Preschool – Lower Elementary Reptile Unit

This is the third in a unit series on animals. This unit was harder to put together and I still feel it’s incomplete. We had all of the holidays take place during this unit, so it seems disjointed. But maybe you can find a few things to supplement your lessons. We will be learning about mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles with about four-six weeks per animal type. I started out wanting to study animals that we find around the house…and we did. But then I couldn’t help myself but add more fun, intriguing animals!

The objectives come from the Core Knowledge Series-kindergarten and first grade.

Writing Journal

OBJECTIVES:

• Animals, like plants, need food, water, and space to live and grow.
• Plants make their own food, but animals get food from eating plants or other living things.
• Offspring are very much (but not exactly) like their parents.
• Most animal babies need to be fed and cared for by their parents; human babies are
especially in need of care when young.
• Pets have special needs and must be cared for by their owners.
• Living things live in environments to which they are particularly suited.
• Specific habitats and what lives there, for example:
Desert [cactus, lizard, scorpion]
• The food chain: a way of picturing the relationships between living things
Animals: big animals eat little ones, big animals die and are eaten by little ones.
• Extinct animals (for example, dinosaurs)

ACTIVITIES:

1. Writing journal – I chose 5-6 reptiles to read about and then RB wrote 2 sentences telling what he learned about the animal. Sweet Cheeks decided she wanted to start a journal as well.

2. Zoo/Aquarium – We were at the right place at the right time when we visited the aquarium. The kids got to touch a baby alligator! But most zoos have a reptile room.

3. Read BOOKS – We did a lot of this. With it being winter, there were no reptiles out and about to observe even though we did discuss skinks and why Mama doesn’t care for them much.

4. 10 Reptile Study Ideas and a FREE Reptile Printable

LAPBOOKS-NOTEBOOKING:

http://lapbooklessons.ning.com/notes/Reptiles
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/snakes.php
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/lizard_animal_study.php
http://www.squidoo.com/reptiles-amphibians-lessons-worksheets-lapbooks
http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/lapbooks/alligator.shtml

WEBSITES:

The Flash creating his lizard.

http://www.prontolessons.com/reptiles.html
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/kidscorner3.htm
http://eclectichomeschool.org/departments/units/unit.asp?araticleid=258&resourceid=108&unitid=11&r=0&t=599
http://homeschoolblogger.com/eclecticeducation/311563/
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/animal_and_nature_games/reptile_games
http://www.hellokids.com/t_7222/chameleon
http://www.easyfunschool.com/article2203.html

Videos:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/animals-pets-kids/reptiles-kids/chameleon-babies-kids/
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/reptiles-animals/lizards/deadliest-jesus-christ-lizard/

ART PROJECTS:
http://deannasstuff.blogspot.com/2009/07/kids-crafts-lizard-climber.html

BOOKS:

Sweet Cheeks made a turtle. Then the reptiles moved up and down anything they could attach to!

General Information-
Lizards by Brenda Lewis
Lizards Weird and Wonderful by Margery Facklam
Reptile a DK eye know book
Alligators and Crocodiles by Trudi Trueit
Fun Facts about Turtles by Carmen Bredeson
Reptiles by Lynn Stone
Dinosaurs! by Gail Gibbons
Fun Facts about Lizards by Carmen Bredeson
Fun Facts about Snakes by Carmen Bredeson
Fossils Tell of Long Ago by Aliki
Boy, Were We Wrong About the Dinosaurs! by Kathleen Kudlinski
Snakes a DK Readers book
Amazing Crocodiles & Reptiles by Mary Ling
In the Time of the Dinosaurs by Joanna Cole
The Turtle by Yvette Metral
Turtles, Toads, and Frogs by George Fichter
Reptiles by DK Eyewonder book

Fiction-
Rockin’ Reptiles by Stephanie Calmenson and Joanna Cole
Reptiles Are My Life by Megan McDonald
Red Red Red by Valeri Gorbachev
Heron and Turtle by Valeri Gorbachev

More will be added as I cycle through this topic again in the coming years.

What other reptiles activities are there?