Alone in the Desert (Realization) by David Drew

Alone in the Desert (Grades 6–8)

Realization series

by David Drew illustrated by Mike Gorman

Suppose you were lost in the desert. How would you find water, keep cool, cook your food, and send a message for help? In this role-playing book students can plan their own rescue and survival strategies, using and developing their knowledge of science and technology.

Grade level 6–8

Visual literacy

Cross sections: to show how equipment works; to show landforms of the desert

Diagrams with labels: to identify equipment that can be used to solve a problem

Topographic map: to provide the context; to locate water supplies

Star map: to navigate by night

Subject areas

English/Language Arts

Interpret diagram, read instructions

Speak and listen in group, make decisions

Write instructions, explanations

Interpret maps and symbols

Science/Technology

Arid environments

Condensation, precipitation

Energy sources

Materials for conduction, insulation

Magnetism; making a compass

The night sky: stars and constellations

Mathematics

Estimate and measure times, distances

Social Studies/Geography

Shelter and survival

Arid landforms and climates

Topographic maps and orienteering

Learning strategies

Problem solving

Cooperative group learning

A sample from the book

Day 5: Sending a message

You arrive back at the car and eat the last of your food. You decide that you must attract the attention of a plane or car and send them a distress signal.

How could you attract their attention using some of these things?
How could you send them a message?

1 hub cap    2 wrench      3 string     4 engine oil

5 dry grass and twigs     6 bucket     7 sand

8 tin lid     9 magnifying lens     10 rocks

11 clothes     12 stick     13 tire

Back to top

Ideas to get you started

Children divide into groups of between two and eight people.
Each group brainstorms as many possible solutions as they can.
Ask children to explain each solution using a diagram or a storyboard. A storyboard shows a series of diagrams, each diagram a new step in a sequence. Storyboards are useful when explaining how to do or make something.
Finally, children can compare different solutions by making a table such as the one below. This table compares two different solutions. Ask children to complete the blanks in the table. There are many possible ways this can be done, and there is no single "correct answer."
By arranging the two alternatives in a table, we can more easily compare their strengths and weaknesses, and make a decision about which one would be the best to use. This is a practical example of how a visual text (such as a table) can help with learning and with decision-making.

Realization is a problem-solving science/ literacy series for K–8

by David Drew

Titles in this series:

Alone in the Desert:

The science of survival

The Cat on the Chimney:

Solving problems with technology

Clever Island:

Technology and nature

Designosaurs:

Animal groups, animal design

The Green Casebook:

Environmental action

Looney Tools:

Inventing technology

Misbuildings/ Untransport:

Function and design

One Day, One Night:

Cycles in nature

The Paper Skyscraper:

The technology of materials

Toy Designer:

Technology and energy

What Should I Use?

The technology of simple machines

Which Habitat?

Animal environments

	Make noise signal with hubcap	Make smoke signal with burning tire
How long will the signal last?
How far will the signal travel?
Would it work best at night or by day?
Is it safe?
We compared the noise solution with the smoke solution. We chose the ________________________ because ____________________________

Answers

The large edition of the book provides a teacher's guide (inside front cover) and answers (pages 14-17).

A separate Teacher's Ideas Book is also available from Rigby Education. You can order a copy here.

How do you assess the children's answers?

There is not one "correct" answer. In fact, there are several possible "correct" answers. This is because the tools and equipment could be used successfully in several combinations.

Assess the children's work by asking questions such as:

Science/technology issues:

Is the solution practical? (Could someone really do this?)
Is the solution safe?
Literacy issues:
Are the children's instructions clear? (If we followed the steps as described, would we have a solution that works?)
Is the solution straightforward? (Could we leave out any steps? Are the steps in the best order?)

Assessment sheets

An assessment sheet for a diagram can be photocopied from The Information Toolkit, page 25.

An assessment sheet for a storyboard can be photocopied from The Information Toolkit, page 31.

Contents of Alone in the Desert

Finding water
Cooking food
Keeping cool by day
Keeping warm at night
Finding your way by day
Finding your way at night
Sending a message
The rescue
Small edition: Hints, clues and facts you can use. Large edition: Answers

This book is now out of print

Second-hand copies can sometimes be bought from

abe.com

Back to top

Back to Home Page