Surprises of the Deserts

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Did you know that desert temperatures drop from 100 degrees Fahrenheit to the 40s or 50s within hours? Or that deserts receive only 10 inches of rainfall a year — but the rains come in torrential downpours? Can you believe that a fascinating array of plants and animals live within this barren habitat? You're in for a world of surprises as we visit sites loaded with desert facts and photos!

Let's start our journey at the Deserts area of the Missouri Botanical Garden's Virtual Biomes site. This is a great place to find basic facts, such as desert rainfalls, temperatures, and locations. In Desert at Night, find out what causes desert temperatures to drop so low when the sun goes down. Then explore interesting facts about hot and cold deserts around the world — from unique geographical features to examples of wildlife — and see how no two deserts are alike!

Many plants and animals live in deserts — in fact, they thrive in this ecosystem! In order to survive, desert wildlife has adapted to the environment. To see vivid examples of this adaptation, explore the Desert Plants area and learn about the thorns of the Fish Hook Cactus. Then check out Desert Animals and look at the scales of the Armadillo Lizard. How do these features help plants and animals survive?

Make your next stop Desert Life, at the Desert USA site. Here you'll find in-depth information and colorful images of more desert plants and animals. Plus, meet People of the Desert and learn about ancient civilizations, like the Anasazi, who created large, adobe pueblos and colorful pottery, as well as present-day peoples, like the Apache Native Americans of the American Southwest.

Now that we've done our research, let's visit a few deserts! We'll head down to Big Bend National Park and take a virtual hike up the Lost Mine Trail. Along the way, there are photos and descriptions of plants and natural features, like the Prickly Pear Cactus and the Juniper Canyon. At the top, you'll learn the legend of the Lost Mine Trail!

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LESSON PLAN	Endangered Ecosystems Grades 6-9 Requires students to compare and contrast different endangered ecosystems and the animals that belong in them.
UNIT PLAN	Endangered Ecosystems Students will learn firsthand how Earthwatch teams study animals in their environment and work to preserve these endangered ecosystems.
ONLINE ACTIVITY	Send a Tree-Free eCard | Kids' Environmental Report Card Are you doing what you can to help the environment? Send eCards to your friends and increase awareness about the issues â?? and what kids can...
BOOK INFORMATION	The Desert is My Mother/ El desierto es mi madre THE DESERT IS MY MOTHER/El desierto es mi madre is a beautiful poetic and artistic rendition of the relationship between nature and Hispanics and Native American peoples. Rather than being an expanse empty of life and value, the desert is lovingly presented as the provider of comfort, food, spirit and life. Mora's bilingual, poetic text will delight both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking children.