Desert Survivors Review

This article outlines a lesson for a 3rd grade class that was studying biomes and the animals that live in those biomes, specifically the desert. The investigation included research of the t... See More

This article outlines a lesson for a 3rd grade class that was studying biomes and the animals that live in those biomes, specifically the desert. The investigation included research of the three chosen animals, data collection, and several plays where the students acted out how the animals would survive in each of these deserts. The end result determined which animal would survive the best. These plays were acted out in the form of the show Survivor with the scripts written by the teachers. I think that implementing this play aspect, made the unit more engaging for the students rather than simply doing a traditional research report on the animals.

Using Desert Puppets to Teach Argumentation

Students compete in their own version of the popular reality TV series, “Survivor”, as they learn about the physical and behavioral adaptations that help animals survive in a desert biome. ... See More

Students compete in their own version of the popular reality TV series, “Survivor”, as they learn about the physical and behavioral adaptations that help animals survive in a desert biome. The author mentions the research that reminds us that children retain information longer when the material is presented in a narrative format. Therefore, using puppets, students become animal experts as they discover why jackrabbits need long ears and how camels are able to survive in the Gobi Desert. During the final part of the lesson, students create their own puppet play that will explain the outcome of the competition. Then a winner is crowned. At the end of the article you can find the URL that provides the rubric, the play scripts, and all the data sheets to complete this lesson in your own classroom.