This spring, the Oak Room children and teachers embarked on a study of desert habitats, and the saguaro cactus in particular. This was sparked by the book Cactus Hotel by Brenda Guiberson. The Oakies were captivated by the towering saguaro cactus and amazed to learn that animals could build their nests inside it without causing it harm. Their wonder was immediate and expressive – voices full of questions about how living things survive in such a dry place. Through shared reading and conversations, the teachers noticed growing vocabulary, thoughtful questioning, and collaborative theorizing as the Oakies began to explore big ideas about habitats, adaptations, and the interconnectedness of plants and animals in the desert.
The invitation to take our learning further came when a student asked, “Can we build a cactus out of cardboard?” With an abundance of cardboard on hand, we happily said yes. As we began constructing our saguaro, the students immediately wondered how tall it should be, and where the nests would go. Piece by piece, we added more cardboard and nest holes until the group collectively decided it was tall enough. The process required significant hand strength and coordination as the students worked to cut through this cardboard and manipulate it into shape.
Next, we prepared to add arms to our cactus. The students returned to thoughtful observation. Using various mediums of artistic expression, the Oakies created detailed drawings to study how saguaro arms branch from the trunk and curve upwards. These explorations helped us decide both the shape and placement of our cardboard arms. Our first attempt, however, resulted in a dramatic tip-over – the cactus could not stay upright. Rather than feeling discouraged, the children immediately began to analyze what had happened. We rearranged the arms, thinking more intentionally about balance and weight, and when we tried again, the cactus stood tall.
Student: My cactus has a lot of arms that look like snakes.
With arms attached, the children began planning the details we wanted to include – the cactus ridges, the sharp spikes, and the animals that make their homes inside a saguaro. We decided that our goal was to create a display that feels much like an exhibit you might encounter in a museum: informative, thoughtful, and interactive, inviting others to learn alongside us as they explore our towering cactus.
To add the ridges of the saguaro cactus, we added paper mâché clay, with the children eagerly making it themselves. The Oakies tore and mixed toilet paper with water, strained the pulp through cloth, and then added glue to create the clay mixture. The sensory experience sparked many reactions – some Oakies delighted in the squishy, smooshie texture and happily dug their hands in, while others approached the mixture more cautiously, deciding they preferred to help in different ways. Once ready, the clay was added to the cactus to form the long ridges that give a saguaro its distinctive shape. Oakies did a great job making coils out of the paper mâché clay (a skill they’ve perfected in the Art Studio), sticking it to the cactus, and then pinching the coil into a little mountain. We were so impressed with the fine motor skills it took to accomplish this task.
Families were invited to help create the final ridges for the cactus. Every member of our community – children, parents, siblings, and teachers – all helped create our cactus, and we are all proud of it. Once the ridges were finished, the children knew it had to be painted green. One student suggested using pine needles from our playground to create cactus spikes.
To complete the cactus hotel, we turned our attention to the animals that live in saguaro cactuses. After reading Cactus Hotel, we spent quite a bit of time discussing who might call a saguaro home, including woodpeckers, birds, bats and rats. The Oakies used reference images to create drawings of the animals we encountered in our research, including Gila Woodpeckers, Gilded Flickers, Lesser Long-Nosed Bats, Elf Owls, and Pack Rats. We displayed these drawings as coloring sheets in the piazza for the whole school to see, along with our giant cactus. We are so proud of the Oak Room!
Reflection by Brit Schumaker and Walt Gnesdilow, Oak Room Co-Teachers