Saguaro National Park Lesson Plan – Adaptations

In this lesson unit, students visit Saguaro National Park through an OutSCIder Classroom video then engaging in multiple hands on activities to learn about desert adaptations.

Topic: Adaptations

Essential Question: How are species able to survive in a desert?

Objective: Students will be able to explain how plants and animals are adapted to a desert and how those adaptations help them survive and reproduce.

NGSS:

• MS-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
• MS-LS4-1 Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.
• MS-LS4-2 Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.

Agenda: 

• Engage – Students watch “How Giant Saguaro Cacti Survive and Thrive the Desert – Saguaro National Park | OutSCIder Classroom” and complete the discussion guide. Estimated time: 45 minutes
  • YouTube Link
  • Student Sheets: Printable/Digital
• Explore – Students complete desert food web modeling activity. Estimated time: 50 minutes
  • Student sheets: Printable/Digital
• Explain – Students will model how desert species retain water. Estimated time: 5 hours; 15 minutes for set up, observations every 30 minutes for 4 hours, 50 minutes for analysis and discussion
  • Student sheets: Printable/Digital
• Elaborate – Students perform a statistical analysis of a population and make inferences on adaptations and survival. Estimated time: 60 minutes
  • Student sheets: Printable/Digital
• Evaluate – Students plan and build a rain garden for their school. Estimated time: 250-300 minutes
  • Student sheets: Printable/Digital
• Assessment – Students will be evaluated using Saguaro National Park Short Cycle Assessment (SCA)

• For questions regarding this resource, please contact OutSCIder Classroom.
• Contact Name: Chris Anderson
• Phone No: 4403151152
• Email Address: chris@outscider.org