Efraín of the Sonoran Desert: A Lizard's Life
Among the Seri Indians
In the Classroom:
Core Curriculum: (Arizona State Standards)
Science: Recognize and distinguish similarities and differences
in diverse species. Identify characteristics of plants and animals (including
extinct organisms) that allow them to live in specific environments
History: Use stories to describe past events, people, and places
Language Arts: (Reading) Identify facts, main idea, sequence
of events, define and differentiate characters and determine the author's
purpose in a range of traditional and contemporary literature. (Writing)
Organize content, including necessary components of the selected format,
for a specific audience.
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Goals: To use literature to learn about lizards, and discover
the history of Seri Indians and their life among the lizards in the
Sonoran Desert.
Objectives: Students will use their illustration to retell to
the class about the lizards.
Grade Level: Third/Fourth Grade
Duration: This lesson will take approximately 60 minutes.
Materials: - Paper - Markers - World Map - Informational books
on lizards - Imagination
Before Reading: *Students will learn to identify body parts,
colors and type of lizards. *Students will locate the Sonoran Desert
on the world map. *Students will make a prediction of what the story
will be about based on the bookcover.
After Reading: *Students will discuss how they feel about the
story. *Students will discuss the different names of lizards. Students
will look through lizards book / other references to pick out a picture
of lizard for their drawing.
Follow Up: *Students will draw their own lizards and give their
lizard a new name according to colors, body parts and type of their
imagined lizard.
Presentation: Students will share their illustration with the
class and share the details of their imagined lizard.
Connections to other content: The book integrates with classroom
curriculum in the areas of science (deserts and animals), language arts
(general reading and writing), art (coloring and drawing), and social
studies (Southwest Desert and Seri Indians).
Additional plan: This lesson could be integrated into a multi-lesson
unit by having students create their own book including their pictures,
what they have learned about lizards and Seri Indians. They would then
present their book pages to the class.
Suggestion for reference: www.desertmuesum.org
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum