American Deserts

Comprised of three 10-minute programs, American Deserts explores various aspects of the four major North American deserts. “What is a Desert?” offers an overview of desert characteristics and biology; “Life in the Desert” takes a more in-depth look at the flora and fauna of the desert, and the unique adaptations species must make in order to cope with harsh ecological conditions; and “Water in the Desert” explains why this precious commodity controls how plants and animals live in the desert, as well as the effects that human requirements for water are having on desert habitats. Boasting beautiful nature footage and smart editing, the program would have further benefited from computer graphics displaying vocabulary words and concepts onscreen as they were introduced, but the accompanying teacher's guide, which includes plenty of additional information, nicely compensates. Recommended. Aud: I, J. (E. Gieschen)