Large animals like elephants, lions, and giraffes live in the harsh, arid Namib Desert. How do these animals survive? The secret is the desert’s geography. Watch this video from the Nat Geo WILD program “Destination Wild.” Then consult the tabs for some critical thinking questions, a list of fast facts to enhance viewing comprehension, links to related materials, and a short glossary of vocabulary used in the video.
Instructional Ideas
You can use National Geography Standard 7.1 (Components of Earth's Physical Systems) to better understand how Earth’s physical systems contribute to the “Secret of Survival” in the Namib Desert.
Standard 7.1, 4th Grade: There are four components of Earth's physical systems (the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere).
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Identify attributes of Earth's different physical systems, as exemplified by being able to:
- Identify different attributes of physical systems in photographs (e.g., sky, clouds, plants, soil, oceans, lakes, mountains).
- Identify examples of water features on Earth’s surface that comprise the hydrosphere (e.g., oceans, rivers, lakes, water vapor, ground water, different types of precipitation).
- Identify examples of landforms on Earth’s surface (e.g., mountains, volcanoes, valleys, plains).
Questions 1-2 explore attributes of physical systems in the Namib Desert.
Standard 7.1, 8th Grade: The four components of Earth’s physical systems (the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere) are interdependent.
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Identify and describe patterns in the environment that result from the interaction of Earth’s physical processes, as exemplified by being able to:
- Identify and describe the connections between ocean circulation system and climate (e.g., North Atlantic Drift and the mild climate of Western Europe, the climatic effects of El Niño or La Niña).
- Identify and describe the patterns that result from the connections between climate and vegetation (e.g., examples of patterns of ecosystems and biomes).
- Identify and describe the patterns of physical features that result from erosion and deposition (e.g., estuaries and deltas, canyons, alluvial plains, sand dunes).
B. Analyze and explain patterns of physical features resulting from the interactions of Earth’s physical processes, as exemplified by being able to
- Analyze maps of tectonic plates to predict the location of physical features (e.g., mountain ranges, volcanoes, rift valleys).
- Analyze the pattern of glacial features as a result of glacial retreat (e.g., moraines, kettle lakes, cirques).
- Analyze and explain factors influencing precipitation patterns and predict where the patterns will occur (e.g., convectional, orographic, frontal).
Question 3 explores how climate impacts life in the Namib Desert.
Standard 7.1, 12th Grade: The interactions of Earth's physical systems (the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere) vary across space and time.
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Explain how the effects of physical processes vary across regions of the world and over time, as exemplified by being able to:
- Explain the changing relationships among climate, vegetation, and landforms (e.g., desertification and soil degradation, glacial advances and retreats).
- Analyze and explain the differential effects on climate of the relationship between water and wind at different latitudes (e.g., cold currents influence the creation of deserts at 20 and 30 degrees north and south latitudes, the formation of hurricanes and tropical storms).
- Analyze and explain the relationships between physical processes and the location of land features (e.g., river valleys, canyons, deltas, glaciated lakes and moraines, limestone deposits, caves, alluvial fans, canyons).
B. Explain the ways in which Earth’s physical processes are dynamic and interactive, as exemplified by being able to:
- Explain how volcanic eruptions and forest fires change atmospheric conditions and disrupt the nitrogen and carbon cycles.
- Explain how increasing surface temperatures result in melting ice sheets and rising sea levels.
- Construct a diagram illustrating how El Niño and La Niña form and how these influence weather in different locations on Earth.
Question 4 explores how Earth’s physical systems have changed the landscape of the Namib Desert over time.
