Chihuahuan Desert Debriefing Activity

Introduction

Chihuahuan Desert Map The Chihuahuan Desert is the easternmost, southernmost, and largest North American desert. For background information on the Chihuahuan Desert go to:

The purpose of this activity is to help the students make connections to the subject area of the Chihuahuan Desert. Each of your students will be given the opportunity to enhance his/her scientific knowledge. This lesson should be done in conjunction with the journaling activity and the biotic and abiotic studies.

Student Outcomes

Students will be working as a large group.
Students will record sensory information.
Students will illustrate observations.
Students will discuss their findings in a large group.
Students will discuss how the biotic and abiotic realms interact in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Content Area and Grade Levels

This lesson can be used with second graders and up. The teacher will need to present the students with open-ended, reflective questions.

Content Standards

Science Standards

Standard 1 - Understands basic features of the Earth.
Standard: 7 - Understands how species depend on one another and on the environment for survival.
Standard: 4 - Knows about the diversity and unity that characterize life.
Standard: 14 - Understands the nature of scientific knowledge.
Standard: 15 - Understands the nature of scientific inquiry.

Thinking and Reasoning Standards

Standard: 3 - Effectively uses mental processes that are based on identifying similarities and differences (compares, contrasts, classifies).
Standard: 4 - Understands and applies basic principles of hypothesis testing and scientific inquiry.

Implementation Overview

This lesson is set up for use in one class with a minimum duration of ten minutes. You may do the activity as often as possible, and at least once per season. Students will work in a large group. They will report their reflections and observations of how the biotic and abiotic realms interact in the Chihuahuan Desert. This lesson can be part of a larger project or stand alone as a project in itself, but should always be done in conjunction with biotic and abiotic studies. The procedures for the debriefing activity follow:

Gather at the site in one large group.
Each student should have a copy of all recording logs.
Allow each student to share his/her log entries with the large group.
Ask questions about their logs.
Compare and contrast their reflections.
Ask the students to make inferences and hypotheses.
Questions shoud relate to the soil, climate, plants and animals of the area.

Resources Needed

Each student will need the following materials:

Chihuahuan Desert Recording Logs
clipboard, paper and pencils

Entry Level and Skills

Students will need the experience of making observations. Students will use all of their Chihuahuan Desert Recording Logs. Teachers will need some experience in organizing students and keeping them on task. Teachers will need sone experience in questioning techniques.

Evaluations

Students can be evaluated on observational skills, on group collaboration and participation, on effective use of time, and on their preservation of information for future use or reference. Students can also use forms of self and peer evaluations. For further methods of assessment or evaluation, see the National Science Standards of Assessment.

Conclusion

This lesson will teach students how to collect data through their senses, how to analyze, organize and present information to others. It will help the teacher establish the 'prior knowledge' each student has of the Chihuahuan Desert. Debriefing is an important part of all field experiences as it helps the students "take hold" of the information being studied. The students will increase in their ability to make connections to their own 'prior knowledge'.

This lesson created by Miriam Martínez and DoloresVarela-Phillips, Los Padillas Elementary School.