Lesson plans can focus on deserts of the world or local desert terrain.
Older elementary students are taught lessons about the natural world, such as geology and climate. Generally, the lesson plans include instruction and activities on deserts. Dry conditions, hot and cold temperatures and little rainfall make deserts uniquely interesting places that make up about a fifth of the planet's land area. Incorporating desert activities and projects into the classroom can enhance the students' understanding of these unusual regions.
Desert Encyclopedia
Assign each child a particular desert plant or animal, then allow them to do research at the library or on the computer. Each child must find the answers to four questions about the plant or animal and include a drawing, as well. Questions should include how the plant or animal adapts to heat, how it gets water, how it protects itself and what special adaptations it has made to thrive in the desert. Compile the papers into a classroom Desert Encyclopedia for referencing.
Desert Diorama
Choose a particular desert to study in class and learn about the animals and plants that populate it. After students learn about its location, rainfall and average and extreme temperatures, let them make a diorama to display all they've learned. There are several online sources for diorama images, such as the Sonoran Desert diorama project on the American Museum of Natural History's website. Let children color the printouts of the background, animals, plants and birds. After cutting out the pieces, students can mount them inside a box, such as a tissue box or shoebox.
Desert Plants Trivia
Students should learn about the variety of plant life that thrive in terrain that gets less than 10 inches of rainfall per year. Teach students how desert plant life is varied and perfectly suited to the harsh climate. Prepare flashcards with a picture of a desert plant on one side and three facts about the plant on the other. Examples include a Joshua tree, barrel cactus, pincushion cactus, palo verde tree, yucca plant and the saguaro cactus. After a review, divide children into two teams and allow them to listen to the facts read aloud. The team that guesses the correct plant wins a point.
Tags: desert plant, learn about, plant animal, about plant, allow them, animals plants
