How do plants and animals adapt to life in the deserts?

Video Clip

• Draw a table like this to cover a double page in your book• During the video you will fill in the details about different

animals and plants

Animal Desert How adapted to heat

Food? How adapted to escape predators?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXzffzCE1Fw • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDzhgiJseSo

–Kangaroos• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6L3korqXb4

–Quiver trees• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJtSMszGl48

elephants• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=utFhmlfbBU0&feature=related Saguaro Cactus

Animals Camel

Fennec Fox

Scimitar horned Oryx

Sand Snake

Two toes to help balance on shifting sand

To keep cool

To store fuel during days without food or water

To keep sand out of eyes and mouth

Light coat to reflect heat

To protect joints

Fennec Fox Long ears to get rid of

excess heat

Eyes that can see

clearly in darkness so it can catch

prey

Comes out at night to avoid heat of the day

Hides under tail to protect self from

sun

VegetationBarrel Cactus

Joshua Tree

Prickly Pear Cactus

Thorns to deter predators

Long roots to store water

Flowers can grow even in times of severe lack of water

Xerophytes

A wide-spreading network of shallow roots harvests the desert rains;

a mature plant may soak up as much as 200 gallons of water during a storm.

Waxy skin to reflect heat

Stores water in times of moisture and plumps up

Becomes ridged and thin during very dry periods

Saguaro Cactus

Humans in the desert

Headscarf to protect from heat and sand storms

Loose fitting clothes to disperse heat around

White- to reflect the heat

Open shoes to allow feet to breathe

Sandals to protect heat from hot sand

Clothing

Footwear How does it walk on sand?

How does it get water

Where does it store water?

relationships

How does it stop sand getting in its eyes?

Desert Vegetation

Use the sheets and video notes to

• Design a poster showing how humans, plants and animals have adapted to life in the desert

• Cut the pictures out and stick them on to your poster then add labels to show how they have adapted

Today's task

• Produce an A3 poster • showing how • Animals and• Plants• Have adapted to life in the harsh, hot, dry

climate of the desert• You must include annotated (labeled) pictures• And explain how each have adapted in terms of A) Coping with extreme heatB) Coping with lack of waterC) Escaping predators

You have this lesson ONLY to complete this task

A wide-spreading network of shallow roots harvests the desert rains;

a mature plant may soak up as much as 200 gallons of water during a storm.

Waxy skin to reflect heat

Stores water in times of moisture and plumps up

Becomes ridged and thin during very dry periods

Saguaro Cactus

Two toes to help balance on shifting sand

To keep cool

To store fuel during days without food or water

To keep sand out of eyes and mouth

Light coat to reflect heat

To protect jointsCamels

Today's task

• Produce an A3 poster • showing how • Animals and• Plants• Have adapted to life in the harsh, hot, dry

climate of the desert• You must include annotated (labeled) pictures• And explain how each have adapted in terms of A) Coping with extreme heatB) Coping with lack of waterC) Escaping predators

You have this lesson ONLY to complete this task