This book is about desert plants. Look at the contents, the headings, the sidebar and the glossary.
Desert Plants Contents What Is a Desert? . . . page 3 Cacti and Their Water . . . page 5 Roots Wide and Deep . . . page 8 Seeds That Wait . . . page 11 Glossary . . . page 14
Desert Plants
What Is a Desert?
A desert is a place that gets very little rain. Many deserts are hot, but some are cold. Plants that live in a desert must find ways to get by with very little water.
Cacti and Their Water
A cactus has a thick, green stem that works like a water tank. After a rain, the stem fills up and swells. The cactus can then use the stored water for a long time. Sharp spines cover many cacti. The spines keep hungry animals from taking a bite.
Roots Wide and Deep
Desert plants use different kinds of roots. Many cacti have shallow roots that spread out wide. When rain falls, these roots soak up water fast. A mesquite tree has roots that reach deep underground. They can find water far below the surface.
Seeds That Wait
Some desert flowers begin as seeds that lie in the dry soil. The seeds wait for a good rain. Then they sprout, grow, and bloom in a short time. Soon a patch of desert may be full of color.
Sidebar: Did You Know?
The stem of a saguaro cactus is pleated, like the folds of a paper fan. The folds spread open as the stem fills with water. Many saguaros grow in the deserts of the southwestern United States.
Glossary cactus: a plant with a thick stem that holds water roots: plant parts under the ground that soak up water seeds: small parts that can grow into new plants spines: sharp, pointed parts on the outside of a plant
Find it in the book
Use the book pages above to answer each question.
1.
Look at the contents. On which page does the part called "Roots Wide and Deep" begin? Write the page number.
It begins on page .
2.
Maya wants to learn how a cactus keeps water inside its stem. Under which heading should she look?
3.
A reader does not know the word seeds. Use the glossary. Which meaning is right?
4.
Read the sidebar. Underline the sentence that tells what the folds of a saguaro stem do when the stem fills with water.
Find it online
Now look at an online page about desert plants. Underlined words are hyperlinks: you click one to jump to another page.
Online Desert Guide Search box: cactus spines Search results 1. Sea Urchins of the Ocean Floor Meet the spiny animals that live on rocks and sand. 2. Cactus Spines: Keeping Hungry Animals Away Find out why many cacti are covered in sharp spines. 3. Cactus Plants for Sale Pots, soil, and gifts for your home.
More to explore Wildflowers Bloom After Rain Mesquite and Its Deep Roots Why Rain Forests Stay So Wet How Desert Animals Find Water
5.
Sam types the key words cactus spines. Which search result will best help him learn why cacti have spines?
6.
Maya wants to read more about a plant whose roots reach far below the ground. Which hyperlink should she click?
7.
Dev wants to find out how a mesquite tree gets water. Sort each set of key words.
8.
Match each text feature to how it helps you find information.
9.
Write the key words you would type in a search box to learn how desert wildflowers grow after a rain. Use three or four words.
