We
read “Saguaro Cactus” in our reading book.
Saguaro cacti are found in the Sonoran Desert, which is located in
southwestern Arizona, southeastern California, and parts of Mexico.
The Sonoran Desert is the hottest desert in North
America.
Picture courtesy of DesertUSA Picture courtesy of DesertUSA Picture
courtesy of R. Hunter
The saguaro cactus is an amazing plant. They can live to be 200 years old, 50 feet tall, and weight up to 10 tons! Saguaro cacti grow very slowly, sometimes only an inch a year. The saguaro cactus is important to desert animals. They depend on the saguaro for food, shelter, and hunting grounds. We learned about the animals that need the saguaro for survival. A woodpecker will often peck a hole in the side of the saguaro for a home. When the woodpecker leaves, an elf owl moves in. Bats and birds find insects and nectar on and around the saguaro. Even when it dies, the giant saguaro is home for scorpions, lizards, and insects.
Saguaro cactus flowers Growing
saguaro cacti
Photo courtesy of DesertsUSA Photo
courtesy of DesertsUSA
After reading “Saguaro Cactus” the students made “Cactus Hotels”. In their drawing, they included animals they read about. Some guests of the “Cactus Hotels” include coyotes, elf owls, scorpions, red-tailed hawks, great horned owls, ants, lizards, and other insects.
The
students visited different “cacti centers” and completed different activities
related to the Saguaro cactus. Here are
some of the things we did:
ê
Students used cactus shapes to create their own “concrete
cactus poems”. (a concrete poem is poetry written in a certain shape)
ê
Used the art teacher’s “texture box” to create
cactus creations with different textures.
ê
Students played a “saguaro cactus” board game,
simulating how few cacti make it to 200 years old.
ê
Students asked each other comprehension questions
based on the story.
ê
Students colored in the Arizona quarter, due out
in 2008, featuring a saguaro cactus.\
o Click
here
to print saguaro cactus mini-book and quarter coloring page – U.S. Mint
Asking each other questions Creating a cactus concrete poem Creating cactus texture creations Playing the Saguaro cactus gam
Back
to Mrs. Kanas’s Classroom Homepage