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Handout
World Wildlife Fund for Nature

World Wildlife Fund: Our Earth: Ecoregions: Habitats: Deserts

For Students 3rd - 5th
An overview of the climate conditions of deserts. Includes examples of plants and the adaptations that allow them to survive in the dry climate. Includes a link to information about animals that live in a desert habitat.
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Article
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Habitat Network: Desert Cacti: Fruit Producing "Trees"

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out why native fruit-producing trees and shrubs are essential components of diverse habitats.
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Website
Nature Conservancy

Nature Conservancy: Planet Earth: Deserts and Aridlands

For Students 3rd - 8th
The desert areas in the United States that this organization is working to protect are portrayed through photographs and videos, showing the beauty of the landscapes and the diversity of life forms there.
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Handout
Curated OER

National Park Service: Explore Nature: Views: Sonoran Desert: Organ Pipe Cactus

For Students 9th - 10th
Snapshot reference on the Sonoran Desert organ pipe cactus describes its appearance, growth, and location.
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Handout
Missouri Botanical Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden: Animals of the Desert

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about different types of animals that live in the desert biome such as the cactus wren, the desert lark, the dingo, the fat sand rat, the fennec fox, the Gila monster, and so on. Animal pictures and information is taken from the...
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Unknown Type
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Selective Pressures on Cacti Needle Length

For Students 9th - 10th
Read a passage about selective pressures on cacti needle length and answer the follow-up questions.
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Graphic
Missouri Botanical Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden: Hot Deserts of the World

For Students 3rd - 8th
Find out about the sizes, physical features, and plant and animal life of some of the world's great deserts, including the Arabian, the Great Sandy, the Chihuahuan, the Kalahari, the Mojave, the Sahara, the Sonoran, and the Thar deserts.
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Website
Other

Tom Schweich Home Page: Vegetation in the Desert

For Students 9th - 10th
This personal site features descriptions and photographic illustrations of California desert vegetation.
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Handout
Other

Desert Gold: Desert Animals, Plants, and Rock Formation

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides information about desert animals, plants, and rock formations.
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Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Biology: Plant Adaptations

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] An overview of how plants have adapated to their environments.
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Handout
Other

Thurston High School: Sharryl Lattion and Melissa Femrite: Biomes: Desert

For Students 9th - 10th
Written for younger readers, this article reveals facts about animals and plants as well as health concerns for people in the desert environment.
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Website
Other

R.j. Hodgkiss: The Succulent Page Page

For Students 9th - 10th
This site describes and provides many links to succulent plants. Many links and pictures are provided.
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Handout
Center for Educational Technologies

Earth Floor: Biomes: Desert Plants

For Students 9th - 10th
Site contains information on desert plants and plant adaptations. Offers links to biomes, a biome summary, how to read a climograph and more!