Have the student use a shoebox or other cardboard box to create a diorama of his favorite desert animal. The scene should include the animal and depict the desert setting in which it lives. Provide research materials and photographs so that the student can study his chosen animal and create a realistic and informative diorama scene. Encourage the student to use a variety of art materials such as paper, paints and sand to decorate his diorama.
Take your class to the school library and ask your students to research animals that live in the desert, including what each animal eats. Have students record their findings in a notebook and then divide them in groups of two or three. Assign each group to create a poster showing the food chain of desert animals. Allow them to use both written descriptions as well as illustrations to show the food chain.
Provide your students with a list of desert animals and allow them to choose one to study. Ask the students to research this animal and discover facts about its habitat, lifespan and eating habits. Have students write a report detailing what they learned in their research. Combine all student reports and create a class book titled "Desert Animals." Place it in your classroom library.
A project that combines research with creative art is to ask the students to create a humorous cartoon based on a desert animal. After researching one animal unique to the desert, have the students create a funny cartoon using this animal. While the drawings may be fun and entertaining, be sure they somehow include at least three facts about the animal within the story line. Allow the students to share their original cartoons with their peers.