Explore, Study, Taste, and Create the Sonoran Desert

Instructor: Ingrid Moss

Get to know more about the Sonoran Desert through books, videos, guest speakers, field trips, and projects that you research and create!   Every week we will read or watch a video about the desert!  We will have live demonstrations with visiting docents; we will plan several field trips. We will learn about desert animals, plants and cacti, and how they interact.   Some history will be touched upon.  We will discuss how to preserve and take care of our unique desert.  We will do projects like baking with mesquite flour; tasting cactus fruits, making tortillas, salsa, chili spread, and other Southwest cooking recipes.  In the classroom, students will be making both individual and group posters, dioramas, reports, and presentations about our desert research and experiences.  Art will be an important part of the class.  We will walk the desert, then draw and paint pictures, posters, and murals about what we see.  Bible verses will be part of our class discussions as we learn to be good stewards of God’s wonderful desert and it’s resources.  There will be a weekly homework assignment which may include a writing reflection,  finishing some classwork at home, or sketching and painting the desert.

Students will need 3 Ring binder; standard sheet protectors;  8 1/2  X 11 artist sketch pad, reflection journal.