Core Knowledge 6 - Deserts A

What is a desert?

• a place that is very hot

• a place that is very sandy

• a place that is very dry

• a place that is very empty

Imagine you are a scientist studying deserts. What is one thing that "hot" and "cold" deserts have in common?

• All the land you study is made of sand.

• Underground water in these deserts filters impurities.

• There is a dramatic change between day and night temperatures in both types of deserts.

• Both types of deserts get regular, predictable periods of rainfall.

Which kind of plant is well adapted to living in the desert?

• cactus

• moss

• elm tree

• prairie grass

An example of a nocturnal desert animal is a lizard

• True

• False

When a polar bear changes its behavior to survive in the Arctic environment, it

• dies.

• adapts.

• grows.

• regulates.

A desert location with plentiful drinking water is called

• an oasis.

• a caravan.

• an avalanche.

• a dune.

The Nile river runs through the Sahara.

• True

• False

The Sahara is known for

• the large dinosaur fossils that have been discovered there.

• being the only place in the world that the Joshua tree is found.

• having no permanent water sources.

• its extensive salt mines and camel caravans.

Imagine you are a wildlife enthusiast and you are planning a trip to the Kalahari Desert. What can you expect to find there?

• Almost no plant or animal life.

• A game reserve with a variety of plants and wild animals.

• It is located in Asia.

• It is where Aborigines have lived for thousands of years.

During a survival expedition in the Kalahari Desert, John found an eggshell. He remembered that the San people used a certain bird's eggshell to store water. Which bird's eggshell was it?

• owl

• ostrich

• chicken

• penguin