Amphibians, Reptiles, and Fish (Cold-blooded Vertebrates) Lesson Plan
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Zoology Unit: Cold-blooded Vertebrates: Fish, Amphibians, & Reptiles (Week 3 of 5)
My lessons are geared toward 3rd-4th grade level children and their siblings. These are lessons I created to do with a weekly homeschool co-op. We meet each week for 2 ½ hours and have 11 children between the ages of 0-13. Even if you're not meeting with a co-op, you can still use these fun lessons with your family or classroom!
If you'd like more information on how you can start your own homeschool co-op or if you're curious how I operate my co-op, check out my lens: How to Start a Homeschool Co-op.
Introduction, Review, & Fish Overview
*If you have fish, amphibian, and/or reptile specimens you could share with us, please bring them.* 1. Stretch. Pray.
2. Review classification. Sing first verse of "Six Kingdoms" & "Invertebrates" songs from previous lessons.
3. Read about 10 plagues using some of "Exodus from Egypt" by Mary Auld.
4. Quickly discuss the differences between endothermic & ectothermic (warm-blooded & cold-blooded) animals.
5. Read most of "Fish: Finned and Gilled Animals" by Suzanne Slade. While reading, have children open and close their mouths repeatedly to get air, just like the fish do. Briefly mention mouth brooders and have children each hold a handful of "eggs" (jellybeans) in their mouths without biting or swallowing them just like mouth brooders carry eggs in their mouths.
MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: a bag of jellybeans (at least 100 jellybeans)
Fish Bladders
6. Demonstrate how fish bladders work. God designed fish to have a swim bladder that fills with air when they want to rise in the water, and it lets all the air out when they want to sink in the water. Demonstrate using a balloon and a large bowl of water. Blow up the balloon, and show how the filled "swim bladder" lifts the "fish" up near the surface of the water. Let the air out to show how that allows the fish to sink lower. The air is lighter than water, so it helps the fish to rise when the swim bladder is full. People have used a similar design in submarines.MOM 2: YOU WILL NEED: a balloon (not inflated) & a bowl of water
Fish Anatomy and Dissection
7. If you have one, watch a fish swim. Talk about its fins. Discuss the anatomy of a fish.8. Dissect fish & review main character traits of a fish. Refer to this fish dissection lesson plan and/or this fish dissection lesson plan to provide you with procedures and questions to ask as you dissect the fish.
MOM 3: YOU WILL NEED: 10 extra-small & 3 medium sized pairs of disposable gloves & any sharp cutting tools (sharp kitchen shears work well), 3 hard, disposable plates, and 3 fish (We got ours frozen & ungutted from an Asian market.)
Want to Avoid an Animal Dissection?
4D Vision Great White Shark Anatomy Model
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 05/27/2012)
Try out the 4D model. This 13" long 4D Great White Shark model contains 20 detachable organs and body parts. It's very sturdy. Also look for the 4D model of a frog!
Or Make an Edible Fish
(If you want to avoid dissecting a real fish, try making one out of rice krispies and frosting as done by Applie.) Fish Scales
9. As children finish washing their hands, let them look at fish scale under a microscope and count how old the fish is. Just like trees, fish scales grow a circle for each year a fish is alive. Honestly, we couldn't see any circles on the scales we looked at. I guess we needed a more powerful microscope or a larger fish. It was still neat to see the scale under the microscope anyway, though.MOM 2: YOU WILL NEED: a microscope and microscope slide
The Voyage Beyond (Jonathan Park Radio Drama)
Amazon Price: $15.88 (as of 05/27/2012)
My entire family loves this extremely well-done Christian audio drama. We own the entire series and have listened to them numerous times. In this volume Jonathan Park and his family explore the depths of the ocean and see the marvelous designs of our Creator in the fish of the ocean and many other unique sea creatures...amidst the many exciting twists and turns in the face-paced plot.
Scales vs. Slime
10. Introduce herpetology: the study of reptiles and amphibians.11. Scales vs. Slime: Let children touch a piece of clay with rows of shelled sunflower seeds stuck in it and a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with thin layer of non-stick cooking spray. Have children describe how each feels. Which do you they think represents the reptile skin? The amphibian skin? Do let them know this is a generalization because some toads have dry, rough skin & some geckos have smooth skin with inconspicuous scales. (Activity is from "Let's Hear It For Herps!" from the Ranger Rick's NatureScope series.)
MOM 4: YOU WILL NEED: a small plate with a piece of clay with rows of shelled sunflower seeds stuck in it and a small plate with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with thin layer of non-stick cooking spray
Let's Hear It for Herps!
Amazon Price: $50.99 (as of 05/27/2012)
Used Price: $1.90
This series has wonderful activity ideas!
Amphibian vs. Reptile Eggs
12. Let children touch some tapioca that's been sprinkled in a small bowl filled with boiling water and touch a few grapes laid on sand or dirt in a bowl. Have the children describe some of the differences between them. Which do you think reps reptile eggs? Amphibian eggs? Amphibian eggs don't have shells, so they do not have much protection from drying out. Reptile eggs stay moist because they are laid in water or near moist areas on land. They're firm but not brittle (like bird eggs). Retile eggs can vary. Turtle eggs are round with a smooth shell. Snake eggs are oval & leathery. Most amphibians and reptiles lay eggs, but some do bear live young. (Activity is from "Let's Hear It For Herps!" from the Ranger Rick's NatureScope series.)MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: a small bowl with some tapioca that's been sprinkled in a container filled with water and a bowl with a few grapes laid on sand or dirt
Amphibians
13. Read most of "Amphibians: Water-to-Land Animals" by Laura Purdie Salas. When it talks about amphibians' tongues being connected at the front of their mouths, have the children stick out their tongues and see where theirs is connected. Observe the person's tongue next to you to see where their tongue is connected. Ask, "Why do you think God created amphibians' tongues to be connected at the front instead of the back?"14. Quickly look at pictures in "Amphibian" by Barry Clarke. It includes pictures of fossilized amphibians. It says they're millions of years old, but they're really just great evidence of the flood during the time of Noah.
15. (Optional) If you have them, let children pet a frog and pass around a preserved toad.
16. Make an origami jumping frog. Use these directions or any other you prefer.
MOM 2: YOU WILL NEED: 10 pieces of paper & 1 pre-made model
17. (If you have extra time) Read "Growing Frogs" by Vivian French.
Snake Skin
18. (Optional) Pass around a snake skin and ask what we'll study next. Point out the difference between the upper scales and lower scales. Ask why they think God made them that way. (The design of the lower scale allows them to climb and move. The upper scales are like armor to protect it from predators.)MOM 3: YOU WILL NEED: snake skin
Reptile Overview
19. Read most of "Reptiles: Scaly-skinned Animals" by Laura Purdie Salas. While reading:-Tell children that gecko lizards can clean their eyeballs with their tongues. Ask them what they can reach with their tongues.
-Mention that snakes shed their skin by rubbing their bodies against rocks or other surfaces. First give them a small amount of Elmer's glue on the backs of their hands and have them rub it around to make a thin layer. Let it dry.
-While glue is drying, have children try to take off their sock without using their hands. They can rub their foot along the carpet.
MOM 4: YOU WILL NEED: extra children's socks and Elmer's glue
20. Quickly look through some of the pictures in "Eyewitness: Reptile" by: Colin McCarthy. Again, fossilized reptiles are not millions of years old. They're really just great evidence of the flood during the time of Noah.
Reptiles and Review
21. (Optional) Let children observe, pet, and discuss more about lizards. (We used anole and fence lizards that one family caught for the day. They wore gloves when handling them since they do nip occasionally.)22. Sing "Cold-blooded Vertebrae" song. (Tune: When Johnny Comes Marching Home) from From "Lyrical Life Science Volume 1"
MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: words to the song printed out
23. Review what we learned.
Lyrical Life Science-volume 1
Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 05/27/2012)
Used Price: $17.94
A CD of well-composed songs with original lyrics to well-known tunes teach biology in a fun way. The CD can be accompanied by a well-written book with line drawings and much more information of all the animals by classes and orders. This volume covers "bacteria to birds": the scientific method, characteristics of all living things, vascular plants, algae, fungi and non vascular plants, invertebrates, coldblooded vertebrates, birds, and several types of microscopic organisms.
Lapbook Homework
Homework:Below are the lapbook pages you can print out and have your child complete to review the information we learned at co-op. Children will be able to show off their completed lapbooks at our co-op dinner. Feel free to add more or less that the below links.
Basic sheets:
Fish
Amphibians
Reptiles
Extras:
Fish Life Cycle
Fish Lapbook
Frog Lapbook
Amphibian Lapbook Links
Many Reptile & Amphibian Lapbook Links
Reptile Lapbook Links
Reptile Classification
Other Great Books We Read
These are some of the favorite books I read with my children but we didn't use during co-op.
Lessons in My Animal Classification Unit
Konos Curriculum
Would you like to teach this way every day?
Konos CurriculumI use Konos Curriculum as a springboard from which to plan my lessons. It's a wonderful curriculum and was created by moms with active boys!
Konos Home School Mentor
If you're new to homeschooling or in need of some fresh guidance, I highly recommend Konos' HomeSchoolMentor.com program! Watch videos on-line of what to do each day and how to teach it in this great hands-on format!
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Which Is Your Favorite Reptile or Amphibian and Why?
Or just leave me a note. I love getting feedback from you!
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cffutah
Nov 14, 2011 @ 9:36 pm | delete
- enjoyed your lens tonight, thank you for sharing, blessed and liked.
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JoyfulPamela
Mar 31, 2011 @ 8:27 am | delete
- Very cool ideas! Adding this to our reptile / amphibian lens for our future studies. Thanks! =D
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Sarah
Mar 15, 2011 @ 6:01 am | delete
- Great job, Shannon!
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by iijuan12
I was an 8th Grade American History teacher and now I am a homeschooling mom of 5. I love finding activities that appeal to kinestic learners, storybo... more »
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Exploring Creation With Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day
Amazon Price: $29.40 (as of 05/28/2012)
If you're looking for a textbook to go along with this unit, I highly recommend this series. It is written in a narrative format and is written from a Christian perspective. Volume 2 will include sea turtles and fish. Volume 3 includes reptiles.
Let's Hear It for Herps!
Amazon Price: $50.99 (as of 05/27/2012)
This is an excellent resource with 96 pages full of great activities and printables. I love this series!
Eagle's Wings Considering God's Creation (A Creative Biblical Approach to Natural Science)
Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 05/27/2012)
This contains a number of helpful printables and is from a Christian perspective. I use this book quite a bit whenever we study something in nature. It's an excellent resource! I think every family with elementary-aged children should own this and use it!
