PREINSTRUCTIONAL:

Objectives:

• The students will identify interrelationships that are present in the desert between and among plants and animals through a pictorial representation.
• Through class discussion, the students will analyze how changes in interrelationships affect the animals and plants of the desert.

Materials:

• Large pieces of white paper
• Markers
• Crayons
• Pages 42-44 from Ranger Rick's Nature Scope: Discovering Deserts, one copy for each student.
• Pencils
• Journals

Procedures:

1. Have the students create a desert scene using markers and crayons in their journals. They may use pictures from books as models.
2. Have the students paste the animals and plants from page 43 and 44 to their scenes to complete the desert environment.
3. Ask the students to draw lines between the animals and plants based on the relationships outlined in page 41-42.
4. As a class, discuss the interrelationships that are depicted in the picture.
5. Ask the students, "What would happen if _______ disappeared?", or, "What would happen if one plant died off?"
6. Relate the interrelationships to the students through an analogy of their own environment, asking them what would happen if they lost their food source.
7. Close the lesson by discussing the fact that the desert is an interrelated community. Ask the students if they can cite any other examples to support this.

Evaluation:

1. Did the students depict a desert scene, including plants and animals? Were the students able to draw in the relationships using the information that they were given?
2. Were the students able to predict what would happen to members of the community if one member disappeared?

Reteaching Strategies and Follow-up:

• Students may work in pairs to create the desert scene.
• If students are having a difficult time grasping the concept, perform the food web experiment in which each child holds a piece of string, then, one by one, lets go. Label each student as a desert plant or animal.