TOPIC: Reptiles

TARGET AGE LEVEL: 5th Grade, one class period

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of the lesson, students will be able to:
    1. Describe the main characteristics of reptiles.
    2. List the four main groups of reptiles.
    3. Identify the largest group of reptiles.

CONCEPTS/STANDARDS ADDRESSED:
    SCIENCE: describe, list, Identify

MATERIALS:
    Textbook
    Reptiles and Amphibians Worksheet
    Reptile cutouts
    2001 Book of Guiness Records

MOTIVATOR/ANTICIPATORY SET: The teacher starts out by reading some startling facts about the longest, shortest, and heaviest snakes ever recorded. This will lead to discoving previous knowledge students have.

PROCEDURE/KEY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
    1. Have the students volunteer to read the beginning of the chapter, which discusses the main characterictics of reptiles. List the main characterictics on the board. (cold-blooded, breathe through lungs, have dry, scaly skin, lay eggs on land, most live on land)
    2. have students compare reptiles to amphibians. Have students name the four main groups of reptiles (alligators and crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and turtles).
    3. By looking at the illustrations of the crocodile and alligator in the book, have students compare the drawings and then read about how to tell the two apart (crocodiles have more slender snouts, alligators are gray and black while crocodiles are green and gray).
    4. Continue reading about crocodiles and alligators and compare sizes and other differences and similarities.
    5. The next category is snakes. Discuss the characteristics of snakes (no legs, bodies covered with scales, swallow food whole). Read about the unique way that snakes have to eat their food (separate lower jaw and smallow food whole). This is an amazing fact about snakes and will spark some discussion.
    6. The next group are lizards. Compare the lizards to the snakes (lizards have legs, tails, and claws; snakes do not).
    7. The last group are turtles. Read and discuss the unique characteristics of turtles (have shells).

CLOSURE: Ask the lesson opening question: what are the main characteristics of reptiles? Name the four main groups of reptiles.

ASSESSMENT: The studetns will be assessed on their participation in class discussions, and their completion of the homework sheet.