Desert Animal Adaptations and Robotics | Vegas PBS STEAM Camp

Vegas PBS STEAM Camp | Desert Animal Adaptations and Robotics

SEASON 2: EPISODE 2 | Airdate: 7/16/2021

Explore how animals have adapted to the harsh Mojave Desert climate with help from the Springs Preserve.  Then, Dr. Louis Rubbo from FIRST Nevada and members of the Pahrump Robotics team, Awkward Silence, explain what a robot is.  

Investigate each topic further through interactive at-home STEAM challenges and book talks with librarians from the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.  

Episode Guests

• Katrina Smith, Zoologist, Springs Preserve
• Chris Sakmar, Naturalist, Springs Preserve
• Dr. Louis Rubbo, Instructor of Physics, College of Southern Nevada
• Dylan, FIRST Nevada robotics team, Awkward Silence, FIRST Tech Challenge program
• Jaxon, FIRST Nevada robotics team, Lego Miners, FIRST LEGO League program
• Dani Dewar, Librarian, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District
• Marisa Eytalis, Librarian, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District
• Carter, Student
• Royce, Student

Lesson Plans

• Animal Adaptations -Lesson Plan (PDF)
• Robotics - Lesson Plan (PDF)

Resources

• Plum Landing: Discover the Desert
• Kratts Creatures: Animal Camouflage
• Outdoor Nevada: Horned Lizard
• Wild Nevada: Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge
• PBS KIDS ScratchJr
• SciGirls: Robots to the Rescue!
• Toothpick Investigation Data Collection Chart

Books Featured

• Desert Tortoises (Blastoff Readers, Animals of the Desert) by Patrick Perish
• Desert Animals (Safari Sam’s Wild Animals) by David West
• Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada by John Muir Laws
• Robotics!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids by Carmella Van Vleet
• Rox’s Secret Code by Mara Lecocq and Nathan Archambault

If you would like ideas and free resources to help you implement Vegas PBS STEAM Camp in your afterschool or summer program, contact us at:
steamcamp@vegaspbs.org