Assignment 2 - Virtual Field Trip of Snakes

Kelli Murphy

Topic: Snakes

Overall Lesson
Students will go on a virtual tour to find out more about snakes by going to the
following website: http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/snakes/index.htm.
Students will go on a scavenger hunt and will complete a Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
with the information they find on the website.
Students will also do a group project where they will design a drug made from snake
venom and will give a group presentation before the class.

Grade Level: 4-6

Lesson Objectives:
Students will use the knowledge of the internet to access this website:
http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/snakes/index.htm.
Students will compare and contrast the different habitat of snakes.
Students will identify the different methods for how snakes move.
Students will analyze the basic anatomy of snakes.
Students will design a pill for human use that is made from snake venom.

Common Core Standards: (click on hyperlinks below)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.9
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.2

Materials and Equipment:
Computer with Internet Access
Pencils, pens, paper
Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
Poster board and markers (if necessary)

Implement the Lesson:

1. Set:
Teacher will ask the students if they have ever seen a snake. What did the snake look like?
Was the snake venomous or non-venomous? The teacher will ask the students about the uses
of snake venom in creating medicine.

2. Making the Content Comprehensible:
The teacher will explain what a scavenger hunt is and pass out the scavenger hunt
worksheet. The teacher will go over the section headings of the scavenger hunt worksheet
so that the students will get an idea of the information they will need to find. The students
will need to complete all 25 questions on the worksheet.
The teacher will divide the class into groups of three. The teacher will give an example of
how snake venom has been used in medicines to cure people with certain diseases. The
teacher will give the following guidelines for the group project:
o Create a name for the medicine
o Design what the medicine will look like (e.g., color, shape, size)
o Give the name of the snake whose venom was used
o Determine what the medicine will cure
o Determine who will use the medicine
o Determine how much the medicine would cost to buy at a pharmacy
The students will be given the choice to present their imaginary medicine in front of the
class through a Power Point presentation or by using a poster board.

3. Guided Practice:
The teacher will show the students how to get to the snake website
(http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/snakes/index.htm ). The teacher will also show the students
how to find the answers for the Scavenger Hunt Worksheet by clicking on the Snakes Facts
button. The teacher will answer the first question on the worksheet with the class.
The teacher will create a medicine made from snake venom and present his/her idea to the
class. The teacher will follow the guidelines for the project outlined in the section above.

4. Independent Practice:
Students will navigate through the virtual field trip alone or in groups of 3 and complete the
scavenger hunt worksheet.
Students will get into groups of 3 and create their own medicine made from snake venom.

5. Checking for Understanding:
The teacher will go around the room and listen to student discussion as they answer questions
and make notes. Ask them specific questions about the concepts learned as a class.

6. Closure:
At the end of the lesson, the teacher will ask the different students in the classroom to
demonstrate their knowledge of snakes.

7. Assessment:
Students will need to complete the scavenger hunt worksheet with 90% accuracy.
For the group project, students will give an oral presentation or use a poster board to show
the medicine they designed. Students will be scored based on a presentation rubric.


SNAKE SCAVENGER HUNT

Complete the worksheet below by filling in the blanks and answering the questions.
Snakes are Reptiles
1. Reptiles are _________ animals that raise their body temperature by lying in the sun or
lower it by crawling into the shade.
2. Their body temperature _________ to the temperature of its surroundings.
3. How many species of snakes are in the world?
Suit of Armor
4. Without the protective armor of scales, snakes would not be able to do what?
5. Scales are made up of layers of ______________________________.
6. Do snakes have eyelids?
Body of a Snake
7. Humans have approximately ___ vertebrae and ___ ribs. Snakes have between ________
vertebrae with as many ribs attached!
8. The _________ of the snake takes up the front one-third of the body. It leads to a really long
_________, which, like the throat, will _______________ of whatever the snake is eating.
How Snakes Move
9. List the 4 different methods that snakes move around:
Jaws!
10. The jaws of the snakes are_________________. That means that unlike our jaws, snake
jaws are____________________________________.
Fangs!
11. What are fangs and what are they connected to?
12. How is venom used in many countries?
It Makes Sense
13. Snakes use their senses to __________________________.
14. Snakes can absorb __________ through the ground and determine the _______ of the prey
or danger by its ____________.
Mmm-YUMMY!
15. Snakes are carnivores, which means ________________________________.
16. Most snakes live off of what?
17. All snakes swallow their food _______. While they do have teeth, the teeth are made for
_______________________________, not chewing.
18. Moving the food through the throat into the stomach can take how long?
Hey Baby!
19. Which snakes give birth to live young?
20. What are snake eggs like?
21. Snakes will reproduce, or give birth, ______________________.
Predators
22. Snakes fall prey to what other kinds of animals?
23. One of the biggest threats to the snake population, the same as with many other animals, is
the _______________________________.
Pit Vipers
24. What is the pit and what does it sense?
25. List several examples of pit vipers.















**Answer Key**
SNAKE SCAVENGER HUNT

Snakes are Reptiles
1. cold-blooded
2. changes
3. 2,900 species
Suit of Armor
4. Without this protective armor snakes could not move over rough or hot surfaces like tree
bark, rocks, and hot desert sand.
5. Scales are made up of layers of cells stacked one on top of the other.
6. No, snakes do not have eyelids
Body of a Snake
7. Humans have approximately 33 vertebrae and 24 ribs. Snakes have between 200-400
vertebrae with as many ribs attached!
8. The throat of the snake takes up the front one-third of the body. It leads to a really long
stomach, which, like the throat, will stretch to the size of whatever the snake is eating.
How Snakes Move
9. Serpentine method, Concertina method, Sidewinding method, Rectilinear Method
Jaws!
10. The jaws of the snakes are not fused together. That means that unlike our jaws, snake jaws
are not connected at the back of their mouths.
Fangs!
11. Fangs are sharp, long, hollow or grooved teeth that are connected to a small sac in the
snakes head behind its eyes. These sacs produce a poisonous liquid called venom.
12. In many countries, venomous snakes are caught and their venom is milked from their
fangs by squeezing the venom sac and forcing the release of the poison. This venom is then
used to create a medicine called antivenom (or antivenin) that is used to save the lives of
people bitten by snakes.
It Makes Sense
13. Snakes use their senses to hunt, escape danger, and to find a mate.
14. Snakes can absorb vibrations through the ground and determine the size of the prey or
danger by its movements.
Mmm-YUMMY!
15. Snakes are carnivores, which means they will eat only meat including each other.
16. Most snakes live off of insects, rodents, birds, eggs, fish, frogs, lizards and small mammals.
17. All snakes swallow their food whole. While they do have teeth, the teeth are made for
grabbing, hooking and holding their prey, not chewing.
18. Moving the food through the throat into the stomach can take 10 minutes to an hour,
depending on the size of the animal they are eating.
Hey Baby!
19. Some snakes, such as boas, rattlesnakes and garter snakes, give birth to live young.
20. Snake eggs are not hard like chicken eggs; they are kind of leathery and can be torn by the
baby snakes with their egg tooth.
21. Snakes will reproduce, or give birth, once a year to every 3 years.
Predators
22. Large birds, wild boars, mongooses, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and even other snakes are a
few of the dangers snakes fall prey to.
23. One of the biggest threats to the snake population, the same as with many other animals, is
the destruction of their habitats by humans.
Pit Vipers
24. The pit is a special organ in between the eyes and the nostrils. The pit senses body heat
from animals and gives the snake a picture of that animal.
25. All rattlesnakes are Pit Vipers. Water Moccasins, Horned Desert Viper, Lance-head, Eyelash
Viper, and the Copperhead are a few other examples of pit vipers.





Multimedia Project : Medicine Made from Snake Venom





Teacher Name: Kelli Murphy



Student Name: ________________________________________


CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Presentation Well-rehearsed
with smooth
delivery that holds
audience
attention.
Rehearsed with
fairly smooth
delivery that holds
audience attention
most of the time.
Delivery not
smooth, but able
to maintain
interest of the
audience most of
the time.
Delivery not
smooth and
audience attention
often lost.
Attractiveness Makes excellent
use of font, color,
graphics, effects,
etc. to enhance the
presentation.
Makes good use of
font, color,
graphics, effects,
etc. to enhance to
presentation.
Makes use of font,
color, graphics,
effects, etc. but
occasionally these
detract from the
presentation
content.
Use of font, color,
graphics, effects
etc. but these
often distract from
the presentaion
content.
Content Covers topic in-
depth with details
and examples.
Subject knowledge
is excellent.
Includes essential
knowledge about
the topic. Subject
knowledge appears
to be good.
Includes essential
information about
the topic but there
are 1-2 factual
errors.
Content is minimal
OR there are
several factual
errors.
Originality Product shows a
large amount of
original thought.
Ideas are creative
and inventive.
Product shows
some original
thought. Work
shows new ideas
and insights.
Uses other
people\'s ideas
(giving them
credit), but there is
little evidence of
original thinking.
Uses other
people\'s ideas,
but does not give
them credit.
Workload The workload is
divided and shared
equally by all team
members.
The workload is
divided and shared
fairly by all team
members, though
workloads may
vary from person
to person.
The workload was
divided, but one
person in the
group is viewed as
not doing his/her
fair share of the
work.
The workload was
not divided OR
several people in
the group are
viewed as not
doing their fair
share of the work.