Overview
This activity guide introduces children to the wild and often misunderstood environment of the desert and the people and cultures that thrive in and around them. Information is included on all types of deserts-hot and dry, coastal, semiarid, and polar. Kids learn what defines a desert and the creative ways plants and animals have adapted to survive in harsh desert environments. Also discussed are urban sprawl and its effects on desert habitats and how children can help protect this delicate environment by conserving energy and reducing consumption of petroleum-based products. Engaging activities include drawing a petroglyph, making a coral snake bracelet, frying prickly pears, conducting a gerbil study, and making sand art.Author Biography: Nancy F. Castaldo is the author of Rainy Day Play!, Winter Day Play!, The Little Hands Nature Book, Oceans, and Rainforests and a former environmental educator.
Synopsis
This activity guide introduces children to the wild and often misunderstood environment of the desert and the people and cultures that thrive in and around them. Information is included on all types of deserts-hot and dry, coastal, semiarid, and polar. Kids learn what defines a desert and the creative ways plants and animals have adapted to survive in harsh desert environments. Also discussed are urban sprawl and its effects on desert habitats and how children can help protect this delicate environment by conserving energy and reducing consumption of petroleum-based products. Engaging activities include drawing a petroglyph, making a coral snake bracelet, frying prickly pears, conducting a gerbil study, and making sand art.
Author Biography: Nancy F. Castaldo is the author of Rainy Day Play!, Winter Day Play!, The Little Hands Nature Book, Oceans, and Rainforests and a former environmental educator.
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"Games and activities that lead readers across the world and through time."
Editorials
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"Games and activities that lead readers across the world and through time."Science Books & Films
"Wonderful introduction to the world’s deserts in a stimulating context."Children's Literature
Cactus and snakes slithering in hot sands, mountain devils, quicksand, liquid black gold, nomads, and more await readers of this outstanding book on the deserts of the world. Readers are introduced to the world of the desert in a concise, inviting way. Science, legend, and art combine to draw elementary school children into the mysteries of the desert. In chapter one, readers discover basic information about deserts. Then they journey through the deserts of the world, meeting plant and animal life, rock formations, fossils, and the traditions of people who make their home there. Children learn about hot deserts, coastal deserts, deserts down under, and polar deserts. They will meet desert explorers and work on simple but amazing projects to help them understand these vast spaces. For example, readers may try sand painting, make a rain stick and a solar still, compare themselves to a kangaroo, and compare lettuce seeds growing in sand and dirt. They will read interesting legends, such as the Zuni tale on the origin of rattlesnakes and the Egyptian legend explaining why camels make faces. Throughout the book, notable facts are presented in "Desert Discovery" sidebars. A chapter on desert resources is provided at the back of the book, as is a section on desert challenges. This kid-friendly title, which presents a broad array of information on deserts in an accessible way, is one in the publisher's "Activity Guide for Ages 6-9" series. 2004, Chicago Review Press, Ages 6 to 9.—Jeanne K. Pettenati, J.D.