86-tp scales tales

Chewonki Traveling Natural History Programs www.chewonki.org

SCALES & TALES “OUR COLD-BLOODED FRIENDS” Scales & Tales brings four live reptiles into the classroom for students to see up close and discover. They encounter the scales and lose their fears of the tales of these blameless creatures. The program can be used as an introduction to reptiles or supplement a classroom unit on reptiles (or reptiles and amphibians). It can be used to “kick off” a unit or as the culminating activity. The program generates enthusiasm in the class and can motivate students for projects in science, language arts, math, social studies, art or any curriculum area. The presentation covers the characteristics of reptiles, their adaptations and their ecology. We hope to cultivate an appreciation for and an interest in reptiles by dispelling the myths that give reptiles their slimy reputation and by attempting to assure students that reptiles need not be feared. Those that enter the classroom with trepidation over an encounter with a snake will leave with the drive to learn more about the 2,600 different species of snakes in our world. Equipment and Room Requirements

Classroom or multi-purpose room space is fine.

Chairs (or desks & chairs) for students, or comfortable floor space.

Presentations can be done in a single location, or in individual classrooms if 15 minutes is allowed between presentations.

Students should be arranged so the presenter can move easily between them and students can see the animals.

Group size maximum - 30. Smaller groups are recommended for pre-K and K classes.

Teachers must be present in the room during the program.

It is helpful to have a rolling cart or dolly available to help move boxes into the building and between classes.

It will help our instructors if your students are wearing the nametags provided in this packet. Note: Permits are required for most of the specimens (living and stuffed) that are used in Chewonki Traveling Natural History Programs and students are reminded of the legal limitations of private collections. All of our living animals are non-releasable because of prior injuries, confiscation, or were captive raised before arriving at Chewonki. No animals have been harmed or taken specifically for use in Chewonki programs.


Class Outline

Each presentation takes one hour. Most of the time is spent with the live animals. The complexity of the information is different for each grade or ability level, but the flow of the program is similar. Modifications are made for groups with special needs. This is an outline of what teachers can expect during a typical Chewonki Scales & Tales presentation: A. What is a reptile? (scales, lays eggs, cold blooded)

1. Focus on four groups (crocodilians, lizards, turtles, snakes) 2. Similarities and differences

B. Turtles

1. Turtle shell: features, adaptations, habitats 2. Sea turtle skull: environmental hazards to turtles 3. The story of our Box Turtle (live) or Blanding’s Turtle (live):

• features • adaptations • lifestyle • care and feeding at Chewonki

C. Crocodilians

1. The story of our American Alligator (live) 2. Endangered species and legal protection 3. Comparison to crocodiles 4. Adaptations to habitat and other features 5. Care and feeding at Chewonki

D. Lizards

1. The story of our Green Iguana (live) or Bearded Dragon (live) 2. Habitat, adaptations 3. What it means to be cold-blooded 4. Food and feeding adaptations and strategies 5. Skin and shedding 6. Care and feeding at Chewonki 7. The iguana’s role in the rain forest (advanced groups only) or the gecko’s role

in the desert E. Snakes

1. Feelings about snakes 2. Myths and legends, poisonous snakes 3. The story of our Corn Snake (live)

• constrictor • hunting, food and feeding • tongue and smelling • camouflage and protection • movement and skeleton (pass around skeleton) • scales and shedding (pass around snake skin) • care and feeding at Chewonki


SCALES and

TALES

AMAZING REPTILESReptiles are commonly disliked and often misunderstood. Chewonki’s hour-long Scales and Tales program will discuss the important role reptiles play in the natural world. With the help of live animals, real turtle shells, snake skins, skeletons and other reptilian artifacts, this program will hopefully give participants an opportunity to develop a respect for and a better understanding of these fascinating creatures.

Presented by:

TRAVELING NATURAL HISTORY PROGRAMS WISCASSET, ME

LOCATION: ______________________________________________ DATE: _________________________ TIME: ____________________


PRESS RELEASE

Date: Contact:

Chewonki presents “Scales and Tales”

What: Scales and Tales: A program for reptile enthusiasts When: Time: Where: Cost: Presenter: Many people conjure up images of slimy skin and toothy monsters when they hear the word “reptile”. One of Chewonki’s instructors will work to dispel some of those myths and fears in an engaging, hands-on program. During this presentation, participants will be allowed to see live reptiles and examine snake skin, turtle shells, skeletons, and other unique reptilian artifacts. Four of the five major groups of reptiles will be introduced by showing a live, non-releasable Corn Snake, Lizard, American Alligator, and a Turtle. In one short hour, the instructor will explain how reptiles are different from other animals and will guide the audience in comparing and contrasting reptilian adaptations for survival.


Vocabulary

Adaptation A behavior, physical feature, or other characteristic that helps an animal survive and make the most of its habitat. For example, reptiles have scaly skin that prevents them from drying out, and helps to protect them from predators.

Brille Clear skin or scale covering a snake’s eyes. Also known as a spectacle. Carapace The top part of a turtle shell. The plastron is the bottom shell. Constrictor A snake that suffocates its prey by coiling around it and preventing it from taking

a breath. Ectothermic “Cold-blooded” - not being able to internally maintain a constant body

temperature. An ectothermic animals’ temperature changes with that of their surroundings. Reptiles, fish, amphibians and all invertebrates are ectothermic.

Endothermic “Warm-blooded” – being able to maintain a constant body temperature,

independent of the outside temperature. Mammals and birds are endothermic. Herps The collective name given to reptiles and amphibians. Jacobson’s A structure in the top of the snake’s mouth that helps it “smell” its environment Organ (scent is picked up with the tongue). Nicitating A third eyelid that protects the eye while still allowing the animal to see. Membrane Found in crocodilians. Oviparous An animal that lays eggs. Viviparous is the opposite, meaning to have live birth. Reptile A cold-blooded, dry-skinned vertebrate that usually has scaly skin and typically

lays eggs on land. Lizards, turtles, crocodilians, snakes and tuataras are the five groups of reptiles.

Scales Thin, flat, horny plates, made of keratin, that form the skin of reptiles. Scutes An external horny plate or large scale (ie. the belly scales of a snake or the scales

on the carapace of a turtle). Tomium The cutting edge of the mouth of a turtle, similar to a bird’s beak. Tortoise A type of turtle which lives mainly on land. Venomous Having a gland(s) for secreting venom; able to inflict a poisoned bite, sting or

wound.

With Permission from NWF’s Nature Scope. Let’s Hear It For Herps! www.chewonki.org


Activity: Turtles Eat Alligators!

Purpose: An active game to test what students have learned about reptiles.

Setting: This can be played in the gym or outside. Since it involves running, be sure the area is clear of obstacles and boundaries are set.

Method:

1. Divide the class in two halves, and have them line up shoulder-to-shoulder facing each other. The two lines should be about six feet apart, one line will be the “turtles” the other will be the “gators”. Set a safety zone behind each line, where students can run to “safety”.

2. Instruct the students that you will ask a true / false question about reptiles. They must decide themselves

if the answer is true or false. If the answer is true, the alligators will chase and try to tag the turtles before they reach the safety zones. If the answer is false, the turtles will try to tag the alligators before they reach their safety zone.

3. There will be some running back and forth at first while the students come up with the correct answer. Let

them struggle and sort themselves out - that’s half the fun! (Encourage the students to tag one handed to prevent pushing). Anyone who is tagged becomes a member of the opposite team.

4. After each question, discuss the answer to make sure everyone understands why it is true or false. Have

the students line up again, and ask another question. The numbers in each line will change as the game progresses. You can alter the questions to keep the teams from becoming too large or small.

Sample Statements:

reptiles are slimy - false (they may look slimy because of smooth scales) reptiles are warm-blooded - false (they’re cold-blooded) some snakes eat eggs - true snakes are “ectothermic”- true (ectothermic means cold-blooded) the bottom of a turtle shell is called the plastron - true the scales on a snake’s belly are called skates - false (they’re scutes) some lizards eat elephants - false crocodiles give birth to live young - false all snakes are poisonous - false iguanas can lose their tail and grow a new one - true iguanas have teeth - true turtles have teeth - false alligators build compost pile-like nests for their eggs - true

Extensions: You can be as outrageous, or as factual, with your statements as you’d like. Get the students more involved by having them write a statement on a piece of paper, putting all the papers in a box, and drawing them out one at a time.


Alligator Name Tags

Photocopy this page and cut out the alligator nametags for your participants to wear! Nametags worn during the presentation will help to excite students about reptiles and make it easier for the presenters to involve the children by name.


Recommended Websites This list of recommended websites contains information pertaining to the program you have ordered. These websites are not associated

with the Chewonki Foundation and we are not responsible for the content or advertising found therein.

Animal Planet: http://animal.discovery.com/guides/reptiles/reptiles.html Notes: This website provides detailed information on various species of reptiles and is focused on caring for common herp pets.

Caribbean Conservation Corporation: http://www.cccturtle.org/sea-turtle-information.php

Notes: Caribbean Conservation Corporation and Sea Turtle Survival League provide sea turtle facts, educational activities and guidelines of what to do if you find a sea turtle. In the Cool Turtle Facts section, clicking the Turtle Tides link takes you to a kid-friendly page with games and facts.

Crocodilians Natural History & Conservation: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/cnhc.html

Notes: The Florida Museum of Natural History provides crocodilian information regarding species diversity and behavior. Best suited for older students and educators.

Kidzone, Snakes: http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/snakes/index.htm Notes: Activities, games and pictures for younger students all involving snakes. Puzzles, word

searches, coloring pages and snake anatomy activities. National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles.html

Notes: This site offers reptile facts, updates, and news for educators and older students. Yahoo! Kids Reptiles: http://kids.yahoo.com/animals/reptiles

Notes: Kid-friendly site offers a brief definition of reptiles and links to pictures and brief snippets of information about dozens of different species of reptiles.

Suggested Readings

Doeden, M. 2005. Rattlesnakes. Mankato, MN. Capstone Press. Notes: This book welcomes the young reader into the world of rattlesnakes. The reader will discover rattlesnake behavior, habitat, hunting techniques and much more.

George, William T. 1989. Box Turtle at Long Pond. New York. Greenwillow Books.

Notes: This is a beautifully illustrated storybook featuring a Box Turtle as he goes about his daily routine. Box Turtles can be found right here in Maine!

Jenkins, M. 1998. Chameleons Are Cool. Cambridge, MA. Candlewick Press.

Notes: Describes various chameleon species, their behavior, physical characteristics, and their ability to change color.

McCarthy, C. Eye Witness Books: Reptiles. London, England. Dorling Kindersley.

Notes: This book utilizes great animal photography to highlight interesting facts about earth’s reptiles. Polisar, Barry L. 1994. The Snake Who Was Afraid of People. Rainbow Morning Music. Notes: Early grade school storybook about a snake who is terrified of all things two-legged. Staub, F. 1995. Sea Turtles. Lerner Publications Company.

Notes: This easy to read book describes the behaviors of sea turtles and the challenges they will face throughout their lives.

Winner, Cherie 2004. Everything Reptile. NorthWord Books for Young Readers.

Notes: This book, for students aged nine to twelve, is a great question and answer resource that discusses some interesting facts about reptiles, such as what a rattlesnake’s rattle is made of.

86-tp scales tales

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