Deserts: A Biomes Study

Explore the desert biome through this flexible, multi-age unit study. Students will learn about desert climates, animals, plants, and how people have adapted to these harsh environments. The unit includes book lists, hands-on activities, recipes, worksheets, creative writing prompts, Bible references, art ideas, games, and more.

Learning Objectives

The student will be able to:

1. Appreciate the importance of deserts to the ecology.
2. Understand that to survive within an ecosystem, an animal/plant must be physically and behaviorally adapted to the conditions of its environment.
3. Understand that animals/plants living in the desert have physical and behavioral characteristics that make them well adapted to the desert environment.
4. Gain an understanding of the geology of the world’s greatest deserts.
5. Develop an understanding of desert formation, naturally and man-made.
6. Develop an awareness of the variety and uniqueness of desert landforms.
7. Develop an awareness of the location of the greatest deserts.
8. Develop listening skills and demonstrate these skills.
9. Become familiar with terms and procedures related to topic.
10. Evaluate information based on prior experiences and newly-acquired knowledge.
11. Research a variety of documents to obtain knowledge.
12. Exercise critical thinking skills.
13. Learn to gather and use research information.
14. Create a notebook to demonstrate organizational skills.

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Bible References

Explore desert imagery and events in biblical texts. Use the following references in a journal study.

• Isaiah 35:1–6
• Isaiah 43:18–21
• Isaiah 41:19–20
• Isaiah 51:2–3
• Jeremiah 2:6
• Jeremiah 5:6
• Matthew 4:1–11

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Vocabulary

alluvial fan	climate	evaporation	plate tectonics
alluvium	desert	fog collecting	playa
anticline	desert pavement	groundwater	Precambrian
arid	desert varnish	hamada	precipitation
arroyo	desertification	hogback	regs
Bactrian	detritus	hoodoo	saguaros
bajada	dormant	Kickapoo	sediment
biome	dromedary	loess	semiarid
blowout	dunes	mesa	steppe
butte	ecosystem	mirage	succulent
cactus	eolian	nocturnal	syncline
cactus-moth	ergs	Paleozoic	Triassic
Chihuahuan Desert	erosion	Pangea	wadis
climate	evaporation	pediment

Here are some pre-defined terms you can use optionally in a glossary or as journal prompts. Use this word list for spelling, journaling, or to create your own word search, word scramble, or GeoSafari Cards.

Optional Vocabulary Definitions

• Alluvial Fan: A large, fan-shaped pile of sediment forming at the base of narrow canyons.
• Arroyo: A dry desert gully.
• Bajada: A sloping deposit caused by overlapping alluvial fans.
• Biome: A major ecological community type.
• Blowout: A depression caused by wind erosion.
• Butte: A narrow, steep-sided hill, formerly a mesa.
• Desert: An area receiving less than 10 inches of precipitation annually.
• Dunes: Mounds of loose sand shaped by wind.
• Eolian: Related to wind activity and its effects on the landscape.
• Ergs: Vast areas of shifting sand.
• Fog Collecting: A method used to harvest water in arid environments.
• Mesa: A broad, flat-topped hill with steep sides.
• Playas: Flat, dry lake beds with cracked clay surfaces.
• Pediment: A gravel-covered surface resulting from erosion.
• Wadis: Dried-up riverbeds, especially in desert regions.

…and many more. Refer to https://wordweb.info/free or https://www.dictionary.com/ for additional definitions and pronunciation help.

Timeline

Create a timeline of key events, such as:

• The formation of the world’s major deserts (e.g. Sahara, Gobi, Atacama, Mojave, Kalahari).
• Dust Bowl (1930s) and the impact of poor farming practices.
• Development of desert adaptation theories.
• Key geological eras: Precambrian, Paleozoic, Triassic.

Use resources like https://www.worldbook.com/free-educational-resources#tcos or timeline creators such as https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/timeline to build your own timeline.

Book Resources

Use these titles to support reading, journaling, and research across grade levels. Most can be found in public libraries or secondhand shops.

• Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus by Barbara Bash
• Deserts (Habitats of the World Series) by Sheri Amsel
• Desert Babies by Kathy Darling
• Cactus Desert (One Small Square Series) by Donald M. Silver
• The Magic School Bus Gets All Dried Up: A Book About Deserts by Joanna Cole
• Atlas: Desert Animals by Luise Woelflein (Scholastic pop-up book)
• Eyewitness: Desert (DK Publishing)
• See How They Grow: Desert Animals by Sony Wonder; Reader’s Digest; Dorling Kindersley

Encyclopedias are also excellent “jumping off” points for this study.

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Periodicals

Kids Discover Magazine https://kidsdiscover.com/

Deserts (Vol. 3, Issue 2)

Australia (Vol. 6, Issue 1)

National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ – Check library archives for issues on world deserts, animals, and cultures.

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Poetry & Music

Encourage students to creatively explore what they’ve learned by writing poetry or crafting songs inspired by desert life.

Poetry Writing Prompts

Animal Poem (10-line format):

• Common name
• Four descriptive traits
• Family of…
• Likes to…
• Who eats…
• Who lives in…
• Who is seen as…
• Whose enemies are…
• Life span
• Scientific name

Plant Poem (10-line format):

• Common name
• Four descriptive traits
• Grows in…
• How it grows
• Provides food for…
• Some landscape uses
• Other uses
• Flowers and fruit
• How big it gets
• Scientific name

Encourage students to illustrate their poems in their journals.

Music Integration

• Write a song to memorize the names and locations of the world’s major deserts.
• Explore the connection between nature and music by researching the phenomenon of “singing sand dunes.”
• BBC Earth Podcast: The singing sand dunes of the Sahara (Season 3, Ep. 5. Wednesday, November 27, 2019)
• Kazakhstan’s Singing Sand Dunes from Alex Chacon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3hpnC2h8-U
• Canteach Poetry Songs Index – Scroll to desert-themed or adaptable songs

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More Game Ideas

• Character trait matching games
• Vocabulary matching or concentration games
• Desert quiz paths or trivia boards
• Garden or cactus-themed game boards with rewards

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Clip Art

Use these clip art sources to enhance your student notebooks, lapbooks, presentations, file folder games, or timeline projects.

Google Image Search – Desert
Classroom Clipart – Deserts Collection

These resources work great for:

• Notebook covers
• Game boards and cards
• Worksheet headers
• Diorama decorations
• Coloring pages or printable crafts

Recipes

• Grind vanilla wafers and then sprinkle them over a white cake with vanilla frosting for a desert cake. Use Plastic desert animals and plants to decorate.
• For a healthier version make No-Bake Cupcakes with FullyRawKristina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHSHpPtqpWo
  Instead of making the frosting that calls for raw beet juice powder use instead: Vegan cashew vanilla icing. Crush and sprinkle over the cupcake these Highkey Vanilla Wafers
• Desert Delight Smoothie: A Refreshing Blend with Prickly Pear
• Look up recipes from selected desert peoples

Art & Craft Ideas

• • Wall murals
  • Sand art pictures of desert life
  • Build a tent (or create a miniature shelter model)
  • Paper mâché desert animals
  • Color in the desert lands on a blank outline map
  • Mock desert excavations

• Make a fog collector
• Make a diorama – AMNH Online Field Journal
• Animal crafts – Enchanted Learning
• Desert-themed crafts – DLTK Kids
• Desert wind mobile – Crafts for Kids
• Desert coloring pages – Edupics
• Enchanted Learning Desert Habitats
• Water in the Desert Science activity – Teachnet
• 3D animal papercraft – Canon Creative Park

Worksheets & Activities

Lesson Plans & Curriculum

• Africa Unit Plan – A full unit exploring African geography and culture, including desert regions. https://www.canteach.ca/resources/social-studies/society-and-culture/africa-unit-plan/
• Mr. Donn’s Geography Lessons – Desert-themed lesson plans, activities, games, and presentations. https://mrdonn.org/geography.html#deserts
• Mr. Dowling: Middle East & North Africa Deserts – Kid-friendly lessons about arid regions. https://www.mrdowling.com/deserts-the-driest-regions-on-earth
• National Geographic: Desert Lesson Plans
• National Park Service: Desert Lesson Plans
• The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens – Free downloads: coloring books, native plant guides, grade-specific curriculum, and virtual field trips. https://www.livingdesert.org/learn/educator-resources/downloadable-resources/

Reading Comprehension & Worksheets

• Deserts Reading Comprehension Activities https://edhelper.com/Deserts.htm
• Desert Plants Worksheet (PDF) https://www.tlsbooks.com/pdf/desert-plants.pdf
• Desert Ecosystem Facts & Worksheets – Overview of desert biomes, wildlife, and plant life. https://kidskonnect.com/science/desert-ecosystem/

Maps & Geography

• Principal Deserts of the World – Overview and desert facts. https://www.factmonster.com/world/geography/principal-deserts-world
• World Desert Map https://mapsofworld.com/world-desert-map.htm
• USGS: Global Desert Map https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/what/world.html

Science & Biomes

The Desert Biome – UC Museum of Paleontology – Detailed look at desert environments and ecology. https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php

DesertUSA – Articles and info on desert animals, plants, people, and ecosystems. Desert Life: Animals, Plants, People & the Environment

Online Articles & Educational Links

• Wikipedia Desert Overview https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert (Good intro and links to individual deserts)
• NASA Desert Science – some with MP3 audio for learning in the car https://www.google.com/search?q=desert+site%3Ascience.nasa.gov
• PBS Kids Search for Deserts

Evaluation Ideas

Unit Safari Deserts Unit Study was compiled August 10, 1999, revisited June 4, 2007