Desert Habitats

Content Objectives

Students will:

• Learn about the concept of desert habitats.
• Access prior knowledge and build background about life in the desert.
• Explore and apply the concept of desert habitats.

Language Objectives

Students will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of desert habitats.
• Orally use words that describe desert habitats.
• Extend oral vocabulary by speaking about qualities of desert habitats.
• Use key concept words [desert, dry, hot, cactus, irrigate, water; survival, habitat].

Other

Explain

• Use the slideshow to review the key concept words.
• Explain that students are going to learn about:
• What desert habitats look like.
• What kinds of animals and plants live in desert habitats.
• What plants and animals do to survive the conditions of desert habitats.

Model

• After the host introduces the slideshow, point to the photo on screen. Ask students: Describe the environment you see in this photo. (cacti, plants, etc.)
• Ask students: Where do you think this picture was taken? (in the desert).
• Say: In this activity we will learn about desert habitats. What would you need to survive in order to live in the desert. (water, sunglasses, hat, etc.)

Guided Practice

• Guide students through the next two slides, showing them different aspects of the desert. Always have the students describe how living in the desert is different from living in other habitats.

Apply

• Play the games that follow. Have them discuss with their partner the different topics that appear during the Talk About It feature.
• After the first game, ask students to talk about why some animals can live in the desert, and some can't. After the second game, have them discuss what they think would be the most important things for a person to have in the desert and why.

Close

• Ask students: Would you like to live in a desert habitat? Why or why not?
• Summarize for students that desert habitats are just one of many habitats in the U.S. Encourage them to think about how deserts are different from other habitats in the U.S.