Book Summary
Deserts Dry asks readers to think about what they already know about deserts and adds surprising new facts about three of the most unique deserts in the world: the Sahara, the Gobi, and the Atacama. The book explains that some deserts are home to expert horse herders, lakes of salt, underground oceans of oil, and ancient civilizations. It also describes different animals and plants that can be found in these inhospitable climates and explains how they survive. Photographs and captions support the text.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Ask and answer questions

Objectives

• Use the reading strategy of asking and answering questions to understand text
• Identify details to compare and contrast different deserts
• Identify and use hyphenated compound adjectives
• Identify the meaning of and use suffix -est

Materials

• Book -- Deserts Dry (copy for each student)
• Chalkboard or dry erase board
• World map
• KWLS, content vocabulary, compare and contrast, hyphenated compound adjectives worksheets
• Discussion cards

      Indicates an opportunity for students to mark in the book. (All activities may be completed with paper and pencil if books are reused.)

Vocabulary

• Content words: Atacama, dormant, dunes, evaporates, Gobi, irrigation, nomads, oasis, rodents, Sahara, turbans