Environment

Materials

"Here is the Southwestern Desert" by Madeleine Dunphy

"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly"

Vocabulary -

Desert, Cactus, Spines

Comprehension Questions

"RIGHT THERE" QUESTIONS
1. What plant is covered with spines?
2. What animals are named in the poem?
3. What plants are named in the poem?

"THINK AND SEARCH" QUESTIONS
4. What type of weather does the desert not have for a long time?
5. What do you think the roadrunner does well?

"AUTHOR AND YOU" QUESTIONS
6. How do you think the animals in the poem get food?
7. Based on what you learned from the poem, how would you describe the desert?

"ON YOUR OWN" QUESTIONS
8. How does the desert compare with the environment you live in?
9. How do people depend on each other?
10. How does this poem connect with what we've learned about the food chain in the past?

Standards -

PA English Language Proficiency Standards
2 (The Language of Language Arts) - Poetry/Free Verse, Author's Purpose, Grammar, Use of resources
4 (The Language of Science) - Climate Zones
5 (The Language of Social Studies) - Geographic Features, US regions (deserts)

PA Reading/Writing/Speaking/Listening Standards
1.1.C Use dictionaries, glossaries, and context clues to understand new words and specialized vocabulary during reading. Use these words accurately in writing and speaking.
1.1.G Demonstrate after reading understanding and interpretation of both fiction and non-fiction text; compare and contrast texts
1.1.H Demonstrate fluency and comprehension in reading
1.2.C Produce work in at least one literary genre that follows the conventions of the genre
1.3.F Read and respond to nonfiction and fiction including poetry
1.4.A Write poems, using relevant illustrations and apply varying organizational methods
1.5.F Edit writing using the conventions of language (Use common, frequently words spelled correctly; Use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions properly)
1.5.G Present and/or defend written work for publication
1.6.B Listen to a selection of literature; relate it to what is known/previous knowledge; identify and define new words and concepts
1.6.D Contribute to discussions (ask relevant question, respond with relevant information or opinions to questions asked, listen to and acknowledge the contributions of others, adjust involvement to encourage equitable participation, give reasons for opinions, summarize - when prompted)
1.7.A Identify words from other languages that are commonly used English words. Use a dictionary to find and describe the meanings and origins of these words