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| Dallas Zoological Society Partnership : Elementary Cold Blooded Animals |
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Topic Overview
Quick Facts
Most fish cannot swim backwards, but some can,
such as the eel.
Most fish swim in a horizontal position. The
only fish that can swim in vertical motion is the sea horse.
There are approximately 25 thousand known kinds
of fish.
The largest fish is the whale shark which grows
to more than 50 feet
and may weigh several tons.
The smallest fish is the goby and reaches only
half an inch long in adulthood.
The longevity span is wide; some smaller reef
fishes live only a few weeks, while other fish can live up to 50 years.
The word amphibian comes from the Greek word
amphibiaon, which means both water and land.
98% of the original 5.2 million kilometers of
streams in the continental United States
have been seriously affected by habitat invasion and/or destruction, causing a
drastic decline in amphibian populations.
There has been a 50% loss of the everglades
ecosystem by the early 1990s, furthering the decline of many species of
amphibians.
There are 8,240 species of reptiles in the
world, inhabiting every continent except Antarctica.
Only a few hundred of the world's 3,000 snakes
are venomous. In the United States,
only rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, and coral snakes are poisonous.
More Americans die each year from bee and wasp stings than from snake bites.
Some turtles and tortoises, including the
Eastern Box Turtle, can live for more than a century.
Komodo Dragons of Indonesia reach up to 10 feet in length, and can weigh 350 lbs.
Begin the Lesson
Fish, amphibians, and reptiles are three kingdoms of animals
that are each very unique. Body structures, behavior patterns, and lifestyles
range widely. These animals are keenly adept at adaptation. Development of fish
and amphibians is particularly fascinating with their complete physical
changes.
Whole Class Introduction to the
Lesson
You will need at least one
computer with Internet connectivity and a projection device, a classroom with
more than one computer, or access to a computer lab.� This introduction will take approximately 10
minutes to complete.
Introduce students to
the module by visiting the videos, “Funky Fish” http://www.ocean.com/mplayer/?ResourceID=101&page=9&URL=http%3A%2F%
�and
“PBS Nature: Snakes” http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/reptiles/media_players_green/snakes_lo.html.
Sample Questions:
Ask students what they know about fish,
amphibians, and reptiles.
Ask students to describe some of the animals
they saw, and how they are alike and different.
Ask students what questions they might have
about fish, amphibians, or reptiles, post these questions on a board for other
students to see. As students progress through the module, encourage them to
find the answers to these questions.
As part of the introduction, you
may want to review some of the glossary terms in advance of students going
online. At this point you can launch the WebLesson as whole-class activity
using a projection device, or you can assign students to work individually or
in teams in a computer lab.
WebLesson Sites
Introduction Think of the fish that you have seen. What colors are they? How do they move? Have you ever seen a frog at the edge of a pond? Have you noticed that frogs can move on land and in water? What about lizards and snakes; have you seen them outside or at the zoo?
Fish, amphibians, and reptiles are amazing animals. They can adapt to many different habitats. This means that they can live anywhere in the whole world. Fish live underwater and breathe with gills. Amphibians have very interesting lives. They are born underwater but then move to live on the land as they grow up. The frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders are incredible animals. Snakes and lizards are reptiles. They are quite clever. Many stories and legends include made-up reptiles such as the Loch Ness Monster and Godzilla. Scenario Your teacher has asked you to make and take care of a mini zoo in your classroom. She would like one fish, one amphibian, and one reptile. First, you will need to learn more about these amazing animals.
Lesson Pages
Conclusion & Project
Conclusion Fish, amphibians, and reptiles group of animals. They can adapt to live in many different environments. They are important and valuable members of the world. Fish include the classic types of fish we see in ponds and aquariums, but sharks and stingrays are also fish. Frogs, salamanders, and newts begin life in the water as tiny eggs and then grow legs and move on to the land. Reptiles are rough-skinned creatures. Lizards, crocodiles, snakes, and turtles are all reptiles.
Project Describe one fish, one amphibian, and one reptile that you could keep in your classroom. Be sure to explain what they look like and what you would need to feed them. Also, describe what else you would put in their tanks.
Glossary
cartilage - tough, elastic, connective tissue found in various parts of the body
species - basic category of animal classification, ranking below a genus and kingdom
caudal fin - tail fin
pectoral fins - paired fins found on the sides of the fish near the front, used to maneuver, the swimming fins
pelvic fins - pair of fins located on the underside of the body, often underneath the pectoral fins
population - the number of any species alive
habitat - where a species lives
adaptive - an animal that is able to change in order to survive various environmental conditions
vocal - voice that produces songs
anatomy - body structure of an animal
vertebrate - animals that have a backbone
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