Richard

Williams Desert Lesson Plan Who lives in the desert? 1st Grade/Mrs. Dodds Class/Crestview Elem. Goal: Students will be able to identify animals and plants that live in the desert environment. Standards: NCSS strand: People, Places and Environments This lesson focuses on this strand because the students will learn about the desert environment, and the animals and plants that live there. Materials Needed: Large map or globe of the world Powerpoint presentation (pictures of the desert environment) Coloring handout: Who belongs in the desert? Colors/markers/colored pencils for each student Optional: Coloring handout Animals of the Desert Lesson Objectives: After viewing the PowerPoint presentation and given a coloring sheet of various animals, students will be able to color in which animals live in the desert. Lesson Procedures: (Total time required: ~30 min) 1. Direct instruction (7-10 min) Where are the deserts? This portion of the lesson will focus on where deserts are found. The teacher will identify some of the major characteristics of deserts (hot, dry, not much rain, sandy, not a lot of plants and animals), and will point out some of the major deserts on the world map. Teacher will point out: The Sahara desert (northern Africa) The Great Sandy desert (Australian Outback) The Patagonian desert (southern tip of South America) The Baja and Sonoran Deserts (Southern California/Arizona) 2. Direct instruction (10 min) What do deserts look like? This portion of the lesson will include showing the PowerPoint presentation with photos from various deserts around the world. As the photos are shown, the teacher will point out on

the map/globe where the photo comes from. The teacher will identify the major flora/fauna (plants and animals) visible in the photos. These may include different types of cacti (barrel, ocotillo and saguaro), different birds (warblers, starlings) and animals (coyotes, foxes, mountain lions, snakes, lizards and camels). The teacher will also relate personal experiences to the various deserts he has been in (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sonoran Desert (Arizona). 3. Activity (5-10 min). Which animals belong in the desert? The teacher will pass out the coloring sheet Who belongs in the desert? and explain the instructions to the students. Instructions: The students will color in the animals and plants they think live in the desert. Not all animals or plants on the sheet belong in the desert! Grouping: This lesson will be done entirely with the large group (whole class). Modifications: Extensions for advanced learners: Advanced learners will be asked to write a list of all the animals and plants that they know are found in the desert. Modifications for students that need extra help: Extra time will be given during the activity portion. Instruction will be given concisely. Extra Time: If there is extra time, hand out the second sheet Animals of the Desert, and have the students do the activities Animal Match Up and Color the Iguana. Assessment: Assessment is informal, and is based on the coloring sheet Who lives in the desert?. If the student attempted the coloring sheet, they get a checkmark. If they did not attempt it, they get no checkmark.