Chihuahuan Desert

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/chihuahuan-desert

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Where is the Chihuahuan Desert?Northern Mexico and Southwestern United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona)
2. How big is the Chihuahuan Desert?Approximately 175,000 square miles (453,000 square kilometers)
3. What language do people speak in the Chihuahuan Desert?Spanish (Mexico), English (United States)
4. What is the capital city (mexico)?Chihuahua City
5. What is the dominant vegetation?Creosote bush, yucca, agave, and diverse cacti species
6. Why does the Chihuahuan Desert get so little rain?The desert receives less than 10 inches of rain each year, mostly in strong summer thunderstorms. This dry climate makes water very scarce.

Biogeographical Province: A large geographic area characterized by its unique assemblage of plant and animal life.
Endemic Species: A species that is native and found only in a specific geographic area.
Diurnal Fluctuation: The significant difference in temperature between day and night in a desert environment.
Alluvial Fan: A fan-shaped deposit of sediment formed where a stream emerges from a mountain onto a plain.