DESERTS 'R US

A Web Quest for 3rd Grade

Cheryl Davis

Introduction

You have a new job! You have just been hired by Deserts ‘R Us as a member of one of their design teams. As a new member of this company, you must spend some time training and learning about desert life. You need to understand what makes a desert a desert; what different kinds of deserts can be found; what plants and animals can live in the desert; what rocks, minerals and landforms can be seen in deserts, and what the climate of deserts are like. Once you have learned these facts, you will be able to decide if deserts can exist in other areas and what would be necessary to help them thrive.

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The Task

A new wildlife park is coming to your area! City officials have hired your company, Deserts ‘R Us, to design and create the desert exhibit for this new park. The President of your company has called all the employees together to explain the project. You will be divided into design teams of four people. Each design team will have a botanist, a zoologist, a geologist and a meteorologist. Each team member will have these responsibilities:

	You will each have questions to answer that will help you gather background information about all deserts.
	As a team, you will choose a desert to research and be able to explain why you chose that desert.
	You will each pick a job and will be responsible for collecting the information listed in your job description.
	You will then have to share the information you found with the other members of your team and be able to tell them why it is important for these things to be a part of your desert design.
	Your team will then begin to design your desert and determine how you will present it to the rest of your company.
	All of this information will be kept in your Team Employee Handbooks.

Each team will then present their designs to the other company members and the best design will be sent to City officials for final approval. Your presentations may be done using a diorama or a persuasive paper. back to top

The Process

Day 1-Training Day

1. You will need to divide into your design teams of four people.
2. Each team will receive an Employee Handbook.
3. You will each begin to gather background information by answering the
questions on this Desert Worksheet.
4. Use the sites listed below to find the answers you are searching for.
5. Use the back button to return to this list of sites.
6. Meet back with your group to decide which North American desert you will be exploring and explain why you think this is the best one to use for a desert design in your area.

Needed Sites:

The World's Biomes
Earth Floor
Deserts
What's It Like Where You Live
Desert Ecosystems
The Desert Biome
Desert USA
World Biomes
Desert Biome
Desert Movie

Day 2-Exploration Day

1. You will spend time today exploring the North American desert that your team has chosen.
2. You will each pick a job from the job descriptions listed below. Click on the job title to see the description for each job.
3. Once you have chosen a job, you will complete the task found with that job description.
4. Use the sites listed with your job to find the answers you are searching for.
5. You may also use any of the sites listed above.
6. Use the back button to return to this list of sites.

Job Descriptions

Click on the job title to see a description of the responsibilities of each job.

Botanist Zoologists

Sites: Sites:

Earth Floor Earth Floor

Desert Plants Desert Animals

Plants of the Desert Animals of the Desert

Desert Ecosystems Desert Ecosystems

Desert USA Desert USA

Plant Survival Animal Survival

Plants Animals

Meteorologist Geologist

Sites: Sites:

Desert Climate Desert Ecosystems

Desert Ecosystems Desert USA

World Biomes Landscape

Climates

Day 3- Sharing Day

1.     You need to make sure your job tasks are complete.
2.     Once you are finished, you need to take the desert quiz.
3.     You will need to meet with your team members and teach them about the information you have found during your job task.
4.     You will need to explain to your team why the things you found will be an important part of your desert design.

Day 4-Design Day

1.     Your team will need to decide what type of group presentation you want to create to explain your desert design.
2.     You may build a diorama or write a persuasive paper to illustrate your design.
3. Check the rubric below to see the requirements for each.
4.     Work on your team presentations.

Day 5-Construction Day

1. Complete your desert designs for your presentations.
2. Make sure each team member knows what part of the oral presentation they will be responsible for explaining.

Day 6-Presentation Day

1. Turn in your Employee Handbooks.
2. Each team will present their desert designs to the rest of the company.

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Evaluation

All evaluations will be scored as a collaborative group grade.

Rubric for Employee Handbook

Beginning 1

Developing 2

Accomplished 3

Exemplary 4

Score

Content

Most assignments are incomplete or missing.

Some assignments are incomplete or missing.

Most assignments are complete and included.

All required assignments are complete and included.

Neatness

Most pages are messy and unreadable.

Some pages are messy and hard to read.

Most pages are neat and legible.

All pages are neat and legible.

Rubric for Diorama

Beginning 1

Developing 2

Accomplished 3

Exemplary 4

Score

Content

	Incorrect or little facts.
	Poor representa- tion of features.
	None of the elements completed.
	Little detail.

	Some facts are accurate.
	Weak representa- tion of features.
	Few elements completed.
	Some detail.

	Substantial amount of facts.
	Good representa- tion of features.
	Many elements completed.
	Good detail.

	Exceptional amount of facts.
	Appropriate representa- tion of features.
	All necessary elements and more.
	Vivid detail

Organization

	Objects placed without planning.
	Focus vague and unclear.

	Objects placed with some planning.
	Some focus but not well organized.

	Objects placed with good planning.
	Well organized and clearly presented.

	Objects placed with careful planning.
	Highly organized and easy to follow.

Creativity

	Little to no design or layout.
	Little creativity.

	Simple design that could be more appealing.
	Lacking in creativity.

	Attractive design and visual appeal.
	Creative but needs more.

	Exceptional design and visual appeal.
	Very creative.

Written Script

Has no plan to follow during presenta- tion.

Plan is hard to follow during presenta- tion.

Has a plan for presenta- tion.

Has a well thought out plan to follow for presenta- tion.

Rubric for Persuasive Paper

Beginning 1

Developing 2

Accomplished 3

Exemplary 4

Score

Focus

	Subject is not clear.
	Ideas do not seem to go together.
	Ideas are confusing because parts are missing.

	Subject is not very clear.
	Many ideas with more than one subject.
	Paper is partially developed.

	Introduced subject or position.
	Kept paper focused and ideas make sense.
	Paper has everything it needs, but room for improve- ment.

	Introduced topic clearly.
	Paper stays on topic all the time and makes sense.
	Paper is fully developed and is outstanding in all areas

Content

	Paper has 2 paragraphs.
	Details are unclear or not included.
	Word choice is poor.

	Paper has 3 paragraphs.
	Did not explain ideas.
	Details are a list.
	Word choice is weak.

	Paper has 4 paragraphs.
	Some details and examples to explain subject.
	Word choice is adequate.

	Paper has 5 paragraphs.
	Many details and examples to explain topic.
	Word choice is interesting.

Organization

	Plan is confusing.
	Few or no transitions.
	Not a persuasive paper.

	Plan is not clear.
	Transitions don't make sense.
	Ideas don't fit plan.
	Not a persuasive paper.

	Paper has a plan.
	Connected between paragraphs, most transitions appropriate.
	A few ideas don't fit plan.

	Paper has a plan.
	Paragraphs are connected and transitions appropriate
	Sentences don't start the same.

Grammar

	Poor sentence structure.
	Many grammatical errors.

	Weak sentence structure.
	Some grammatical errors.

	Adequate sentence structure.
	Few grammatical errors.

	Good sentence structure.
	No grammatical errors.

Adapted from ISBE standards.

Rubric for Oral Presentation

Beginning 1

Developing 2

Accomplished 3

Exemplary 4

Score

Organization

	Unable to understand presentation
	No order to information.

	Difficulty following presentation
	Jumps around to information.

	Information given in logical order.
	Audience can follow.

Information given in logical and interesting manner.

Subject Knowledge

	Very little grasp of information.
	Cannot answer questions about subject.

	Uncomfort- able with information.
	Unable to answer some simple questions.

	At ease with information
	Answers most questions.

	Full knowledge of information
	Answers all questions with elaboration

Eye Contact

Reads all of report with no eye contact.

Occasional eye contact but reads most of report.

Maintains eye contact most of the time.

Maintains eye contact all of the time.

Voice Projection

	Mumbles and speaks quietly.
	Mispronoun- ces words.

	Difficulty hearing.
	Mispronoun- ces some words.

Voice is clear and can be heard.

Clear and precise pronuncia- tion.

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Conclusion

After completing your exploration of the plants, animals, climate and landforms of the deserts of North America, you should be able to determine if a desert can exist in your area and what would be necessary to help them thrive. You should also be able to decide if a desert could exist in other areas of the country that are different from your own. Maybe you could even design a desert landscape for your own backyard!

Credits

The following are sites that were used that are not linked in existing activities:

Desert graphics- http://ccsd.net/schools/jspark/gallery.html
Desert image- http://dgl.microsoft.com/?CAG=1

I would like to thank Helen DeWitt and Donna Taylor for their help and patience during the construction of this unit.

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Teacher Page

Listed here are the Illinois State Board of Education standards and additional guidance for each days activities.

Day 1

ISBE Standards:

	4.B.1b- Participate in discussions around a common topic. (Lang. Arts)
	5.A.1a- Identify questions and gather information. (Lang. Arts)
	5.A.1b- Locate information using a variety of resources. (Lang. Arts)
	5.B.1a- Select and organize information from various sources for a specific purpose. (Lang. Arts)
	5.C.1b- Use print, nonprint, human and technology resources to acquire and use information. (Lang. Arts)
	12.E.1a- Identify components and describe diverse features of the Earth's land, water and atmospheric systems. (Science)

Additional guidance:

	You may want to divide the students into groups instead of allowing them to chose on their own.
	You will need to have the Desert worksheet printed and copies for each student if the students are not allowed to print from the computer.
	You will need to determine what type of handbook design you will require. (folders, 3-ring binders, stapled together, front cover design, etc.)
	The students will need to know how to navigate on the Internet.

Day 2

ISBE Standards:

	5.A.1a- Identify questions and gather information. (Lang. Arts)
	5.A.1b- Locate information using a variety of resources. (Lang. Arts)
	5.B.1a- Select and organize information from various sources for a specific purpose. (Lang. Arts)
	5.C.1b- Use print, nonprint, human and technological resources to acquire and use information. (Lang. Arts)
	12.A.1b- Categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features. (Science)
	12.B.1a- Describe and compare characteristics of living things in relationship to their environment. (Science)
	12.B.1b- Describe how living things depend on one another for survival. (Science)
	12.E.1a- Identify components and describe diverse features of the Earth's land, water and atmospheric systems. (Science)
	12.E.1b- Identify components and describe diverse features of the Earth's land, water and atmospheric systems. (Science)

Additional Guidance:

	You will need to have the Job Description worksheets printed and copies for each student that is researching that job if the students are not allowed to print from the computer.
	The students should have some previous knowledge about plants and animals and how they adapt to their environments.
	The students should have some previous knowledge of landforms and how they develop.
	The students should have some previous knowledge about climate and how it effects the environment.
	The students will need to know how to navigate on the Internet.

Day 3

ISBE Standards:

	4.B.1b- Participate in discussions around a common topic. (Lang. Arts)
	5.C.1b- Use print, nonprint, human and technology resources to acquire and use information. (Lang. Arts)
	12.E.1a- Identify components and describe diverse features of the Earth's land, water and atmospheric systems. (Science)
	12.E.1b- Identify components and describe diverse features of the Earth's land, water and atmospheric systems. (Science)

Additional Guidance:

	The desert quiz is found on Quia and contains several java activities that the students may want to try.
	You may need to help facilitate the group discussions while they are sharing the information that they have gathered during their job searches.

Day 4

ISBE Standards:

Persuasive Paper

	3.A.1- Construct complete sentences which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriate capitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high-frequency words; and appropriate use of the eight parts of speech. (Lang. Arts)
	3.B.1a- Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas. (Lang. Arts)
	3.B.1b- Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written compositions. (Lang. Arts)
	3.C.1a- Write for a variety of purposes including description, information, explanation, persuasion and narration. (Lang. Arts)

Diorama

26.B.1d- Demonstrate knowledge and skills to create visual works of art using manipulation, eye-hand coordination, building and imagination. (Fine Arts)

Additional Guidance:

	You may need to provide the students with the materials they will need to construct their diorama. (ex. construction paper, play dough or modeling clay, glue, paints, empty boxes, crayons, or any other craft materials)
	Check the rubric to help make sure the students are including the required elements in their presentations.
	You may want to require the students who build a Diorama to have some type of written script while presenting their projects.
	The students should have an understanding of how to write a five paragraph persuasive paper.
	The students should have prior knowledge or instructions in advance on how to build a diorama.

Day 5

ISBE Standards:

Persuasive Paper

	3.A.1- Construct complete sentences which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriate capitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high-frequency words; and appropriate use of the eight parts of speech. (Lang. Arts)
	3.B.1a- Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas. (Lang. Arts)
	3.B.1b- Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written compositions. (Lang. Arts)
	3.C.1a- Write for a variety of purposes including description, information, explanation, persuasion and narration. (Lang. Arts)

Diorama

26.B.1d- Demonstrate knowledge and skills to create visual works of art using manipulation, eye-hand coordination, building and imagination. (Fine Arts)

Additional Guidance:

	You may need to provide the students with the materials they will need to construct their diorama. (ex. construction paper, play dough or modeling clay, glue, paints, empty boxes, crayons, or any other craft materials)
	Check the rubric to help make sure the students are including the required elements in their presentations.
	You may want to require the students who build a Diorama to have some type of written script while presenting their projects.

	The students should have an understanding of how to write a five paragraph persuasive paper.
	The students should have prior knowledge or instructions in advance on how to build a diorama.

Day 6

ISBE Standards:

4.B.1a- Present brief oral reports, using language and vocabulary appropriate to the message and audience. (Lang. Arts)

Additional Guidance:

	Remind the students about the proper way to make an oral presentation.
	Remind the other students about how they should behave during an oral presentation.
	You may want to ask for positive feedback from the other students after each presentation.

This web quest is predominately based on cooperative learning strategies. Students need to learn how to work in group settings almost as much as they need to learn the material being taught through ISBE standards.

Here is an additional web site that might provide other resource materials for you as a teacher.

Desert Worksheets- http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/desert/desert.shtml

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Designed using Webquest template. Created April, 2002