Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
What is available here?
•What is a Desert? – A flash animation tutorial that teaches
students about the three characteristics of a desert
•How are Deserts Formed? – A flash animation tutorial that
teaches students about how deserts are formed
What is a Desert tutorial
•Virtual Habitat – An interactive exploration of the
Sonoran desert plants and animals
•Discussion questions
•Classroom activities
– Desert Data
Virtual Habitat
– Online Scavenger Hunt
– Mapping Activity
– Condensation/ Evaporation Demonstration
– Adaptation Sponge Experiment
– Energy Flow Game
•Necessary worksheets (plus general, optional use
Desert Investigation Log and Experiment Log)
•Relevant Arizona State Standards
These questions and activities are designed to let students think
creatively and to inspire curiosity about the world around them.
Objectives
The objectives of this curriculum are to
1. Educate students about the Sonoran desert
2.Encourage students to ponder and respect the natural world
3.Encourage students to begin thinking in terms of the Inquiry
Process as they observe, ask questions, and formulate hypotheses
continued…
1.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
Background Knowledge
These are concepts that the educator should understand
and that can be found in the glossary.
What is a Desert tutorial
Virtual Habitat
Amphibian
Producer
Chlorophyll Primary Consumer
Condensation Rain Shadow
Drought Deciduous
Secondary Consumer
Estivate
Succulent
Interior Effect
Symbiosis
Global Air Movement
Urban Heat Island
Photosynthesis
Materials
Paper
Crayons
Pencils
String
Water
Ice
1 Quart bag
1 Leaky cup/player
4 Sponges
6 Traffic cones
Oven mit
Heat source (hot plate?)
2 Pans
World topographical map
Worksheets (provided)
2.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
What is a
Desert
Questions
and Activities
Discussion Questions
1.*Present the students with this question before the tutorial begins so
that they know what to look for. What are the three characteristics
of a desert? What is a monsoon? What makes the Sonoran
Desert so special? Do you think you live in a desert?
2.W hat are some ways that the limited water in the desert
may impact plant and animal life in the desert?
What is a Desert tutorial
Plants and animals that live here need to have special adaptations that
allow them to thrive with limited water. Many animals do not need to
drink very much water; instead they obtain water they need from food they
eat. Other animals may estivate during dry months and only emerge when
water is more readily available. Some animals and plants may remain
inactive during dry years and only emerge or bloom during wet years.
Some plants in the desert save water in special succulent tissues for future
dry times. Other plants that are drought deciduous drop their leaves during
dry times. Leaves waste precious water through the transpiration process.
On a larger scale, the desert habitat cannot support plants living as close
together as they do in wetter places. Plants in the desert are often more spaced
out so that each plant can collect more rain as it soaks into the ground.
These are a few ways that life in the desert is impacted by limited water,
but the class may come up with other good ideas through discussion.
continued…
3.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
What is a
Desert
Questions
and Activities
Discussion Questions
3.The O’odham people have been living in the Sonoran
Desert for hundreds of years. Many of these people were
crop farmers before modern agricultural methods evolved.
What do you think they did to cope with limited water?
The Native Americans created an extensive system of irrigation canals through the
desert to bring water from rivers to otherwise dry areas. Another method involved
planting in the rivers’ flood plains to take advantage of the seasonally available
water. This allowed them to be very successful farmers, growing corn, beans, squash,
cotton, and amaranth among other things. Additionally, they took advantage
of desert seasons by eating seasonally available wild plants and animals. Some
villages also seasonally migrated to locations with more water or better wild plants.
What is a Desert tutorial
Many of the canals that these people built hundreds of years ago are
the basis for the canal system in modern day Phoenix, Arizona.
4.People have been living in deserts for thousands of years.
What do people find appealing about such harsh places? Do
you like living in a desert? Why or why not? (If students do not
live in a desert ask– Would you like to live in a desert?) What
would you want to keep with you to make your life easier?
This may be a good time to point out to students who
do live in a desert that this is the case.
Many people think the desert is a very beautiful place. Some find the isolation
appealing. Some may enjoy clear, sunny days and little rain each year.
Students can discuss challenges and benefits of living in a desert.
Students may want to take a supply of water or water capturing devices, shade,
fan, light colored clothing for the summer and warm clothing for the cool
evenings, protection from rain, and anything else students come up with.
The class discussion could be directed many ways with this activity. One focus
could be on the three characteristics of a desert and how they impact life for people.
Review – What are the three characteristics of a desert?
What is the name of the desert we are learning about?
Students are learning about the Sonoran Desert. The three characteristics
of a desert are less than ten inches of rain per year, extreme temperature
differences from night to day, and high evaporation.
4.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
What is a
Desert
Desert daytime
Activities
1.Desert Data – We learned about the three characteristics of a desert. Now
its our turn to find out if we live in a desert. The class can be divided
into a number of groups. Each group will have to prove or disprove
that our area is in a desert using the three charcteristics of a desert to
guide them. Each group must design and perform at least 1 experiment
related to one of the characteristics as well as researching and collecting
data about the other two characteristics. You will have a week to collect
all the data needed and then each group will present their findings.
The purpose of this activity is for students to design and carry out
an experiment, to do research to better understand their topic, and
to discover whether they live in a desert. For the research portion of
their project, they should be certain to record their sources.
continued…
5.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
What is a
Desert
Sahara Desert
Activities
2.Online Scavenger Hunt– The tutorial we just watched was a good
introduction to deserts, but we can learn more if we do our own research.
Each of you will need to go online to complete this scavenger hunt.
This worksheet provides the questions you will need to research online.
You can do this activity in pairs. Make sure you write your answers as
well as the web address where you found your information. When the
whole class is done, we will review everyone’s findings. Do everyone’s
findings agree? Which websites were most useful? Does the class think
that some websites were not a good source of information? Why?
The purpose of this activity is to provide students with a chance to do some
research and learning on their own. They will also practice citing their sources,
learn that internet sources can provide a variety of answers to a question,
and may not always be correct. Use this outline to guide a class discussion.
1.How many deserts in the world? It depends on how you
define ‘desert’ and what the source is, but there are 12
generally acknowledged regions of desert in the world.
2.What is a cold desert? Place that recieves little precipitation,
experiences high evaporation, and has temperature extremes
from night to day but also has longer, colder winters. Gobi,
Great Basin, Patagonia, and Antarctica are some examples.
3.What is the driest desert? Atacama
4.How much Earth is covered by desert? Anywhere from 1/5th to 1/3rd.
5.What is the hottest desert in the world? Sahara is generally
the hottest desert, however the hottest temperatures ever
recorded were in the unihabited Iranian desert (2005, 159
degrees Farenheit or 70.7 degrees Celsius) and El Azziz, Libya
(1922, 136 degrees Farenheit or 58 degrees Celsius).
6.What is the coldest desert in the world? Antarctica
7.Investigate and describe a very unique desert organism.
8.Are there any desert organisms that are similar to desert
organisms that live on a different continent? Example: kit fox
and fennec fox; cacti and euphorbia; African horned vipor and
rattlesnake; kangaroo rat and jerboa; agave and aloe vera
9.What is the only desert in North America with 2 rainy seasons? Sonoran
10. What is the largest desert on Earth? Sahara
6.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
How are
Deserts
Formed
Questions
and Activities
Discussion Questions
1.*This question should be used before the students view the tutorial.
Here are some things you should be looking for and thinking about while
you watch the tutorial. What are the ‘special forces’ that form deserts?
What concepts about water vapor and air temperature drive these forces?
2.Some deserts are found far from a large body of water. This is called the
‘inland effect’. How does the inland effect work? What would happen if
there was a sudden change in the geography of the earth and there was
a huge ocean in the middle of north Africa where the Sahara Desert
is located? Would such a change impact the desert? Why or why not?
How are Deserts Formed?
tutorial
Students should understand that the inland effect helps create deserts in
places that are far from large bodies of water. As the air moves from the
water over land, it gradually loses moisture so that by the time it gets to
the interior of the continent, there is little water to fall as precipitation.
Therefore many deserts are found in the interior of continents.
So this means that if the location of large bodies of water were to shift, the
location of deserts may shift as well. For example, if there was a vast sea in
the middle of the Sahara desert, water vapor in the air would be replenished.
The Sahara Desert might be able to support more life and eventually the
desert may be replaced by grasslands or forests. However, remind students
that nothing in nature or climatology is determined by just ONE factor
so it is hard to predict for certain what such a change would mean.
continued…
7.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
How are
Deserts
Formed
Questions
and Activities
Discussion Questions
3.How do these four concepts relate to the water cycle and
to the formation of deserts? The four concepts were
• Hot air rises
• Cold air sinks
• As hot air rises it cools.
• Hot air can hold more moisture than cold air
How are Deserts Formed?
tutorial
In the water cycle, precipitation occurs when cold air cannot hold
moisture and it condenses and is released as rain. Evaporation
happens when water goes from a liquid state (a puddle) to a gaseous
state (water vapor). As temperature increases, the rate of evaporation
increases; warmer air holds more water vapor than colder air.
These concepts are relevant to how deserts are formed because the sun heats the
earth’s atmosphere the most at the equator. Then that heated air rises and as
it is rising it cools. Cold air cannot hold as much moisture as hot air so the
water vapor condenses and falls back to the earth as rain. This all happens
near the equator, which explains why rainforests are near the equator. Then
the rotation of the earth moves that now dry air away from the equator. We
end up with dry air sinking back towards earth around 30 degrees north and
south of the equator. It is at these latitudes where many deserts are located.
continued…
8.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
How are
Deserts
Formed
Questions
and Activities
How are Deserts Formed?
tutorial
Discussion Questions
4.W hat are the three forces that create deserts? Explain in your own
words what each force is and how it affects the location of deserts.
The three forces that create deserts are global air movement,
rain shadow effect, and interior effect.
Global air movement refers to the way that the earth rotates and how that
rotation causes certain air patterns; specifically that warm, moist air near the
equator creates rain forests there and then dry air rotates away from the equator
creating dry deserts around 30 degrees north and south of the equator.
Rain shadow effect occurs when warm air is blown over a mountain and
cools. As the air cools it cannot hold the water vapor so it is released as
rain or snow on the windward side of the mountain. The opposite side
of the mountain is the leeward side and by the time that air climbs over
the mountain it has released most of its moisture. The leeward side of the
mountain is therefore in the rain shadow of the mountain and it does not
receive as much precipitation. Many deserts are located in rain shadows.
The interior effect occurs as air moves from water over land. It contains
ample water vapor over water but the further inland the air moves, the
more moisture (rain) is released. By the time that air has moved further
inland, there is little moisture left in the air unless it has come into
contact with another body of water to replenish the water vapor.
9.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
How are
Deserts
Formed
Activities
MONTANA
1.Mapping Activity – The tutorial showed us a map with the location of
some of the world’s deserts. Let’s see if we can use maps to learn more
about these deserts. Which deserts look like they might be in a rain
shadow? Which deserts may be a result of the interior effect? Are all the
deserts located right around 30 degrees north and south of the equator?
Do you see any deserts that seem to be in an unexplainable location?
OREGON
IDAHO
W YOMING
NEVADA
COLORADO
UTAH
CALIFORNIA
F
C I
P A
ARIZONA
NEW MEXICO
I C
O
C
E
TEXAS
A
N
L F
G U
F
L I
O
SONORAN DESERT
MEXICO
A
MOJAVE DESERT
C
GREAT BASIN DESERT
O F
CHIHUAHUAN DESERT
R
IA
WEATHER STATIONS
WESTERN REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTER
N
SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS
The purpose of this exercise is to have students use maps to extract ideas.
Through this activity students are also doing the first steps in the Inquiry
Process by making observations about the location of deserts, questioning how
they may be formed, and hypothesizing which process helped form the desert.
This activity could be done using a pull down topographical map of the world
or students could use the internet to find appropriate topographical maps.
Deserts that are located on the leeward side of mountain ranges may be in
the rain shadow. Deserts that are located in the interior of continents may
be a result of the interior effect. Many deserts are located around 30 degrees
north and south latitude, which could be a result of global air movement.
To carry this activity further, students could research a specific
desert and find out which processes did shape that desert.
continued…
10.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
How are
Deserts
Formed
Activities
2.Condensation & Evaporation Demonstration – We learned that warm
air holds more moisture than cold air and that heat rises. To help you
understand how this happens, let’s do this demonstration. As the water
in the pan is heated some of it evaporates as steam. Do you see the
steam? Now as that warm air comes into contact with this cold pan,
water vapor forms. This happens because as that warm air (steam)
cools down, it cannot hold as much water vapor. The droplets of water
you see forming on this pan are water vapor that condensed from the
steam. How does this relate to what we learned about in the tutorial?
The purpose of this activity is to help students understand how evaporation
and condensation happen and discuss how this relates to deserts.
To perform this demonstration, place a pot of water on a heat source and let it boil
till steam is present. Then hold another pan containing ice cubes over the steam.
The purpose of the ice in the pan is to cool the pan and the surrounding air. Water
vapor should condense and be visible as water droplets on the bottom of the ice pan.
As the heated water warms, it evaporates. This is the steam. Then as the
steam comes into contact with the bottom of the ice pan, the steam cools and
cannot continue to hold the water vapor. The water vapor from the steam is
released through condensation and is visible on the bottom of the ice pan.
Explain to students that this relates to how deserts are formed because as
hot air rises (going up a mountain) it cools. Cool air cannot contain as
much water vapor as hot air so moisture is released through condensation
(rain on the windward side of a mountain). Then as that air goes over
the mountain, it does not contain as much moisture. Therefore the leeward
side of the mountain receives less rain and is in a ‘rainshadow’.
11.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
Virtual
Habitat
Questions
and Activities
Discussion Questions
1.*Provide students with this prompt before they explore the Virtual
Habitat. Do any of these plants or animals look familiar? Are
any of them new to you? What makes these plants and animals
able to survive and thrive in the hot, arid Sonoran Desert?
2.One of the unusual characteristics of many desert plants is that they have
green stems. Which plants have green stems? Why do they have green
stems? Why are plants in non–desert locations less likely to have this trait?
Virtual Habitat
The green tissue on plants contains the light capturing molecule chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll absorbs many colors of sunlight but reflects green, which is why
plant tissue containing chlorophyll appears green. These green tissues are
where photosynthesis takes place and are the source of food for plants. While
most plants have green leaves, leaves can waste water. So in a location where
water is precious, like the desert, many plants lack leaves or have quite small
leaves. The plant still needs to make food through photosynthesis so the stem
may contain chlorophyll and produce the food instead. Plants in non–desert
locations are less likely to have green stems from which they photosynthesize
because leaves do the job just fine when conserving water is not an issue.
continued…
12.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
Virtual
Habitat
Questions
and Activities
Virtual Habitat
Discussion Questions
3.People who study the desert say plants that survive in such a harsh
environment must endure, escape, or evade. Plants that endure
have special adaptations that allow them to live through the hot,
dry times. Plants that evade are plants that just avoid the heat and
dryness. This usually means they become dormant during such
times, much like the way that many animals hibernate during the
winter. Plants that escape heat and drought are simply short lived
plants that only live during the rainy months. Which plants in the
Sonoran Desert do you think are endurers? Evaders? Escapers?
There may be many interpretations of desert plant adaptations so
encourage any answer as long as students provide good explanations.
Many desert plants including the cacti and agave are endurers. They
survive by living on the stored water in their succulent stems and leaves.
Creosote bushes may also be considered endurers because they have
adaptations such as resinous leaves to protect them from water loss and
roots that are both deep and wide to collect as much water as possible.
Evaders are plants that drop their leaves like ocotillo and palo
verde. They drop their leaves when water is in short supply and then
quickly leaf out and photosynthesize when water is available.
Wildflowers are the best example of escapers because they have very short lives.
When water is available they will quickly grow and bloom. Then they perish when
water is gone and only their seeds will survive to produce the next generation.
continued…
13.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
Virtual
Habitat
Questions
and Activities
Virtual Habitat
Discussion Questions
4.The human population in the Sonoran Desert is expanding, especially
in urban areas. What impact do you think an increasing human
population has on the plants and animals in the desert community?
How is the water quality impacted? Does an increase in human
population impact the climate in the desert? Is there anything humans
can do to reduce their impact on desert plants and animals?
The main impact of increasing human population in the desert is that habitat
for plants and animals is reduced. This means there is less space for nesting,
hunting, foraging, browsing, growing new plants, and migrating animals.
Humans could try to reduce the spread of cities to lessen this impact.
Increased human population also impacts water availability and quality
throughout the desert. Humans use more water on a daily basis than most
plants and animals. When more humans live in the desert there is less water
available for plants and animals. Additionally, humans inadvertently pollute
water by putting chemicals, oil, trash, and other items in the water supply. Often
they are not intentionally polluting the water but this is often the end result.
Many organisms are negatively impacted by poor water quality but
amphibians are especially impacted by water pollution. Amphibians (toads,
frogs, salamanders) spend part of their life in water and have delicate skin
through which they breathe. Living in polluted water could be fatal to these
special organisms. To reduce the impact humans have on the water supply
for plants and animals in the desert, we should be careful about how we
dispose of chemicals and other waste products. We should also be mindful
of how much water we use and reduce the amount whenever possible.
Desert cities tend to be a few degrees warmer than isolated desert environments.
This is because cement and asphalt absorb heat from the sun more than
soil or plants. Cities are full of cement and asphalt so the temperature in
and around cities is usually higher than the surrounding area. We could
reduce this ‘heat island’ effect by planting more desert plants in open areas
and leaving some green spaces in our cities. Some buildings even use their
roofs as gardens or parks to cool the building and the surrounding area.
Another weather related impact of cement and asphalt becomes obvious during
monsoon. Desert cities are full of these hard, impermeable surfaces so when
monsoon rains pour down, the ground in cities cannot absorb the water.
The result is flashfloods and flooded streets, events that are common even
outside of desert cities but intensified where there is cement and asphalt. One
thing humans could do to reduce this occurrence is to leave more surfaces
uncovered when possible. Surfaces that are covered with soil and plants will
be able to absorb more water than surfaces that are covered with cement.
14.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
Virtual
Habitat
Activities
1.Adaptation Sponge – Organisms in the desert must hold on to as
much water as possible. To do this they all have special behavioral and
physical adaptations that allow them to thrive even when it’s dry and
hot. To simulate desert organisms, we will use these sponges. The goal
of this activity is to learn which sponge retains the most moisture.
The class will be divided into four groups. Group 1 will place their sponge
in a shaded location. Group 2 will place their sponge in a location that
receives direct sunlight. Group 3 will enclose their sponge in a plastic bag.
And Group 4 will monitor the control sponge which is not in a bag, shaded,
or in direct light. This sponge will be in the most neutral location.
You will get your sponge wet so it is saturated but not dripping water. Then
you will weigh your sponge to determine how much water it is holding. We
will weigh them again in 24 hours to determine how much water weight
was lost. As a group make a prediction about which sponge will retain
the moist moisture and what adaptation each sponge represents.
The purposes of this activity are for students to understand some of the desert
plant adaptations that conserve water and to use the Inquiry Process. This
activity could be done in groups. Each group will be responsible for one of
the sponges (bagged, shaded, in sunlight, and control). The bagged sponge
represents plants that have a waxy outer layer to protect them from drying out.
The shaded sponge represents plants that grow in the shade of other plants. The
sponge in the sun represents what it would be like to be an unprotected plant
in the desert sun. The control sponge provides a way to compare the sponges.
If the class can think of other adaptations to test, they could do that as well.
After the sponges have set out for a day (or however long the class
would like) the students should weigh their sponges again to
determine how much water was lost. Then the class can discuss
which adaptations helped the sponge retain the most water.
The class should understand that the sponge represents the tissue of desert
plants and that if left unprotected the water in the tissue will evaporate.
However if protected the tissue will retain water. Desert plants use waxy
outer layers and resinous oils to retain water. Some desert plants also
align their leaves up and down instead of flat open so that the sun’s heat
is less intense and therefore they use less water trying to cool down.
continued…
15.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
Virtual
Habitat
Producer: Agave
Activities
2.Energy Flow Game – This game will help us understand how energy
from the sun travels through the desert community. These cups of
water represent energy from the sun. The holes in the cups represent
energy that is lost as it travels through the food chain. The goal for
each team is to fill up the bucket at the top of the food chain as quickly
as possible. Each level will run to the next level to dump their cup of
water. How many cups of water did it take to fill up each teams bucket?
The purpose of this activity is for students to visualize how energy travels
through the food chain from producer to primary consumers to secondary
consumers and learn how energy is lost along the way. The students will also
understand the desert food chain. Dividing the class into two teams simply
makes it more fun and competitive for the students. After playing the game, the
class should discuss how much water (representing sun’s energy) was lost in
between levels. That is why in natural systems like the desert, there are usually
many plants (producers) and far fewer meat eaters (consumers). Plants produce
food directly from the sunlight so they are very efficient. It is harder to retain
energy in the higher levels of the food chain because energy is lost in between
each level. Therefore there are fewer organisms at the top of the food chain.
Game –
Materials
2 large buckets filled with water
1 plastic cup with 2–3 holes punched for each player
6 traffic cones or other objects to mark the levels
Paper, crayons, and string for students to make their identification tag
Players – Two teams, eight players on each team.
8 students will represent the plants from the tutorial (four on each team)
6 students will represent plant eaters from the tutorial (two on each team)
2 students will represent meat eaters from the tutorial (one on each team)
continued…
16.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
Virtual
Habitat
Primary Consumer:
Gila Woodpecker
Activities
Team one
Team Two
Producer level (plants)
Saguaro
Prickly Pear
Cholla
Mesquite
Producer Level (plants)
Ocotillo
Palo Verde
Creosote
Agave
Primary Consumers Level (mostly plant eaters)
Jackrabbit
Pocket Mouse
Spiny Lizard
Primary Consumers Level
(mostly plant eaters)
Desert Tortoise
Ground Squirrel
Gila Woodpecker
Secondary Consumers Level (mostly meat eaters)
Bark Scorpion
Secondary Consumers Level
(mostly meat eaters)
Coyote
How to Play:
Tell each student which desert organism they will represent in the game. Then each
student will draw a picture of their organism and write its name on its sheet of paper.
This piece of paper will be strung around the student’s neck to identify him or her.
continued…
17.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
Virtual
Habitat
Activities
Take students outside and place them in their appropriate places.
Each level (plant, plant eater, meat eater) should be 30–40 feet apart
(far enough apart that they have to run in between levels).
Team one
Team Two
Plants
Plants
Plant Eaters
Plants Eaters
Meat Eaters
Meat Eaters
Secondary Consumer: Coyote
There will be two teams of students; each team consists of 4 plants, 3 plant eaters,
and 1 meat eater. The players should get their cup with holes and line up as outlined
in the diagram. The large buckets of water should be placed at the plant’s level.
When the game starts the plants will fill up their cups one at a time from the water
in the large bucket. They will run one at time to pour their water into the cups of
the plant eaters. Only one plant per team should be running at a time. When the
first plant returns to the plant’s starting point, another plant can run with his or
her full cup to the plant eater’s level to transfer the water. When one plant eater’s
cup is completely full, he or she will run to pour that water into the meat eater’s
cup. The players should keep running to fill the cups until the meat eater’s cup
is full. The cups will only get filled if students are moving faster than the water
in their cups. The lost water represents energy that is lost as it moves through
the food chain. The team that fills up the meat eater’s cup first is the winner!
18.
DIGITAL desert Online
Scavenger Hunt
Name ________________________________________
1: How many deserts are in the world?
2: What is a cold desert? Example.
3: What is the driest desert?
4: How much Earth is covered by desert?
5: What is the hottest desert in the world?
6: What is the coldest desert in the world?
7: Investigate and describe a very unique desert organism.
8: A
re there any desert organisms that are similar to desert
organisms that live on a totally different continent? Example.
9: What is the only desert in North America with 2 rainy seasons?
10: What is the largest desert on Earth?
DIGITAL desert INVESTIGATION LOG
Name ________________________________________
Plant Name
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Cool Fact
DIGITAL desert INVESTIGATION LOG
Name ________________________________________
Animal Name
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Cool Fact
DIGITAL desert EXPERIMENT LOG
Name ________________________________________
Observation:
Question:
Hypothesis:
Prediction:
Experiement:
Results:
Conclusion:
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
What is a
Desert
Tutorial
Relevant Arizona State Standards
Reading
S3C1:PO6 Locate appropriate print and electronic
sources for a specific purpose.
S3C2:PO3 Interpret details from functional text for a specific purpose.
Science
S1C1:PO1 Differentiate among a question, hypothesis, and prediction.
S1C1:PO2 Formulate questions based on observations
that lead to the development of a hypothesis.
S1C2:PO1 Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate
procedures in all science inquiry.
S1C2:PO2 Design an investigation to test individual
variables using scientific processes.
S1C2:PO3 Conduct a controlled investigation using scientific processes.
S1C2:PO4 Perform measurements using appropriate scientific tools.
S1C2:PO5 Keep a record of observations, notes, sketches, questions,
and ideas using tools such as written and/or computer logs.
S1C3:PO3 Evaluate the observations and data reported by others.
S1C3:PO6 Formulate new questions based on the
results of a completed investigation.
S1C4:PO3 Communicate results of an investigation with appropriate
use of qualitative and quantitative information.
S1C4:PO5 Communicate the results and conclusion of the investigation.
S4C1:PO1 Explain the importance of water to organisms.
S4C3:PO2 Describe how environmental conditions
affect the quality of life.
continued…
23.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
What is a
Desert
Tutorial
Relevant Arizona State Standards
Social Studies
S4C5:PO2 Describe the intended and unintended consequences
of human modification on the environment.
Technology Education
2T-E2:PO3 Provide complete citations from electronic media
5T-E1:PO1 Identify electronic research resources
5T-E2:PO2 Gather research from a variety of electronic
sources and identify the most appropriate information
for answering the research question.
Workplace Skills
1WP-E6:PO1 Deliver a factual presentation using appropriate terminology.
24.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
How are
Deserts
Formed
Tutorial
Arizona State Standards
Science
S1C1:PO2 Formulate questions based on observations
that lead to the development of a hypothesis.
S6C2:PO1 Explain how water is cycled in nature.
S6C2:PO3 Analyze the effects that bodies of water
have on the climate of a region.
S6C2:PO5 Analyze the impact of large-scale weather
systems on the local weather.
Social Studies
25.
S4C1:PO3 Interpret maps, charts, and geographic
databases using geographic information.
S4C1:PO4 Locate physical and human features in the United
States and in regions of the world on a map.
Teacher’s Guide for sixth grade-
Digital Desert
Virtual
Habitat
Arizona State Standards
Science
S1C1:PO1 Differentiate among a question, hypothesis, and prediction.
S1C1:PO2 Formulate questions based on observations
that lead to the development of a hypothesis.
S1C1:PO1 Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate
procedures in all science inquiry.
S1C2:PO3 Conduct a controlled investigation using scientific processes.
S1C2:PO4 Perform measurements using appropriate scientific tools.
S1C2:PO5 Keep a record of observations, notes, sketches, questions,
and ideas using tools such as written and/or computer logs.
S1C3:PO6 Formulate new questions based on the
results of a completed investigation.
S1C4:PO3 Communicate results of an investigation with appropriate
use of qualitative and quantitative information.
S1C4:PO5 Communicate the results and conclusion of the investigation.
S3C1:PO1 Propose viable methods of responding
to an identified need or problem.
S4C1:PO1 Explain the importance of water to organisms.
S4C3:PO1 Explain that sunlight is the major source
of energy for most ecosystems.
S4C3:PO2 Describe how environmental conditions
affect the quality of life.
Social Studies
26.
S4C5:PO2 Describe the intended and unintended consequences
of human modification on the environment.
AMEND MEN T
TO ST AND ARDS
6th Grade Digital Desert
WHAT IS A
DESERT
TUTORIAL
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
S3C1: PO1 Predict and use key words and phrases that narrow or broaden information searches.
S3C1: PO2 Predict which information sources will provide the desired data.
S3C2: PO1 Locate and synthesize information to revise search strategies.
S3C2: PO2 Use authoritative primary and/or secondary sources.
S3C2: PO3 Evaluate information and media through determining facts, opinion, bias, and inaccuracies
by consulting multiple sources.
S3C2: PO4 Use appropriate digital tools to synthesize research information to develop new ideas
and/or create new understanding.
S3C2: PO5 Follow copyright laws when using text, images, videos, and/or other sources and obtain
permission to use the work of others, and cite resources appropriately.
S4C1: PO1 Write essential questions to investigate a topic or issue using digital tools and resources.
S4C2: PO1 Plan and manage research using credible digital resources to develop solutions to answer
a question.
S6C2: PO2 Compose a document that applies intermediate formatting.
27.