Objectives and Academic Standards

PreK & K: A Walk in the Desert

Let’s take an imaginary walk through the desert to discover hidden animals and plants. While meeting some of these fascinating desert dwellers, we will identify the special adaptations each has for survival in this dry environment.

Additional Resources

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of live animals, artifacts and interactive demonstrations students will:

Develop an understanding of some physical characteristics of the desert environment.
Identify some common Sonoran Desert plants and animals.
Determine the structures and behaviors of specific desert plants and animals that enable them to live in the Sonoran Desert environment.
Develop an appreciation for our desert and the creatures that inhabit it.
Determine measures they can take to help conserve our desert and its life.

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:

K.L1U1.6: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about how organisms use different body parts for survival.
K.L1U1.7: Observe, ask questions, and explain how specialized structures found on a variety of plants and animals (including humans) help them sense and respond to their environment.

Grades 1-2: Saguaro Partners

Did you know saguaros are only found in the Sonoran Desert? Learn how the saguaro is adapted to life here, and explore the important partnerships it shares with other living things. Discover how the saguaro depends on animals for pollination and seed dispersal, and meet the animals that rely on this giant for shelter and food.

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of live animals, artifacts and interactive demonstrations students will:

Identify the basic plant structures of the saguaro and describe their functions.
Trace the life cycle of a saguaro.
Identify adaptations of the saguaro that allow it to live in the Sonoran Desert environment.
Describe relationships between the saguaro and other desert plants and animals.

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:

1.L1U1.6: Observe, describe, and predict life cycles of animals and plants.
1.L2U2.7: Develop and use models about how living things use resources to grow and survive.
1.L2U1.8 : Construct an explanation describing how organisms obtain resources from the environment including materials that are used again by other organisms.
2.L2U1.10: Develop a model representing how life on Earth depends on energy from the Sun and energy from other organisms.

Grades 2-3: Web of Life

Let’s build a food web to explore how the sun’s energy flows through plant “food factories” to producers, consumers, and decomposers. Meet live herbivores, carnivores, and more to discover the important jobs each living thing performs to provide food or return nutrients to the soil to start the cycle anew.

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of live animals, artifacts and interactive demonstrations students will:

Develop an understanding of the concept of energy flow.
Classify Sonoran Desert species according to trophic levels.
Create a simple food web using Sonoran Desert plants and animals.
Identify physical and behavioral adaptations that allow animals and plants to survive within their ecological niche.
Understand the interactions and interdependence among producer and consumer populations within an ecosystem.
Understand the interactions and interdependence among living and nonliving components within ecosystems.

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:

2.L2U1.10: Develop a model representing how life on Earth depends on energy from the Sun and energy from other organisms.
3.L2U1.7 : Develop and use system models to describe the flow of energy from the Sun to and among living organisms.
3.L2U1.8: Construct an argument from evidence that organisms are interdependent.

Grades 3-4: Amazing Arthropods

Introduce students to the incredible diversity of Sonoran Desert insects, arachnids, and other fascinating arthropods. Examine live animals and preserved specimens to learn about anatomy and adaptations. Determine the important roles of various arthropods in desert food chains, pollination, and our ecosystem.

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of live animals, artifacts and interactive demonstrations students will:

Describe and identify features used to classify arthropods.
Develop an appreciation of the diversity of Sonoran Desert arthropods.
Understand the important jobs arthropods play in ecosystems and explain reasons to protect them.
Identify actions they can take to promote arthropod conservation in their lives.

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:

3.L1U1.5: Develop and use models to explain that plants and animals (including humans) have internal and external structures that serve various functions that aid in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction.
3.L2U1.8: Construct an argument from evidence that organisms are interdependent.

Grades 3-5: Exploring Adaptations

Plants and animals display a fascinating variety of adaptations that help them thrive in the Sonoran Desert. Examine desert plants’ structures to reveal how they deal with the temperature extremes and aridity of this environment. Then meet some live desert animals and identify their secrets to success as desert dwellers!

Additional Resources

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of desert plants, live animals, and preserved specimens, students will:

Identify limited water, extreme temperatures, and aridity as challenges to life in the Sonoran Desert.
Understand that adaptations are heritable traits expressed by populations of organisms through time.
Describe at least 3 adaptations cacti have that enable them to survive the aridity, scant and variable rainfall, and temperature extremes of the desert climate.
Describe how native shrubs and trees are adapted for desert survival.
Develop an appreciation for the behavioral and physiological adaptations resident animals have for desert survival.
Consider what effects rapid environmental change (i.e. global warming) could have on organisms adapted to specific environmental conditions.

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:

3.L1U1.5 : Develop and use models to explain that plants and animals (including humans) have internal and external structures that serve various functions that aid in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction.  
5.L4U3.12: Construct an argument based on evidence that inherited characteristics can be affected by behavior and/or environmental conditions.

Grades 5-8: Design by Nature

Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies. Through experimentation with models, a live animal encounter, and exploration of how animal and plant adaptations have inspired human innovation, students will understand and be inspired to seek solutions to modern sustainability problems.

Additional Resources

Program Objectives

Students will be able to:

Understand biomimicry and cite examples of how nature’s inspiration can be used for human innovation.
Investigate and describe some ways in which desert plants and animals are adapted to collect and save water and keep cool.
Integrate desert plant and animal adaptations into their own designs for a water- and energy-efficient desert dwelling.

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:

5.L4U3.12

Construct an argument based on evidence that inherited characteristics can be affected by behavior and/or environmental conditions.

5th Grade - Science and engineering practices;  

Analyzing & interpreting data: 

Analyze data to refine a problem statement or the design of a proposed object, tool or process.

Using mathematics & computational thinking: 

Use mathematical thinking and/or computational outcomes to compare alternative solutions to an engineering problem.

Constructing explanations & designing solutions: 

Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct a scientific explanation or design a solution to a problem 
Apply scientific knowledge to solve design problems.

 Engaging in argument from evidence 

Construct and/or support scientific arguments with evidence, data, and/or a model. 
Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem by citing relevant evidence about how it meets the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Science Standards:

6.L2U1.13  

Use evidence to construct an argument regarding the impact of human activities on the environment and how they positively and negatively affect the competition for energy and resources in ecosystems.

8.E1U3.8

Construct and support an argument about how human consumption of limited resources impacts the biosphere.

6-8 Grade – Science and engineering practices;

Analyzing & interpreting data:  

Analyze and interpret data in order to determine similarities and differences in findings.

Using mathematics & computational thinking: 

Use digital tools, mathematical concepts, and arguments to test and compare proposed solutions to an engineering design problem. 
Use mathematical arguments to describe and support scientific conclusions and design solutions.

Constructing explanations and designing solutions: 

Construct explanations from models or representations.

Engage in argument from evidence:  

Construct, use, and present oral and written arguments supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem.

Grades 5-8: Invasive Species

People are moving plants and animals around the planet and into new environments more rapidly than ever before. Discover what makes a non-native species invasive and learn about the challenges this creates for iconic Sonoran Desert plants, animals, and landscapes. Explore solutions to these threats and learn ways that we can all help! (This program requires classroom equipment for a PowerPoint presentation.)

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:

5.L4U3.11

Obtain, evaluate, and communicate evidence about how natural and human-caused changes to habitats or climate can impact populations.

5th Grade: Science and engineering practice;

Analyzing and interpreting data:

Interpret data to make sense of and explain phenomena

Using logical reasoning, mathematics, and/or computation:

Use mathematical arguments to describe and support scientific conclusions and design solutions.

6.L2U3.11

Use evidence to construct an argument regarding the impact of human activities on the environment and how they positively and negatively affect the competition for energy and resources in ecosystems.  

6.L2U3.12

Engage in argument from evidence to support a claim about the factors that cause species to change and how humans can impact those factors.

All Ages: Desert Reptiles

From lizards, to tortoises, to snakes, meet the remarkable reptiles of the Sonoran Desert. Compare their diverse strategies for movement, defense, and feeding. Discover the unique adaptations that make them hardy desert survivors.

Additional Resources

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of live animals, artifacts and interactive demonstrations students will:

Identify the characteristics which separate reptiles from other vertebrates.
Learn about the desert adaptations of several Sonoran reptiles.
Understand how ectothermic animals function.
Acquire an appreciation for our desert and the creatures that inhabit it.

All Ages: Flying Friends

Birds, bats, and bees are all around us, but what makes them special? Let’s explore their adaptations for getting airborne and discover how they use the power of flight for their unique roles in our desert ecosystem. We’ll even meet a live feathered friend!

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of live animals, artifacts and interactive demonstrations students will:

Identify the differences between the wings of insects, bats, and birds and how they produce flight.
Understand some of the roles of flighted animals in ecosystems as pollinators, seed spreaders, predators, and more.
Acquire an appreciation for our desert and the diversity of creatures that inhabit it.

All Ages: Meet the Neighbors

As Sonoran Desert dwellers, we have the privilege of sharing the desert with many plants and animals. Some may seem unfamiliar or even a little scary. We’ll explore the lifestyles and beneficial roles of our animal residents and learn how to be good neighbors with wildlife.

Activities

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of live animals, artifacts and interactive demonstrations students will:

Identify structures and behaviors that plants and animals employ for survival in our desert.
Understand the importance of plants and animals and their unique roles in desert ecosystems.
Acquire an appreciation for our desert and the diversity of creatures that inhabit it.
Learn how we can be good stewards of our desert ecosystem.

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