2006 is the International Year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD). This unit of work has been designed to help deepen the students’ understanding of deserts and raise their awareness of the problem of desertification. The students will discuss what a desert is and where they are located throughout the world. They will identify a desert in Australia and will investigate the flora a fauna of this desert creating a mural of both the plants and animals which live in the desert. They will create an accompanying card which identifies the plant or animal and relevant information about it. The students will then define desertification and identify areas throughout the world most affected by this problem. The students will investigate the causes of desertification and will create a poster to educate others about these causes, the consequences of desertification and practical ways of addressing the problem.