Hands-On Snails
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CLASS 1:
Materials needed: paper, non toxic markers or pencil crayons, magnifying glasses, anatomy printouts to give them, more detailed anatomy printout to have handy for older children, Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock (link to cheap e-book version), Large Glass container to view snails through, bright light, Device or computer to view videos. Most of this I already have.
- Introduction of what we will be doing
- Disclaimer about how we treat animals and the snails
- Warn kids what harms snails - salt, chemicals
- Show the kids how we wake them up and about nocturnal animals versus diurnal
- Tell what kind of animal they are - invertebrate, mollusk, gastropod
- Hand each child a snail from the aquarium after wetting each one to wake them up. Talk about how they wake and point out the breathing hole, then the foot, then the eyes and tentacles.
- Hand out the anatomy charts and place out the more detailed one for anyone interested in looking more closely
- Go through the questions on Lesson 106 of the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock to help the kids explore the snails in detail
- hand out thin, organic slices of apple or organic greens for each student to feed to their snail.
- rub an apple all over the glass container and stick a snail on it to give a good view of the mouth
- discuss some of the internal parts and view the snails through a bright light to try and locate the heart or to view them eating on the inside.
- Discuss how many kinds of snails there are and how scientists don't know for sure - into the thousands
- Read from printouts I found to let kids know how long they live for and how they hibernate or their protection -
Snail-World, BBC Nature - Garden Snails,
Wide-Screen Archive - Garden Snails,
- Note about Snails Farms - How to
- Can mention how they reproduce and can show pictures of eggs and of snails mating (on my instagram)
- Discuss Snail reputation if the questions come up (if not it can be saved for the next class) - invasive snails, crop invasion, stucco eating snails in Florida etc...
- If have time... mention Snail shape and Fibonacci - show Fibonacci
- If have time do Snail Track Activity on paper - How Stuff Works - Snail Activities
- If Class drags at end watch these two music videos: Snails Pace - song and Snails - music video
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CLASS 2:
Materials needed: Chalk for Snail hop-scotch, Bristol board with large circle around outside and small circle centered in it for snail race. Printed numbers from this SITE, tape or glue, snail food, materials needed for anything not finished from previous class. I can provide most of this.
- Review of previous class by doing Trivia, Snail Hopscotch. (make up easy questions for smaller kids). Questions can be found HERE
- If I don't get through all of the questions, finish them in class before proceeding with next activity
- Do activities from previous class that didn't get done (if any)
- Show this movie to wind up for next activity - Nascar Snails
- Snail Races - Two sites to use: How to Host a Snail Race, Snail Racing Kit
- Try races with different sized snails
- Try races in straight line (if have time)
- Try races with food or trying to control where your snail goes
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CLASS 3:
Materials Needed: Large printouts of pictures of Ontario's invasive snails to pass around, computer if needed or any needed printouts to read. I can provide most of this.
- Invasive Snails of Ontario
- If have time go over Snails going extinct and 10 Endangered Snails from around the World
- Snail experiment: What are snails attracted to - How Stuff Works - Snail Activities
- Fibonacci review, PRINTOUT, and MOVIE.
- if have time count spirals on SUNFLOWER and other natural items (pine cones, pineapple, etc)
- kids can draw spirals or other things from video on Fibonacci
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CLASS 4:
Materials Needed: Clay pots, Acrylic paint, computer, Printouts of pages to read if don't want to read from computer. I can provide most of this.
- Do activities from previous class if didn't cover.
- Show the 10 Most Talented Snails in the World
- Make a Snail House - How Stuff Works - Snail Activities
- Read about Snails in Space
- Read about Snails reveal travels of Ancient Human Migrations
- Read Snails survive in poo
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Other subjects to pull from if need to fill time:
Macroworlds - The Secret Life of a snail,
Tiny Snail - Story book
Snail History
Deadliest Zombie Snails (Warning: This could be disturbing to sensitive or young viewers)
Thoughts on Evolution and the Snail
Snail Lesson Plan
Fibonacci 2 of 3
Fibonacci 3 of 3
Fibonacci - To Nic Re. Sponge Bob Pineapple
More on some snails found around the world:
Clusterwink
Scaily Foot
Croatian Cave Snail
Japanese White Eye Snail
Ocean Acidification
Cone Snail
Deadly Cone Snails
CLASS 1:
Materials needed: paper, non toxic markers or pencil crayons, magnifying glasses, anatomy printouts to give them, more detailed anatomy printout to have handy for older children, Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock (link to cheap e-book version), Large Glass container to view snails through, bright light, Device or computer to view videos. Most of this I already have.
- Introduction of what we will be doing
- Disclaimer about how we treat animals and the snails
- Warn kids what harms snails - salt, chemicals
- Show the kids how we wake them up and about nocturnal animals versus diurnal
- Tell what kind of animal they are - invertebrate, mollusk, gastropod
- Hand each child a snail from the aquarium after wetting each one to wake them up. Talk about how they wake and point out the breathing hole, then the foot, then the eyes and tentacles.
- Hand out the anatomy charts and place out the more detailed one for anyone interested in looking more closely
- Go through the questions on Lesson 106 of the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock to help the kids explore the snails in detail
- hand out thin, organic slices of apple or organic greens for each student to feed to their snail.
- rub an apple all over the glass container and stick a snail on it to give a good view of the mouth
- discuss some of the internal parts and view the snails through a bright light to try and locate the heart or to view them eating on the inside.
- Discuss how many kinds of snails there are and how scientists don't know for sure - into the thousands
- Read from printouts I found to let kids know how long they live for and how they hibernate or their protection -
Snail-World, BBC Nature - Garden Snails,
Wide-Screen Archive - Garden Snails,
- Note about Snails Farms - How to
- Can mention how they reproduce and can show pictures of eggs and of snails mating (on my instagram)
- Discuss Snail reputation if the questions come up (if not it can be saved for the next class) - invasive snails, crop invasion, stucco eating snails in Florida etc...
- If have time... mention Snail shape and Fibonacci - show Fibonacci
- If have time do Snail Track Activity on paper - How Stuff Works - Snail Activities
- If Class drags at end watch these two music videos: Snails Pace - song and Snails - music video
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS 2:
Materials needed: Chalk for Snail hop-scotch, Bristol board with large circle around outside and small circle centered in it for snail race. Printed numbers from this SITE, tape or glue, snail food, materials needed for anything not finished from previous class. I can provide most of this.
- Review of previous class by doing Trivia, Snail Hopscotch. (make up easy questions for smaller kids). Questions can be found HERE
- If I don't get through all of the questions, finish them in class before proceeding with next activity
- Do activities from previous class that didn't get done (if any)
- Show this movie to wind up for next activity - Nascar Snails
- Snail Races - Two sites to use: How to Host a Snail Race, Snail Racing Kit
- Try races with different sized snails
- Try races in straight line (if have time)
- Try races with food or trying to control where your snail goes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS 3:
Materials Needed: Large printouts of pictures of Ontario's invasive snails to pass around, computer if needed or any needed printouts to read. I can provide most of this.
- Invasive Snails of Ontario
- If have time go over Snails going extinct and 10 Endangered Snails from around the World
- Snail experiment: What are snails attracted to - How Stuff Works - Snail Activities
- Fibonacci review, PRINTOUT, and MOVIE.
- if have time count spirals on SUNFLOWER and other natural items (pine cones, pineapple, etc)
- kids can draw spirals or other things from video on Fibonacci
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS 4:
Materials Needed: Clay pots, Acrylic paint, computer, Printouts of pages to read if don't want to read from computer. I can provide most of this.
- Do activities from previous class if didn't cover.
- Show the 10 Most Talented Snails in the World
- Make a Snail House - How Stuff Works - Snail Activities
- Read about Snails in Space
- Read about Snails reveal travels of Ancient Human Migrations
- Read Snails survive in poo
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other subjects to pull from if need to fill time:
Macroworlds - The Secret Life of a snail,
Tiny Snail - Story book
Snail History
Deadliest Zombie Snails (Warning: This could be disturbing to sensitive or young viewers)
Thoughts on Evolution and the Snail
Snail Lesson Plan
Fibonacci 2 of 3
Fibonacci 3 of 3
Fibonacci - To Nic Re. Sponge Bob Pineapple
More on some snails found around the world:
Clusterwink
Scaily Foot
Croatian Cave Snail
Japanese White Eye Snail
Ocean Acidification
Cone Snail
Deadly Cone Snails