We love the second grade's Desert Zoo Project, in which research, the writing process, art, science, public speaking, and more come together. Second grade students study different regions of the world throughout the school year, culminating in their study of the desert. Each student chooses a specific desert animal to research and reads books and articles pertaining to their animal. Students learn to take notes from their reading and to present their findings in an expository paper. At the same time they create a model animal from clay and a learn about the natural habitat of their animal. Finally, the Desert Zoo is the exhibition of each student's desert research. The second grade students present their projects to family, friends, teachers, and students in a fair style. Learn more about this integrated second grade capstone unit.