Related Sites

Drylands Education

The links below are organized by general grade level group, and include a section specifically for education of educators. Each annotated link also includes one or more of the following codes:

Elementary (primary) school

• Children's View of the Earth's Drylands [A, L, R]
  Part of the Bright Edges of the World Website. Students are given a tour and activities for learning about arid and semiarid lands of the world through simple text and beautiful photography.

Middle school

• Abwenzi African Studies [A, R]
  Abwenzi means friend in the Central African nation of Malawi; this site presents the friendships that grow between pen pals living in Malawi and in Aspen, Colorado (USA), in text and photographs. Information on becoming a pen pal may be obtained from the organization.

High school

• Major Biomes of the World {L, R, T](18 August 1998)
  From the Virtual Geography Department Project, basic content on the distribution and nature of the world's major biomes, including tropical savanna, desertscrub, temperate grasslands, and Mediterranean scrub. Aimed at the college level, but potentially useful for high school as well.

Multi-grade levels

• Cooking with the Sun (2 sites) [A, L]
  Solar cooking makes sense in drylands, and these lesson plans let students experiment with simple solar cookers. (Materials called for may not be available in all countries.)
  • Science Rocks -- Solar Cookers design and instructions submitted by students with others commenting on their efforts and results.
  • A Solar Hot Dog Cooker is easily constructed by older students or young students under adult supervision, and may cook a variety of foods.
• Geographic Information Systems [A, L, T]
  This USGS site includes basic to sophisticated information on Geographic Information Systems. Suitable for upper level middle school and high school.
• The Globe Program [A, R]
  In this program, K-12 students around the world collect local environmental data and share their findings with other students and scientists via the Internet. Drylands countries with participating schools currently include Namibia, Mali, Egypt, Australia, Peru, and Argentina.
• Peace Corps: World Wise Schools -- Water in Africa [A, L, R, T]
  Water in Africa reflects the deep connection of water to all aspects of life in African countries, a concept Coverdell World Wise Schools has captured in the learning units featured on this site. Ninety Peace Corps Volunteers contributed firsthand accounts and photographs to the lessons and activities you will find.
• U.S. Bureau of Land Management Learning Landscapes Teaching Resources - Ecosystems - Desert [A, L, T]Links to many educational resources, including lessons on various North American deserts, riparian areas, invasive weeds in the western USA, and the role of fire in ecological systems.
• USGS Learning Web: Global Change [A, P, T]
  Aimed primarily at middle school students, with some activities suitable for primary school and high school students.