...
Curated OER
The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands
Students get an overview of the climate and organisms of the North American Prairie. After a lecture, and watching some videos imbedded in this plan, students compile research data on the North American Prairie.
Curated OER
If It Smells Good, Is Edible, and Attracts Wildlife, Then It's a Practical Garden
Learners explore landscape design. In this practical gardening lesson, students design landscape plans that call for shrubs, trees, and plants that can be used for aesthetics, cooking, and wildlife.
Curated OER
Diverse Environments
Students explore life forms in different environments. After exploring different biomes within their state, students research different plant and animal species within each biome. They prepare a group report on one feature of the region...
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Creatures of the Grand Canyon
In this word search puzzle worksheet, students find and circle all of the wildlife hidden in a word search puzzle. Students also classify the animals into groups of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, or amphibians.
Curated OER
Dig Magazine Archeology Quiz #103
In this Dig Magazine archeology quiz, students answer 12 multiple choice questions complementing the May 2009 issue. Page contains answer and additional resources link.