Developed by: Kelli Soccorsy

This web quest will provide an up close view of the Sonoran Desert. By the end of this web quest, you will be able to do the following things:

- accurately be able to locate the Sonoran Desert, and state the common characteristics of a desert

- state a few of the National Monuments within the Sonoran Desert

- Name numerous animals that live in the area, and how the adapt to desert life

- Name different types of plants that can be found in the Sonoran Desert

All of this content is intended to increase the science knowledge of 4^th graders.

The Sonoran Desert is one of roughly twenty deserts in the world. A desert is an area where the lack of water causes severe limitations on the inhabitants, most of the time. It is interesting to think about the fact that the definition does not include any information about barren sandy areas or heat. In fact, some desert areas are mountain ranges or even coastal plains. Even more amazing is that fact that freezing temperatures are actually common in desert areas. But how can this be, you may be asking, well the only common characteristic of a desert is aridity. This means that the area needs to be dry. More importantly, animals, plants and humans must adapt to living in an area where water can be scarce and unpredictable.

Your mission is to, should you choose to except it, become an expert on the Sonoran Desert.

· Compare and contrast deserts and the Sonoran desert.

· What animals and plants are found in the Sonoran Desert? How do some of these animals and plants adapt to living in the desert?

· What national monuments and museums can be found in the Sonoran Desert? What makes each of these monuments and museums so special?

Person 1 : Take a trip through the Sonoran Desert (this is youJ)

Person 2: Discover the truth about the Hohokam Civilization

Person 3: Become an expert on farming and irrigation

Person 4:  Become an expert on building and construction

For your mission, you will need to complete the following tasks.

For all written tasks, make sure to use your best handwriting, this should be final copy handwriting. You are also welcome to type. All tasks should have the correct heading on them.

You will be using the information from books, the Internet links to answer the questions these answers should be record in your Research Log.

· Compare and contrast the deserts and the Sonoran Desert.

o Use a Venn Diagram to do this.

· What animals and plants are found in the Sonoran Desert?

o Create a list of different animals that can be found in the Sonoran Desert

o Create a list of different plants that can be found in the Sonoran Desert

· How do some of these animals and plants adapt to living in the desert?

o Chose one animal from the list that you created. This will be your animal of focus. You will need to write a paragraph about how your animal survives in the Desert.

§ What does your animal do to survive during a drought?

§ How does your animal find food?

§ How does it protect itself from predators?

o Chose one plant from your list. Now you will focus on this one plant. Write a paragraph about how your plant survives in the desert.

§ How does it survive when there is a drought?

§ How does it protect itself from the sun during the summer?

§ What is something unique about this plant?

Prepare to head out on your tour of the desert monuments and museums. Know your focus is to answer the third question. Your final destination will leave you at the “Big House.”

· What national monuments and museums can be found in the Sonoran Desert? What makes each of these monuments and museums so special? This information should be recorded in your Research Log.

Sonora Desert Museum

Saguaro National Park

Organ Pipe National Monument

Desert Botanical Garden

Casa Grande Ruins

The next task in this mission is to head out on a journey to collect a few items from the desert around us.

Do not remove any artifacts or objects from the desert without permission! All things belong to someone, so ask permission before taking anything. Remember, most of the time it is illegal to remove plants, artifacts and objects from public lands. Public lands include Federal areas such as National Parks and Forests, as well as State, County, and City lands. Museums and botanical gardens also have special rules. Always ask first, before taking anything.

These items should be things that you can find in the Sonoran Desert. These can be actual things from the desert or pictures. These items will be used to help create the desert-scape.

The last task within your mission is to create a blue print of the desert-scape for the final project.

This should be a picture that accurately lays out what is in the desert-scape and why it has been placed in that specific spot. Use a piece of computer paper and plan out what you would have in your Sonoran desert. Then discuss with your other team members where their pieces will be located. Once the other members have given you their information, you will be able to draw your desert-scape around it.

Meet with group to work on final copy of the newspaper.

You will need to have your copies of:

o Animal Paragraph

o Plant Paragraph

· Research Log (Journal) containing rough copies of research

· Final articles for the newspaper

· A set of samples collected from the desert (actual items or pictures) used for desert-scape

· Blue print explaining the layout of the desert

· Venn Diagram

· Desert Botanical Gardens http://www.dbg.org/

· Desert USA http://www.desertusa.com/

· Boyce Thompson http://ag.arizona.edu/BTA/

· Sonora Desert Museum http://www.desertmuseum.org/edu/faq_desert.php

· Desert Biome Virtual Tour http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/index.htm

· Saguaro National Park http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_national_park/az/cac_sag.htm

· Organ Pipe National Monument http://www.desertusa.com/organ/du_org_main.html

As a group you will come together to create and name a newspaper article about the Hohokam Indian Tribe. You will also design a model of the Casa Grande, the big House, including irrigation and the surrounding desert.

Below is a copy of the rubric that you will be graded on.

Overall Project	4	3	2	1
Plan for Organizing Information	Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered and in the final research product. All students can independently explain the planned organization of the research findings.	Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information in the final research product. All students can independently explain this plan.	Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered. All students can independently explain most of this plan.	Students have no clear plan for organizing the information AND/OR students in the group cannot explain their organizational plan.

Newspaper	4	3	2	1
Layout - Headlines & Captions	All articles have headlines that capture the reader's attention and accurately describe the content. All articles have a byline. All graphics have captions that adequately describe the people and action in the graphic.	All articles have headlines that accurately describe the content. All articles have a byline. All graphics have captions.	Most articles have headlines that accurately describe the content. All articles have a byline. Most graphics have captions.	Articles are missing bylines OR many articles do not have adequate headlines OR many graphics do not have captions.
Contributions of Group Members	Each person in the group has contributed at least two articles and one graphic without prompting from teachers or peers.	Each person in the group has contributed at least one article and one graphic with a few reminders from peers.	Each person in the group has contributed at least one article with some minimal assistance from peers.	One or more students in the group required quite a lot of assistance from peers before contributing one article.
Spelling and Proofreading	No spelling or grammar errors remain after one or more people (in addition to the typist) read and correct the newspaper.	No more than a couple of spelling or grammar errors remain after one or more people (in addition to the typist) read and corrects the newspaper.	No more than 3 spelling or grammar errors remain after one or more people (in addition to the typist) read and correct the newspaper.	Several spelling or grammar errors remain in the final copy of the newspaper

Model	4	3	2	1
Construction -Materials	Appropriate materials were selected and creatively modified in ways that made them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected and there was an attempt at creative modification to make them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected.	Inappropriate materials were selected and contributed to a product that performed poorly.
Construction - Care Taken	Great care taken in construction process so that the structure is neat, attractive and follows plans accurately.	Construction was careful and accurate for the most part, but 1-2 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction accurately followed the plans, but 3-4 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction appears careless or haphazard. Many details need refinement for a strong or attractive product

Drawing	4	3	2	1
Content - Accuracy	Accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	Some accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	Few accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	No accurate facts are displayed on the poster.

Essay	4	3	2	1
Quality of Information	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given.	Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic.
Internet Use	Successfully uses suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Usually able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Occasionally able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Needs assistance or supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these sites.

There are numerous ways that you can increase your knowledge of the Sonoran Desert. Some ways that you can do this is by visiting any of the national parks and museums and we discussed. You can also learn a lot of information about the Desert by exploring it. Remember that if you are going to explore the desert it is wise to take an adult with you on your adventure! There are many dangerous animals and plants in the desert, be careful and have fun!!

Photos courtesy of

Desert USA

&

Wild Nature Images