Saguaro Cactus

1
Saguaro Cactus

• By Paul and Shirley Berquist

2
Summary And Genre

• Genre Expository Non-fiction
• Summary The saguaro cactus is an important part
  of the web of life in the Sonoran Desert. Many
  small animals use it for food and shelter.

3
Meet the Author

• Paul and Shirley Berquist

4
Cactus Poemsby Frank Asch

• Breaks Free
• I just want to be
• Where the earth breaks free
• Of concrete and metal and glass,
• Of asphalt and plastic and gas,
• Where sun is king
• And water is queen,
• Where cactus grow tall
• And the air is clean.
• I just want to be
• Where the earth breaks free
• Of fences and alleys and walls,
• Of factories and traffic and malls
• Where owls sleep
• In the heat of the day
• Waiting for sunset
• To hunt their prey,
• Where mountains rise
• In seas of sand

5
Waterless Shores

• There is no stream to draw them
• So they come to the flowers to feed.
• First come the ants, bees, and moths
• Looking for nectar, pollen, and seed.
• Then comes their predators,
• Mantis, spider, and rat
• Then predators of predators,
• Lizard, snake, and cat.
• They come to the desert flower to feed at its
  waterless shore,
• Where rivers of color run wile
• And waterfalls of fragrance roar.

6
If the Earth Were Small

• If the earth were small,
• Id hold it in my hands
• The way a cactus holds
• Each drop of water.
• If the earth were small,
• Id sing it a song
• Like the croon of a canyon wren
• Singing to his mate.
• If the earth were small,
• Id keep it safe and sound
• In a secret place, the way a pack rat
• Hides her treasures near her nest.
• If the earth were small,
• Id keep it always in my sight
• With the gaze of a great horned owl
• Looking down from the sky at night.

7
Listening Comprehension

• In Breaks Free, what does the speaker want to
  be free of?
• What happens after the ants, bees, and moths come
  looking for nectar, pollen, and seed?
• Which of the poets ideas about what he would do
  if the earth were small is most appealing to you?
  Why?

8
Write a moment

• Take this time to write your thoughts in a
  journal or a piece of paper/writing spiral
• If you could create the perfect habitat for
  yourself, what would it look like?

9
Focus Skill- Elements of Nonfiction Text
Structure

• Informational books and magazine articles contain
  expository writing. The purpose of nonfiction is
  to give information about a topic.
• Using a sequence chart to record events in
  Saguaro Cactus can help apply the information
  in a way in which to gather events.

10
Sequence Chart
11
Focus Strategy-Adjust Reading Rate

• Good readers use strategies to help them
  understand what they read. Remind yourself to
  adjust your reading rate according to the type of
  text you are reading.
• While reading try adjusting your reading rate on
  pages 549, 551, and 555.

12
Building Background

• What do you already know about the desert?

13
Building Background

• Click here to check out how to build more
  background of Saguaro Cactus

14
Develop Concepts-Building Background

• What kinds of plants might you find in the
  desert?
• What kinds of animals make the desert their home?
• Where do you think desert creatures make their
  homes?

15
Vocabulary

• Spiny
• Decomposes
• Topple
• Brush
• Habitat
• Teeming
• Perch
• Nectar

16
Spiny

• Having thorns

17
Decomposes

• Decaysrots

18
Topple

• Fall over or be pushed over

19
Brush

• Small Trees and Shrubs

20
Habitat

• Natural Home of a pant or an animal

21
Teeming

• Full almost overflowing

22
Perch

• To sit or settle on a spot

23
Nectar

• A sweet liquid found in flowers

24
What to do when you are done reading!

• The Life Cycle of a Saguaro
• Desert Web Quest
• Spelling this week
• Test Tutor- Elements of Nonfiction
• Test Tutor Reference Sources
• Go For The Grammar Gold-Homophones and Pronouns