3. MENSCHEN VERÄNDERN IHRE UMWELT EINGRIFFE DES MENSCHEN IN DEN NATURHAUSHALT
3.1 Life in the desert - Why does the desert grow?
Fachliche Inhalte
Raum und Ressourcen
Mensch und Raum
Raum und Zukunft
naturräumliche Voraussetzungen
und Bedingungen, z.B.: Boden,
Bodenbildung, Erosion;
Wasserhaushalt und
Grundwasserbildung;
Wasserführung in den Jahreszeiten
(Regen- und Trockenzeiten)
Veränderung der Landschaft durch Bedeutung einer "intakten"
den Menschen und ihre
Umwelt für Mensch und Natur
Auswirkungen;
Eingriffe im Einklang mit den
naturräumlichen Bedingungen;
Eingriffe in das ökologische
Gleichgewicht und deren Folgen;
Nutzung technischer
Möglichkeiten und ihre
Auswirkungen auf das ökologische
Gleichgewicht
Kommunikative Tätigkeiten/Arbeitsformen
Ø Erstellen einer Wandzeitung zu den Wüstengebieten der Erde
Ø Kartographische Darstellung der Wüstengebiete, aus der die unterschiedlichen Ursachen für
Wüstenbildung ersichtlich werden;
Ø Auswertung von Klimadiagrammen und Klimakarten
Ø Versuche zu Verdunstung und Erosion (fächerübergreifend mit Physik )
Ø Planspiel, Fallanalyse
Ø Entwicklung von eigenen Texten aus anderer Perspektive (e.g.: Imagine you were (with) a Tuareg;
Imagine you were a Bedouin visiting an oasis)
Ø Rollenspiel (e.g.: Oasis market)
Ø Entwicklung eines eigenen Plans für eine Gartenanlage (interkultureller Vergleich)
Ø Sammeln von Informationen zu einem Thema, um daraus einen eigenständigen Text zu
entwickeln (e.g.: Mind map Oil/Oasis)
59
Materialien
LEHRWERKE
Jennings, T.: Deserts: p. 4: Deserts; p. 5: Where are the world's deserts?; p. 6: Hot deserts; p. 7: Plants in the
desert; p. 8: Baobab trees and cacti; p. Wild animals in the desert; p. 10: More desert animals; p. 11: Camels; p.
12: Arabian and bactrian camels; p. 13: Why deserts are formed; p. 15: Man-made deserts; p. 16: Water in the
deserts; p. 17: The effects of the desert weather; p. 26: Oases; p. 27: People in the desert; p. 28: The Sahara
desert; p. 30: The Kalahari desert; p. 32: The Australian desert; p. 36: The Great American desert; p. 37: The
desert long ago; p. 38: Wealth in the desert; p. 39: Planting the desert
Ladybird Picture Atlas
Beddis, R.: A Sense of Place 2 : p. 26: The desert environment
Biederstädt, W.: Around the World. Volume 1: p. 37: Hot Deserts
Landesinstitut für Erziehung und Unterricht Stuttgart (Hrsg.): First Steps to Geography: p. 79: Rural
settlement; p. 86: Urban settlements
Landesinstitut für Schule und Weiterbildung Soest - Otten, E./Thürmann, E. (Hg.): Hot Deserts: p. 2:
Desert worlds; p. 4: Desert tribes; p. 6: The oasis garden; p. 8: The oasis as a trade centre; p. 12: Water - good
and bad; p. 14: Times change; p. 18: Growing deserts
Wiegand, P.: The New Oxford School Atlas
Carlson-Kreibohm, K.: USA A to Z: p. 11: Cities and suburbs; p. 17: Energy and environment; p. 18: Farming;
p. 46: National Parks
Christensen, R.: Australia/New Zealand A to Z: p. 6: Artesian Water; p. 18: Bushfires; p. 79: Rainmaking
Kemp, R. u.a.Access to Geography 1: p. 18: Water supply
Rose, D.: Basic Skills in Geography. Book 2
Watt, F.: The Usborne Book of the Earth: p. 32: Deserts
LEKTÜREN
Carlson-Kreibohm, K.: California Dreams
Fenner, P.: Down Under. Images of Australia
AUDIOVISUELLE MEDIEN
Dia-Sammlungen
Klett: Pictures of Australia
Filme
(auch deutschsprachige) der Bildstellen
National Geographic: Earth's Natural Resources: Can They Last?
Interaktive Materialien/CD-Roms
60
Microsoft: Encarta 96 Encyclopedia
National Geographic: Earth's Endangered Environments
OHP - Folien
National Geographic: Geography of Africa/of Australia/of Asia
Poster
Klett: Australia
National Geographic: Eye on the Environment
Videos
National Geographic:
Australia
Creatures of the Namib Desert
Natural disasters
Physical Geography of North America Series
Physical Geography of the Continents Series
The Living Earth
United States Geography Series
WEITERE MATERIALIEN
Landesinstitut Schleswig-Holstein für Praxis und Theorie der Schule (IPTS) (Hrsg.): Band 4: Materialien
zum Bilingualen Unterricht Erdkunde. 7. Jahrgang/Gymnasium: p. 103: The Sahara Desert; p. 109: People
in the Desert; p. 112: Oasis in the Hot Desert; p. 137: Africa - Regions of Natural Vegetation; p. 145: The Sahel
Pädagogisches Zentrum Bad Kreuznach: PZ-Information 9/94: p. 20: Californian Central Valley; p. 38:
Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway; p. 73: Soil Erosion. Dust Bowl and Tennessee Valley
Mayhew, S.: A Dictionary of Geography
61
Planungsskizze: Life in the desert - Why does the desert grow?
Themenaspek Kommunikative Tätigkeiten/Aufgaben
te (Sachfach)
Working with
charts, maps,
diagrams (incl.
'mind maps')
Recognition of
change in the
way of life
•
•
Mind map: What do we know? What do we
want to know (e.g.: Why are deserts as they
are?)
Gathering informations from text, map,
diagram
People:
• The children read text on ‚Desert Tribes‘,
and complete worksheet
• How would it be as a visitor?
Importance of
Animals:
adaptation for
• With the worksheet ‚Camel‘
survival
• Group work involving general explanation
(Auseinof body parts and their functions (specific
andersetzung
use concerning adaptation to desert)
mit den
• Puzzle with picture parts
Naturbedingung
• Complete sentences
en)
• Homework: What other animals survive in
the desert? How?
Plants:
• The children describe form and function of
date palm and draw it
Naturbilder und
•
They tabularize the info
-verständnis
• Bring dates and eat them - mention of land
of origin
• Bring cactus - dissect leaf – discuss
Places (oasis):
• What causes an oasis? See worksheet!
• How do the people exploit the natural
advantages of an oasis?
Nutzung der
Naturkräfte
• Study of picture and plan of oasis (town)
Introducting to • Discussion of similarities with and contrast
understanding
from own town and garden
of 'water table', Modern influences in life style:
'ground water',
• Description of picture showing
'porous and
changes/industrial/economic developments
imporous rock'
• Discussion of short text
etc.
• Discussion and completion of exercise on
'irrigation'
statements about old/new life - any other
land use change
suggestions for causes of change?
rural > urban
Desertification:
• Comparison in pair-work of diagram (each
group/child) has only one! and a blank to fill
of the other) (maybe only on OHP)
• Now they all get complete text with diagram
ecosystem
and discuss it
• Why desertification?
• Role -play with hint cards
• Revision of aspects - summary, conclusion
• Brainstorming of important vocabulary
• Follow-up activities: Visit/ guided tour of
desert area of Palmengarten (in English)
• Alphabet, word game of the desert
Sprachl.
Aspekte
Materialien
•
•
•
Co mprehensio
n and
explanation of
infos from
various
sources
Interpreting a
source from a
personal point
of view
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Writing a
descriptive
essay
•
•
•
•
Compare and
contrast,
describe
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Comparison,
dialogue, oral
reactions
Exact
description of
diagram
Discussion
•
•
•
Pictures, posters,
video clips
T. Jennings: Hot
Deserts, Oxford,
p. 14 (No. 1)
Around the
World, p. 42 (No.
2)
A Sense of place
2. Alternative
Workbook, p. 9
Klett: Hot
Deserts, p. 4-5
Following
worksheet
'Stadler'
Alternative
Workbook 2, p.
12
Around the
World, p. 37-38,
39
Around the
World, p. 50
('Camel')
T. Jennings: Hot
Deserts, p. 29
Klett: Hot
Deserts, p. 8 ('The
Date Palm')
Sense of Place 2,
p. 10
Workbook, p. 10
Klett: Hot
Deserts, p. 6-7, 15
T. Jennings: Hot
Deserts, p. 38
Alternative
Workbook, p. 11
Steps in
Geography 2,
Hutchman, p. 6869
Important
expressions
Alternative
Workbook, p. 10
Usborne Geogr.
Encycl., p. 46-47
62
LIFE IN THE DESERT
Deserts
More than one-seventh of the land on Earth is taken up by desert. In deserts less than 25cm of rain fall
each year and it is rare to find surface water. In some years there may be no rain at all and in the next
year ten times the average. It is the low totals, uncertainty of timing and varied amounts of rainfall that
make desert environments so severe for plants and animals.
When the rain comes it is often in a violent thunderstorm. In a few minutes a year's supply of rain can
fall. Some of the water quickly evaporates when it touches the hot ground. The water turns into
invisible vapour which rises into the air. Instead of soaking into the ground, much of the water just
runs off the hard, dry surface. There may be what is called a 'flash' flood. Then the water rushes down
gullies and valleys carrying everything before it. It can carve out deep channels called canyons. Soon,
however, all desert rivers and streams dry up as the water soaks into the ground. Then everywhere is
dry once more.
During the day it is usually sunny and scorching hot in the desert. It may be so hot so you can fry an
egg on the sand or rocks. But at night it can be bitterly cold in the desert. It may be so cold in winter
that it freezes. The reason for these big differences in temperature is that there are no clouds in desert
areas.
In most parts of the world, clouds stop some of the sun's rays from reaching the Earth. And so the
Earth does not get too hot. At night when the sun is not shining the Earth cools down. But clouds stop
some of the heat from escaping high into the air. However, in deserts are few clouds to stop the sun's
rays heating the ground during the day. And so the ground becomes very hot. At night there are no
clouds to stop the heat escaping. And so the desert cools very quickly. This regular change from very
hot days to cold nights causes any exposed rocks to expand and contract. The rock surface splinters or
crumbles into stones and gravel and finally grains of sand. These materials are blown by the strong
winds. The sharp pieces of sand bounce against the rocks. Slowly the rocks are worn away. But sand
grains are too heavy for the wind to lift very high. So the wind-blown sand cuts into the rocks nearest
to the ground. Often the rocks become carved by the wind to look like giant mushrooms. The sand also
cuts caves and arches. The bits of rock form more sand. In some places the wind blows the sand into
great drifts called dunes. Some sand-dunes are hills more than 300m high. As the wind blows, the
dunes slowly move forward. They may bury villages in their path if nothing is done to stop them.
But not all deserts are sandy. In most, the wind has blown the sand away leaving pebbles or even bare
rock. In some deserts shallow lakes form after rain. These dry up in the sun leaving only a flat layer of
glistening salt. Elsewhere there are mountains and steep rocky slopes. In places the rocks have
beautiful shapes.
(adapted from: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 4ff. und Beddis, R.: A Sense of Place 2, p. 27)
?−
1. What are deserts?
2. How much rain falls in a desert?
3. What happens in deserts because there are no clouds?
4. Why are some rocks in a desert shaped like mushrooms?
63
Why deserts are formed
Deserts are usually formed because of a lack of rain. But the reason for the lack of rain is not always
the same.
The large deserts are all about the same distance north or south of the Equator. When air is heated over
the Equator it rises up. The warm, moist air passes high over the deserts. Eventually it cools and the
water vapour in the clouds falls as heavy rain over the tropical forests. The large masses of air move
down to the Earth again. But they are now dry. The dry winds blow across the regions where deserts
are found, and back towards the Equator. The winds picks up moisture from the seas, lakes and rivers
as they pass along. Because the winds are dry as they pass over the deserts there are no clouds or rain.
And the sun's heat beats down upon the dry Earth below.
Some other areas are deserts because they are so far from the sea. Usually places near the sea are
warmer in winter than those inland. As a result, when warm moist winds blow inland, they cool and
lose their moisture, as rain, on the way. When the winds reach places far inland they are dry. The Gobi
desert is so far inland that the winds have lost all their moisture before they get there.
But some deserts are near to the sea, e.g. the Atacama desert in South America. It is a desert because
the wind blows from the land to the sea. The wind has no chance to pick up moisture while it blows
over the land.
Some areas are deserts because they are on the sheltered or leeward sides of mountains. The winds
bringing moisture from the sea are forced to rise and are cooled down when they reach the mountains.
The moisture falls as rain on the windward side of the mountains. By the time the winds have passed
over the mountains they are dry. This happens to the winds which blow over the Great American
deserts, they are in a rain shadow.
(adapted from: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 13)
? Which parts belong together?
1. The large deserts are all ...
a) ... falls as heavy rain over the tropical rain
forests of Central Africa.
2. When the moist air over the equator is heated ... b) ... are dry.
3. The warm, moist air moves ...
c) ... there are no clouds or rain.
4. As the air cools down, the water vapour d) ...the desert towards the equator.
condenses and ...
5. Large masses of air sink ...
e) ... it rises.
6. But now there are masses ...
6. Dry winds blow across ...
f) ... beats down on the ground with nothing to
block its rays.
g) ... where the deserts are located.
8. Because the wind that passes over the Sahara is i) ... about the same distance north or south of the
dry, ...
equator.
9. The heat of the sun ...
h) ...north towards the Sahara and south towards
the Kalahari.
(adapted from: Biederstädt, W.: Around the World. Volume 1, p. 41)
64
Great deserts
The Sahara desert
The Sahara is the largest desert in the world. It stretches across Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the
Red Sea. A lot of the Sahara consists of shifting sand-dunes. There are often sandstorms blown up by
the strong winds. But there are also plains strewn with gravel and boulders. And there are rocky hills,
mountains, and deep gorges.
The Sahara is one of the hottest regions of the world. The hottest months are June, July and August.
Then, temperatures of 58° C in the shade have been recorded. Some people still live in caves in the
Sahara desert because they are cool. In one part of Tunesia, people have dug caves in the soft rock for
themselves and their animals.
Wild animals found in the Sahara include gazelles, oryx, and other antelopes, jackals, foxes and
badgers. There used to be lions in the Sahara, but they were all killed off during the last century.
The Kalahari desert
The Kalahari is an inland desert in southern Africa. It is 650 to 800 km across.
Most of the Kalahari desert consists of red sand. This forms long, shifting sand-dunes. Although it is
very flat, the Kalahari desert is crossed by ancient dried-up river beds. There also huge mud flats.
When it rains these turn into shallow lakes which may last for several months. Then they are visited by
thirsty animals.
The Kalahari is called a desert because it is mainly dry, but in places quite a lot of plants grow. The
north-west part is covered with dense shrub. There also tall palms and scattered thorn trees.
Watermelons and other plants with long underground stems are common. Many kinds of antelopes and
other large animals live in the Kalahari, feeding on the plants that grow there.
The Australian desert
Most of the central part of Australia is a desert. It is over 1,500 km across. There is a vast area of red
sand. There are also spiny bushes and salt lakes. Because of the dryness of the climate, bush fires are
common; but seeds of many plants are able to survive the fire. And some of them will not start to grow
unless fire has passed over them.
The animals of the Australian desert are very interesting because they are found nowhere else in the
world. They include kangaroos and wallabies. Their newborn are very tiny and undeveloped. They are
carried in a pouch on the mother's belly until they are large enough to feed for themselves. Pouched
animals are called marsupials.
In the middle of the Australian desert there are some towns. Norseman and Kalgoorlie, for instance,
were built because gold was discovered nearby. More recently the metal nickel has been mined there.
The people in these towns get their water from Perth 564 km away. It is carried to the desert towns in
large pipelines.
The Great American desert
The sand-dunes of the Great American desert are smaller than those of the Sahara. But there are many
more rocky mountain slopes, and boulder-strewn valleys and canyons. Many of the rocks have
beautiful colours. They have been carved into fantastic shapes by the wind. Summers in the Great
American deserts are extremely hot, but winters are cool or even cold. Dense shrub grows in parts of
the desert. There are also many cacti. One of the commonest bushes is the creosote bush. The roots of
this bush produce a chemical which passes into the soil. This stops other plants from growing nearby
so that they do not take the water the creosote bush needs.
American deserts are home to a number of interesting animals. They include the jaguar, puma,
peccary, prog-horned antelope and bighorn sheep. The Great American desert is not as big as it used to
be. This is because the government has built dams across some of the big rivers that cross it. Water is
stored behind the dams. Some of this water is used to make crops grow in the desert.
(adapted fro m: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 28ff)
65
?−
1. On what continents are the hot deserts and to which countries do they belong?
2. Use your atlas and find out whether there are more hot desert than thoses mentioned above.
3. Can you name any settlements in deserts?
4. Which is the largest hot desert in the world?
5. Mark the hot deserts in the map.
&
Where are the cold deserts?
J Here are ten deserts hidden - are you able to find out their correct names?
1. AEJMOV DEERST
2. AAAACMT
3. AAAHRS
4. ABIMN
5. AEGRT AAABINR DEERST
6. AHRT
7. AAAIKKLMNT
8. BIGO
9. AEGRT ADNSY DEERST
10. AEGRT ACIIORTV DEERST
66
Plants in the desert
All plants need light and air. They also need water. But it is hard for desert plants to get enough water
to survive. Desert plants have developed ways to make use of every drop of water. They have adapted
to these dry places. There may be no plants in the desert for many months or even years. But scattered
in the sand are the seeds of the plants that flowered the last time it rained. When it rains again these
seeds suddenly start to grow. Within a few days the desert is covered with a carpet of flowers. After a
few days or weeks, the flowers shrivel as the deserts dries out. The flowers die, but the plants drop
their seed to wait for the next rain.
It may be dry on the surface of the desert, but there is often water deep underground. Some desert
plants have long roots to reach this water. The roots of the acacia tree may go down 30 m or more to
reach water. The mesquite bush of the North Americ an deserts sends its roots down to a depth of 50
m. In the driest period the trees may lose their leaves. Many desert plants have leaves with thick
waterproof skins. The have leaf pores that can be tightly shut. This helps to stop water evaporating
from the plant.
Some desert plants survive by storing water. The cacti can do this. They grow in the American deserts.
A cactus stores water in its thick stem. Its roots spread far and wide, but only just below the surface of
the ground. When it rains, the cactus roots can take in the water before it soaks away. The roots can
also take up the dew which forms on the cold ground at night.
After a fall of rain the stem of a cactus may be filled with water. The plant then begins to live on the
water it has stored. As it uses up the water the stem of the cactus gradually shrivels. It gets thinner and
thinner until the next rain comes. To stop water evaporating, the leaves of most cacti plants have been
reduced to thorny spines. These spines protect the cactus from being eaten by animals.
Baobab or bottle trees grow in the Kalahari and Australian deserts. The barrel-shaped trunk of a
baobab tree can be as much as 10 m in diameter. The tree looks as if it has been planted upside down.
As it gets older, it becomes hollow inside, and water is stored in this hollow trunk. Over 1,000 litres
have been found in a single trunk. Thirsty travellers in the desert can often obtain water from the
baobab tree or cacti.
Date palms are the most important plants grown in the oases of the Sahara and the Arabian deserts.
Dates are brown when ripe. They are food for people and domestic animals. Date stones are ground to
make up camel food. The palm leaves are used as fuel. They can also be used to thatch buildings. The
fibres from the drie d leaves are twisted into ropes or woven into a coarse cloth, used to make sacks.
They can also be used to make brushes. The sap of the tree is used to make wine. Even the trunks of
dead palms are used for building houses and fences.
(adapted from: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 7f.)
?−
1. What are the three things all plants need in order to grow?
2. How do some desert plants reach the water deep underground?
3. Why do cacti have spines?
4. Where does a cactus store water?
5. Where does a baobab store water?
6. Why is it called the 'bottle tree'?
J Collect pictures of desert plants and make a wallchart.
67
Animals in the desert
Few animals live in the deserts because there is little water. Those animals which do live in the desert
have to make do with very little water. Many of them never drink at all. They get the water they need
from the desert plants and other food they eat.
All the desert animals have to find ways to keep cool. Many of them come out only at night to feed.
During the day they hide in burrows or under rocks where it is cool.
One of the most common animals in the Sahara desert is the jerboa. It is often called the desert rat. The
jerboa is famous for being a good jumper. It spends much of its life underground away from the sun.
The jerboa plugs the entrance of its burrow during the day to keep the hot air out. The kangaroo rat of
California is very similar in appearance to the jerboa. It has a similar way of life.
The gerbils we keep as pets were originally desert animals. The came from the sandy deserts of
Mongolia and northern China.
Animals which live in the deserts need to have good sight and hearing. Those which eat smaller
animals need good sight and hearing to catch their prey. Animals which eat plants often have to travel
long distances to find their food. They must always be alert if they are to avoid being eaten.
Many desert animals have large ears. Desert hares have much larger ears than of hares which live
elsewhere. The kit fox of the North American desert also has large ears. So does the tiny fennec fox of
the Sahara desert. Desert animals lose a lot of heat through their large ears. The ears act like radiators.
In this way their ears help the animals to stay cool.
One of the commonest small desert animals is the scorpion. Scorpions only come out at night. During
the day they hide under rocks or in deep burrows. Scorpions feed mainly on insects which they kill
with the sting in their tail.
Camels
Camels are probable the best known desert animals. These large animals have humps on their backs.
The camel's toes are joined together by a fleshy pad which acts like a snow-shoe. It stops the camel
from sinking in the soft sand. Camel fur traps a layer of air. This helps to keep the body cool during
the day and warm at night. Camels have long eyelashes to protect their eyes from the sand. Their
nostrils can be closed to keep the sand out.
The camel can run at a speed of about 8 to 10 km an hour. Camels are used to carry loads across the
desert. They are often called 'ships of the desert'. A long line of camels is called a camel train or a
caravan. People also need camels for meat and their hides.
There are two kinds of camel. The Arabian camel or dromedary is found in the Middle East, India and
North Africa. It has a single hump. The other kind of camel is the bactrian. This has two humps. The
bactrian lives in the deserts of central Asia where the winters are cold. It is smaller than the dromedary
and has a longer, darker winter coat and short legs.
A camel can go a long time without water. It can lose about one-third of the weigh of its body and still
live. Then when the camel does find water it can drink 115 litres or more in a few minutes.
Many people think that a camel stores water in its hump or stomach. This is not true. The camel's
hump contains fat. This fat acts as a food store. It enables the camel to go many days without food.
(adapted from: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 9f.)
68
?−
1. Where do those desert animals which never drink get the water they need to live?
2. Where do many desert animals spend the day?
3. Why do desert animals need good sight and hearing?
4. Why do many desert animals have large ears?
5. Why are the toes of a camel joined together by a fleshy pad?
6. How do camels keep the sand out of their eyes and nostrils?
7. What does the camel store in its hump?
J
Collect pictures of desert animals and make a wallchart.
Man-made deserts
Some deserts have not always been dry and bare. About 3000 years ago the climate changed, and the
heavy rain stopped. The land began to dry out. The grass no longer grew so well. The sheep, cattle and
goats ate away a lot of the remaining grass leaving bare ground. The fertile soil blew away, leaving
only sand and bare rocks.
Although they are huge, many deserts are in fact man-made. Only 2000 years ago the Thar desert of
western India was a forest. There are also many man-made desert areas of Africa. The Romans once
cultivated the northern parts of the Sahara, which were then lush and green. Many people lived there.
They kept large herds of sheep, cattle and goats. They hunted wild animals for food, and caught fish.
Often trees were cut down on hills for firewood or to make fields. Ploughing then broke the soil down.
Rainwater ran down the slope taking some of the soil with it. Soon the soil was not good enough for
crops to grow. It was allowed to grass over and animals were put out to feed. If there were too many
animals they destroyed all the plants. All the soil was then washed or blown away leaving bare rock.
The once fertile hillside had become a desert.
In many parts of the world sheep or goats are a cause of soil loss. They strip the ground of pants. Rain
or wind then removes the soil leaving the ground bare.
But human beings are remarkable creatures. Having made deserts they have also learned how to live in
them. In most of the deserts of the world there are people who know how to survive. Desert people can
survive in places where most of us would soon die because of the intense heat, or from a lack of water
or food.
(adapted from: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 15)
?−
1. What do you know about deserts long ago?
2. How did people help to make deserts?
69
People in the desert
In most parts of the world there is a lot of water under the ground. This is known as the water table.
Each time it rains, some of the water is soaked up by the soil. There it is taken up by the roots of
plants. Some of the water is carried away by rivers and streams. But a lot of water eventually seeps
down into the ground. It fills all the cracks and openings in the rocks underground. Often it is possible
to dig a well to reach this water.
Even under deserts there are rivers and streams. Some of them bring their water from mountains
hundreds of miles away where there is heavy rainfall or snow. In a few places water from these
underground rivers or streams flows to the surface of a desert. The water forms a spring or waterhole.
These springs or waterholes in the desert, around which plants can grow, are called oases. A river
flowing through a desert may make long oases along its banks.
It is around the oases and water-holes in the desert that towns and villages are built. The people who
live in an oasis make use of every centimetre of land. In the oases of the Sahara, they grow food plants
such as dates, figs, olives and apricots. They keep cattle, sheep and goats.
People who live in oases are not the only people to live in the desert. Wanderers or nomads also live
there. The Bedouin of the Sahara are nomads. They travel from one oasis to another, driving their
sheep and goats in front of them. The sheep and goats feed on the scattered desert plants.
The Bedouin have no fixed homes. They live in tents made from goat skins or camel hair. To protect
themselves from the heat, cold, and wind-blown sand, they wear long flowing robes.
Often the Bedouin live only on camel's milk, cheese and dates. For a feast they kill a camel or s sheep.
The Bedouin have to visit oases to exchange meat and skins for tea, dates, rice and other food. They
also water their camels there.
In the old days oases were very important trade centres, where the oasis people held markets.
On their way through the desert, the nomads stopped there with their camel trains to supply
themselves with water and food. They also offered the goods they transported through the desert to the
oasis people: spices, sugar, salt, cloth etc. The herdsmen travelled from one oasis to another always
looking for food for their camels, sheep and goats. They had to visit the oasis to exchange meat, wool
and skins for tea, dates, grain and other food. And they needed water, of course, for their animals and
for themselves. They also bought things made by the craftsmen of the oasis, the blacksmiths or
weavers, for example.
So the nomads and the oasis people were dependent on each other.
(adapted from: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 26 and Landesinstitut für Schule und Weiterbildung Soest... (Hg.): Hot Deserts, p. 9)
?−
1. What is the water table?
2. How can we reach the water table?
3. What do we call springs and water holes in the desert?
4. Why do nomadic people never live in the same place for a long time?
5. What do Bedouin live in?
6. What kind of animals do the Bedouin keep?
− Imagine you were a Bedouin visiting an oasis. Describe what you see and how you feel.
70
The Nomadic Life of the Bedouin
An interview with a Bedouin
How do you spend most of your life?
We usually travel from one oasis to another and drive our sheep and goats ahead of us. Because it is
cool at night, we try to travel then and rest during the daytime.
One or two camels usually carry our heavy brown tent with the poles, the fodder for the animals, the
water bags and the luggage of our family. The family members ride on the other camels.
Where do you live?
We don't have a special place. We live in tents that we make from the skins of our goats and the hair
of our camels.
Where do you put up your tents when you rest?
If we aren't at an oasis, we usually camp on a plateau near a wadi. We don't put up our tents in the
wadis because there might be a sudden rainstorm at night. The rain would wash our tents away down
the valley.
What kind of work do you after you have set up your camp?
For example, my wife shakes milk in a leather sack to make butter. Sometimes she spins wool. It is the
men's job to cook and make coffee. My sons build a fire and bake flat loaves.
What kind of things do you get from the oases?
We sell the meat from our sheep and goats as well as their skins so that we can buy tea, rice, dates,
flour, fruit, sandals and things like that.
How do you get water?
When my daughter leads the sheep down the wadi, she takes a bowl with her. When she thinks there
might be water, she digs a hole in the sand with her bowl. After a short time, brown, sandy water fills
the hole. She fills the bowl and lets the sand sink. Then she and the sheep can drink.
Do you think the traditional way of life of the Bedouin is in danger?
More and more Bedouin families lead traditional and modern lives at the same time. For example, they
have camels, but they also drive cars when they are in the cities. But the biggest problems for all the
nomadic tribes is that the government doesn't want us to cross their borders the way we have always
done. They want us to stay in one place and pay taxes and things like that.
(adapted from: Biederstädt, W.: Around the World. Volume 1, p. 48f.)
J
Make a role -play. You surely have more questions, try to answer them by help
of an encyclopedia
−
The Lives of the Desert Tribes
Nomadic people live in groups as tribes. They never live in the same place for a long time because
their animals ... (continue)
−
The desert - a place to live in?
−
Imagine you were together with a desert tribe: What would you miss, what would you like?
71
(Landesinstitut für Schule und Weiterbildung, Soest (Hrsg.): Hot Deserts,.p. 15)
72
Stundenthema: The Date Palm
Zur Einordnung der Stunde in den Unterricht:
Das folgende Arbeitsblatt geht im Rahmen der Behandlung der Oasen auf einen wichtigen Teilaspekt
ein. In diesem Zusammenhang soll den Schülerinnen und Schülern das Zusammenspiel einzelner
Faktoren in der Oase bewußt werden.
Sprachlich soll das Wortfeld OASIS/PLANTS erweitert und angewandt werden. Instrumentell wird
die Informationsentnahme und -weitergabe aus Texten und graphischen Darstellungen geübt.
Ablaufskizze zu "The Date Palm"
Wiederholung: Zuordnung von Begriffen aus dem Wortfeld OASIS zu drei topic headlines (housing,
water, plants). Mindmap auf Folie 1.
Vorentlastung des Textes auf dem Arbeitsblatt durch Vokabelliste (Folie 2).
Beschreiben oder Vorstellen der Früchte der Dattelpalme (Geschmackstest).
Einführung er Dattelpalme durch Arbeitsblatt/Folie - Text + Grafik/Früchte.
Partnerarbeit: Erstellen einer Tabelle:
"Parts of the date palm and what they are used for" (siehe Arbeitsblatt)
Ergebnisse der Partnerarbeit im Klassengespräch:
The importance of the date palm for the oasis
Vergleich der Dattelpalme mit einheimischen Bäumen, die für uns große wirtschaftliche Bedeutung
haben (Klassengespräch)
Einordnung der Dattelpalme in den Gesamtzusammenhang: "The elements of an oasis garden“
(Analyse des Grundrisses eines Oasengarten, auch im Vergleich zu einem Garten, den die
Schülerinnen und Schüler von zu Hause kennen).
Homework : Write a short text: Why do the Arabs call the date palm "Queen of the oasis?"
73
Facts
Date Palms
•
Date palms are the most important plants
grown in the oases of the Sahara and Arabian
deserts. Dates are brown when ripe. They are
food for people and domestic animals.
Date stones are ground up to make camel food.
The palm leaves are used as fuel. They can
also be used to thatch buildings. The fibres
from the dried leaves are twisted into ropes or
woven into a coarse cloth, used to make sacks.
They can also be used to make brushes. The
sap of the tree is used to make wine. Even the
trunks of dead palms are used for building
houses and fences, so nothing is wasted.
The palm tree provides shade and shelter for
other crops like oranges, figs, olives, apricots,
pomegranates, wheat, maize, millet, beans,
peas, onions, tobacco and sweet potatoes.
Palm tress grow to a height of 15 to 30
metres.
•
The dates contain a lot of sugar.
•
They are very heat-resistant (temperatures
up to 50o C).
•
They start having fruits when they are
about 20 years old.
•
They have fruits for about 60 to 70 years.
•
50 to 100 kilos are harvested per tree each
year.
•
The harvest is between August and
December.
(adapted from: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 29)
(Landesinstitut für Schule und Weiterbildung, Soest..p. 8)
! Describe the date palm:
part of the date palm
what it is used for
74
Survival by adapting to the environment
The Bedouin people moved from oasis to oasis to get water. They travelled by camel because these
animals can walk easily on sand. They carried tents with them because they were always on the move.
They took their herds with them because they provided much needed food. Their loose clothing
trapped air close to their bodies keeping them cool. Their clothes also protected them from sand and
storms.
Camels can go for a long time with no water. They can store food in their humps. To keep out sand
camels can close their ears and noses. They also have long eye lashes. Camels have twotoed webbed
feet which make walking on sand easy. Their fur traps air close to their skin. This keeps them cool.
Desert plants have spiny leaves so little water is lost through evaporation. Their long horizontal roots
help them to make the most of what little plant food there is. They have tough skins which help protect
them from sand storms. Their skins are also shiny. This reflects the heat and helps keep them cool.
!
Fill the chart to show how each form of life has adapted to the problem of living in a hot desert.
Problems
Lack of water
Humans
Camels
Desert Plants
Sand storms
Lack of shelter
Can survive without
shelter
Heat
Lack of food
Difficulty of movement
Do not move
(adapted from: Boylan et al.: A Sense of Place. Alternative Workbook 2A, p. 10)
75
Planting the desert
If water can be brought to the deserts then crops can be grown. Water can be brought from wells and
rivers to put on the dry land. This watering is called irrigation.
Some of the richest farmland in the United States of America is in southern California. Huge crops of
fruit and vegetables are grown all the year round. Yet only a few years ago this was dry desert. The
change was brought about when water from the Colorado River was used to irrigate the land. In Israel,
large areas of the Negev desert are being used to grow crops such as tomatoes, avocados and oranges.
Again this has been done with the help of irrigation. However, it is not always easy to make deserts
fertile by irrigation. Much water under the Sahara desert is too salty for most plants to grow in it.
It is possible to stop the desert sand blowing about by spraying the dunes with a mixture of oil and
rubber. This mixture also stops the sand from drying out. Then seedlings of acacia or eucalyptus trees
are planted. The tree roots bind the sand to stop it from blowing away. Other plants such as date palms
and orange trees are then able to grow in their shade and shelter.
(adapted from: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 39)
?−
1. What is irrigation?
2. What is being done to stop the desert sand from blowing away?
Wealth in the desert
Until fairly recently harsh barren deserts were almost useless to people. People who lived there were
usually poor and had to struggle to survive.
But a number of valuable minerals have been found. Gold, uranium, and aluminium ore have been
discovered in the Australian desert. Copper and sodium nitrate are mined in the Atacama. Diamonds
are mined in the Namib desert in Southern Africa. Oil and natural gas have been found in large
quantities under the Sahara, Arabian and Great American deserts. Several desert countries have now
become very rich from the money they receive for this oil and gas. New cities, roads, railways and
airports have been built with this money. Now cars, lorries, trains and aircraft have often replaced the
camels. In addition, many tourists now visit deserts for their holidays. The money tourists spend helps
the desert people to buy the things they need.
(adapted from: Jennings, T.: Deserts, p. 38)
?−
1. Name four valuable minerals found in deserts.
2. What has made several desert countries rich?
76
(Boylan et al.: A Sense of Place. Alternative Workbook 2A, p. 11)
77
LIFE IN THE DESERT
Vocabulary
acacia
to adapt
alert
Akazie
anpassen
wachsam, munter
bactrian
badger
bare
Bedouin
to bind
bounce
Kamel
Dachs
bloß
Beduine
binden, verpflichten
Aufprall
camel train
canyon
caravan
to carve
to crumble
Kamelkarawane
tiefeingeschnittenes Tal
Karawane
einschneiden
bröckeln
dew
disease
dromedary
dryness
Tau
Krankheit
Dromedar
Trockenheit
elsewhere
to enable
eyelashes
anderswo
befähigen
Wimpern
fennec
fig
fleshy
for instance
Wüstenfuchs
Feige
fleischig
zum Beispiel
to glisten
goat
gully
glitzern, glänzen
Ziege
Graben
hump
Höcker
intense
jackals
jumper
stark
Schakal
Springer
kangaroo
kit
Känguruh
Ausrüstung
lack
Mangel
mushroom
Pilz
newborn
neugeboren
pouch
probable
Tasche, Beutel
wahrschein lich
radiator
to reduce
to remove
Heizkörper
verringern
entfernen
scorching
scorpion
sharp
to shrivel
to sink
snow-shoe
spine
splinter
stomach
to survive
sengend, brennend
Skorpion
scharf
schrumpfen, verwelken
sinken
Schneeschuh
Stachel
Splitter
Bauch, Magen
überleben
tail
thorn
tightly
Schwanz
Dorn
fest
uncertainty
Unsicherheit
waterhole
waterproof
Wasserloch
wasserfest
78