Table of Contents
Deserts Reading Passage
Pages 2 - 4
Scaffolded Questions
Pages 5 - 7
On-Level Questions
Pages 8 - 10
Extension Activity
Pages 11 - 15
Answer Key
Pages 16 - 18
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Deserts
Reading Comprehension
The reading passage introduces students
to deserts. It gives a description of the
desert, discusses desert plant and animal
adaptations, and explains what threatens
to destroy deserts.
This is a longer reading passage,
particularly for younger grades. Support
students as needed.
The pictures included in this reading
passage are in color, but you can print
them in gray scale to save ink.
Students will still be able to get the
information necessary if you print the
pictures in gray scale.
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
The Desert
Looking across the desert, you will see very few signs of life – some
scattered cacti, a few struggling plants, and possibly a bird soaring across the
sky. However, the desert is home to a huge assortment of plants and animals
that have learned how to live with limited water. You just have to know where
to look.
The Driest Place on Earth
Deserts are dry. They receive the least amount of rain of any biome,
usually less than 10 inches a year. Sometimes, it is so dry in the desert that
even when it rains, the water evaporates before touching the ground!
Usually we think of deserts as hot places, but some deserts - like the Gobi
Desert in Asia - are actually cold! Even deserts that are hot during the day can
get cold at night because there are no clouds to keep the heat from escaping.
Adapting to the Dry
In order to
survive in the desert,
plants and animals
have to be able to
adapt to the lack of
water. Cacti, for
example, have
adapted in several
ways. First, cacti
have a very shallow,
widespread root
system. Any time it
rains, cacti roots are
able to absorb the
water almost
immediately. Then,
cacti have a waxy coating that keeps the water from escaping through
evaporation. Also, the prickly spines on a cactus protect it from animals that
might want to eat it for its water.
The kangaroo rat is also perfectly adapted to the dryness of the desert.
Kangaroo rats can survive without ever drinking any water! Their bodies can
transform the dry seeds that they eat into water. They also do not pant or
sweat when they are hot, so they don’t lose any water that way.
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Adapting to the Heat
Animals that live in hot deserts also have to adapt to the heat. Many
animals are nocturnal (active during the night) or crepuscular (active at dawn and
dusk). These animals find cool spots to rest in the heat of the day, and then
come out later when it is cooler. Since crepuscular animals come out as the sun
is rising or setting, they have more light to search for food and water than
animals that are nocturnal.
Diurnal animals
(animals that are
active during the day)
have found other
ways to adapt to the
heat. Many animals,
like the desert
tortoise, burrow in
the sand. This hole
gives them a place to
hide from the heat
and protect
themselves from
predators.
Threats to Desert Life
Since desert plants and animals have such specific adaptations that help
them survive, any changes to the desert can be very harmful to them. People
have caused some of these changes. As more people move to desert areas to
live, they use up more and more of the water supply, leaving less water for
plants and animals.
Tourism in the desert is
also becoming a problem.
Many people like to go offroading in the desert. When
off road vehicles leave the
roads, they can crush animal
burrows and destroy plants.
Off road vehicles also loosen
the soil, which can lead to
more desert sandstorms.
Also, many people like to
have cacti to decorate their
homes. Some people take
these cacti illegally from the
desert.
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Scaffolded Questions
The questions in this section are
scaffolded to help you differentiate. This
section will help support your lower level
students or ELL learners.
There are two levels of scaffolding:
1.  The question tells students which
section to go to to find the answer.
2.  Sentence starters are provided to help
students when answering the questions.
Other than the two levels of scaffolding
listed above, these questions are the
same as the on-level questions.
The answer key on pages 16 – 18 applies
to this section of questions as well as the
on-level section of questions.
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Name:____________________________________________
Date:_______________________________
The Desert:
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. 
Reread the section titled “The Driest Place on Earth.” What word did the author bold?
Why do you think the author chose to make this word bold?
The bolded word is ____________________________. The author probably chose to bold
this word because __________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________. 2. 
Reread the section titled “The Driest Place on Earth.” What is different about the Gobi
Desert?
The Gobi Desert ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________. 3. 
Reread the section titled “Adapting to the Dry.” How does the waxy coating on cacti
help cacti adapt to the desert?
The waxy coating on a cactus _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
4. 
Reread the section titled “Adapting to the Dry.” How does a kangaroo rat survive in the
desert? Give at least two details.
Kangaroo rats can survive in the desert because ___________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Also, ________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
5. 
Reread the section titled “Adapting to the Heat” and the chart titled “Desert Animals.”
Name at least 3 animals that are active at dawn and dusk.
Three animals that are active at dawn and dusk are ________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
The Desert:
Reading Comprehension Questions
6. 
Reread the section titled “Adapting to the Heat.” What’s the difference between
nocturnal and diurnal animals?
Nocturnal and diurnal animals are different because _______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
7. 
Reread the section titled “Adapting to the Heat.” How do burrows help diurnal animals? Digging burrows helps diurnal animals by __________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________. 8. 
Reread the two sections about adapting. Which desert plant or animal has the best
adaptation – cacti, kangaroo rats, or desert tortoises? Why?
___________________________________________________ have the best adaptation because _____________________________________________________________________________________.
9. 
Reread the section titled “Threats to Desert Life” How are people harming the desert?
Give at least two examples.
People are harming the desert by __________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Also, ________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
10.  What questions do you still have about the desert? Write at least two.
Question 1: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________?
Question 2: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________?
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
On-Level Questions
The questions in this section are
more straightforward than the
questions in the Scaffolded
Questions section. These questions
and answers do not have any
scaffolding to support students.
Students are given a question and
expected to write a short answer in
a complete sentence.
The answer key on pages 16 – 18
applies to this section of questions
as well as the Scaffolded Questions
section.
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Name:____________________________________________
Date:_______________________________
The Desert:
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. 
Reread the section titled “The Driest Place on Earth.” What word did the author bold?
Why do you think the author chose to make this word bold?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. 
What is different about the Gobi Desert?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. 
How does the waxy coating on cacti help cacti adapt to the desert? _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. 
How does a kangaroo rat survive in the desert? Give at least two details. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. 
Name at least 3 animals that are active at dawn and dusk.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
The Desert:
Reading Comprehension Questions
6. 
What’s the difference between nocturnal and diurnal animals? _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. 
How do burrows help diurnal animals? _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________ 8. 
Which desert plant or animal has the best adaptation – cacti, kangaroo rats, or desert
tortoises? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9. 
Reread the section titled “Threats to Desert Life” How are people harming the desert?
Give at least two examples.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
10.  What questions do you still have about the desert? Write at least two.
Question 1: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Question 2: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Extension Activity
This extension activity has students
write a fictional story set in a desert
using the information they learned from
“The Desert” reading comprehension
passage.
Student Instructions and Brainstorming
Page 12
Writing Paper
Pages 13 - 14
Grading Rubric
Page15
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Name:____________________________________________
Date:_______________________________
The Desert:
Extension Activity
Write a fiction story below about a character that gets stuck in the desert. Use the information
from the reading passage to help you include accurate details about deserts. Be sure to include:
•  Characters that have to survive in the desert
•  A realistic description of the desert setting
•  Animals and plants that the character would experience in the desert
•  An interesting plot – include a problem that a character would face in the desert and a solution
Brainstorming
Characters
Describe the names and character traits of your main characters. _______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Setting
Describe where the story takes place:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Plot
Describe what the main character does and experiences in the desert:
Problem the character faces - ________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Solution - ____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Title: ____________________________________________
By: ____________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________
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© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
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______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
The Desert Extension Activity:
Grading Rubric
Student Name: _________________________
3 points
2 points
The student included all of
the required elements.
The student stayed on
topic.
Content
The student included
most of the required
elements. The
student stayed
mostly on topic.
The student
included few or
none of the
required elements.
The student is off
topic most of the
time.
The student showed a
thorough understanding of
deserts. All of the
information was accurate.
The student showed
some understanding
of deserts. Some of
the information was
incorrect.
The student
showed very
limited
understanding of
deserts.
The story follows a logical
sequence and paragraphs
are utilized appropriately.
The story follows a
mostly logical
sequence. The
student attempts to
use paragraphs, but
they are not utilized
appropriately. .
The story is not in
a logical sequence,
and it is very
difficult to
understand what
the author
intended.
There are several
errors in spelling,
capitalization,
punctuation, or
grammar.
There are many
errors in spelling,
capitalization,
punctuation, and
grammar. Because
of these errors,
the essay is very
difficult to read.
• 
• 
• 
• 
Accuracy
Organization
Conventions
1 point
Required Elements:
Characters
Description of desert
setting
Animals and plants of
the desert
A problem a character
might face in the desert
with a solution
There are very few errors
in spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, and grammar.
Total Points out of 12:
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Answer Key
This answer key applies to both the
Scaffolded Questions (pages 5 – 7)
and the On-Level Questions (pages
8 – 10).
Some of the questions encourage
higher level thinking and do not
have one correct answer. If that is
the case, it has been noted that
“Answers Will Vary.” When grading
these questions, make sure
students defend their thinking in a
logical way.
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
Name:____________________________________________
Date:_______________________________
The Desert:
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. 
Reread the section titled “The Driest Place on Earth.” What word did the author bold?
Why do you think the author chose to make this word bold? The author chose to bold the word dry. I believe the author did this because
_____________________________________________________________________________________
the author wanted to emphasize that the important part of a desert is how dry _____________________________________________________________________________________
it is.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. 
What is different about the Gobi Desert? The Gobi Desert is different from most other deserts because it is cold.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. 
How does the waxy coating on cacti help cacti adapt to the desert? The waxy coating helps cacti conserve water by keeping water from being
_____________________________________________________________________________________
evaporated. _____________________________________________________________________________________
4. 
How does a kangaroo rat survive in the desert? Give at least two details. Kangaroo rats can survive in the desert because their bodies can change the _____________________________________________________________________________________
seeds they eat into water. Also, kangaroo rats do not pant or sweat, so they
_____________________________________________________________________________________
don’t lose any water that way. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. 
Name at least 3 animals that are active at dawn and dusk. Some animals that are active at dawn and dusk are coyotes, jackrabbits, _____________________________________________________________________________________
mule deer, bobcats, and nighthawks. _____________________________________________________________________________________
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
The Desert:
Reading Comprehension Questions
6. 
What’s the difference between nocturnal and diurnal animals? Nocturnal and diurnal animals are different because nocturnal animals are
_____________________________________________________________________________________
active at night, while diurnal animals are active during the day.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. 
How do burrows help diurnal animals? Burrows help diurnal animals by giving them a place to protect themselves and _____________________________________________________________________________________
shade themselves from the sun.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. 
Which desert plant or animal has the best adaptation – cacti, kangaroo rats, or desert
tortoises? Why? Answers will vary. Make sure students defend their answer. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9. 
Reread the section titled “Threats to Desert Life” How are people harming the desert?
Give at least two examples. Answers will vary. People are harming the desert by moving to the desert and using up all of the
_____________________________________________________________________________________
water supply. People also take cacti from the desert illegally. _____________________________________________________________________________________
Also, the desert is harmed when people go off-roading. Animal burrows can be
_____________________________________________________________________________________
harmed. Soil can also be loosened, leading to more sandstorms. _____________________________________________________________________________________
10.  What questions do you still have about the desert? Write at least two.
Answers will vary. Question 1: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Question 2: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
© 2016 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.