Process
First, decide what jobs you will have.
You and your partner will have to work
well together. After each part of this project, your teacher will ask you
to think about your work together, decide what worked well, what you could
have done better, and what you can do the next time to be better partners.
Both of you will get a chance to
do each job listed below.
For your first plant or animal,
one of you will be the recorder/designer and the other will be the surfer/writer.
You will switch jobs for the second plant or animal. Click
below and scroll down to see both jobs.
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Next, take notes on some of the plants
and animals of the Sonoran desert.
Click on the hand to get a paper that
you can use to take notes. You will need one for each plant
or animal that your group will research.
You will have to find out what the animal
eats or what eats it if it is a plant, an interesting fact about how
it survives, what the animal or plant looks like, and details about how
big it is or how much it weighs.
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As you learn, think about what makes your plant or animal different from
other plants and animals. How do you think this different thing helps
it survive in the harsh environment of the desert?
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Click on the animals or plants below
that have been assigned to your group. Fill in your chart when
you find the correct details. Also, print a picture of your animal. Then
look through the desert books in class to add to your notes.
Desert Pupfish
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Roadrunner
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Javelina (Collared Peccary) |
Tarantula
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Mexican Gray Wolf
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Black Widow
Spider
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Take your notes back to class. Working
with your group, go on a measurement hunt. Use the rulers, measuring
tapes, meter sticks, or scales to find something that either is as
long as or weighs as much as your desert plant or animal. Whatever
you find should be a common object and everyone should know what it is.
Below are some examples of some good and not so good comparisons:
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Good Comparisons
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Not so Good Comparisons
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A hawk is as tall as Stxio's
little brother Jobey.
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A hawk is as tall as a dog
(this does not say what kind of dog).
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A mountain lion weighs as much
as our computer teacher Mr. Day.
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A mountain lion weighs as much
as a man (this doesn't say what size man).
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When you find something that is as big,
or weighs as much, as your plant or animal, write exactly what it is in
the measurement box of your note paper.
Now, design your trading cards using
Kidspiration. Use the template that Mr. Day gives you.
1
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It should include a color picture
of your plant or animal.
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2
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Under the picture you should write
one dash fact that tells what it eats.
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3
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Then you should write one dash
fact that tells what it looks like.
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4
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Then you should write one interesting
fact.
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5
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Finally you should write how big
it is and what you found that is as big as your plant or animal.
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When you are all done designing your
cards, print them and give them to your teacher. A class
set of all of the cards will be made for everyone in class to have.
After you have completed Steps 1-5,
go to the evaluation
. Print this out. Give yourself a grade for all of
the individual parts. Then give your group a grade. Turn this
evaluation into your teacher. After you have finished the evaluation,
go to the conclusion.
