Desert Oasis
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Typical southern summer rain showers kept us inside most of last week, but that’s okay because we were busy learning about deserts. While we say we don’t do as much academic work in the summer, in fact we did intensive science, geography and social studies all week long. Our students were so curious and focused; it was a really fun week. Not to mention art, we made handprint camels, collaged saguaro cactuses, sand paintings and 3-D construction paper rattlesnakes.
Throughout the week, we emphasized that what makes a desert is not the amount of sun and sand, but the lack of water. We learned about rain and springs and different desert ecosystems around the world. We significantly increased our vocabularies, though we don’t get to use the word “arid” much in our climate.
On Monday, we found the the Arabian peninsula on a map and read an alphabet book on the Bedu people. We learned how the Bedu people survive in the harsh desert climate and about the animals that live with them and provide the materials with which they crafts clothes and homes as well as food. We now know all about the physiology of camels, how their noses close to keep out sand and how many eyelids they have for the exact same reason.
On Tuesday, we crossed the globe to the Sonoran desert and learned about the birds, reptiles and mammals that live there and how they deal with the heat and lack of water. In the afternoon, we read a Coyote myth about the constellations and made lots of animals noises. Wednesday was music day and Miss Sharon sang an interactive version of Horse with No Name.
Thursday we returned to the Sonoran desert to learn about the Saguaro cactus that grows nowhere else in the world. The saguaro, which can live 200 years, is the center of the Sonoran ecosystem, everything depends on it. We revisited our animal friends as well as learning about all the ways Tohono O’oodham people use the saguaros. If all of your children want to go to Tucson now, yoiu’ll know why. Friday, we moved further north in our studies and looked at pictures of the unique rock formations of The Painted Desert. For dress up day, we had one middle eastern princess and a lot of cactuses in different costumes.
This week, our theme is In Flight. We’re making flying machines and birds and spending lots of time outside in our gorgeous weather.
Category: Preschool
