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Melissa Kaplan
by Melissa Kaplan
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Education
is serious business. Whether the ones teaching are teachers in a school or other
educational setting, or parents homeschooling or otherwise interacting with their
children, educating our children is the most important thing we do. But
that doesn't mean learning - and teaching - can't be fun. With that in mind, on
this page you will find links to articles, lists and resources, most relating
to reptiles or amphibians. They are presented with the hope that they will put
some fun into your learning and teaching. Reptiles
as Pets
So, you think you want a reptile?
Key Considerations in Selecting Reptiles
Holiday
Gifting
Herps
as Gifts
Wild, Exotic
Animals Kept as Pets Raise Risk of Disease, Injury
Ideas
for National Pet Week in the Classroom
More...
Reptiles
In The Classroom
As a freelance educator, I frequently go into
classrooms to present hands-on lectures about reptiles. This, in addition to the
calls and e-mail I get from parents, students and teachers, has given me the opportunity
to see how reptiles are kept in classrooms. And, I must say, on the whole, it
isn't very good. Teachers are just as likely to get the incorrect information
and not have the right, or even necessary, equipment, for the animals they keep.
My concern and experiences in this area led me to do my master's thesis on classroom
reptiles. If you are thinking about keeping one or more reptiles in your classroom,
please read about the Special Needs of Classroom Reptiles
Please access the caresheets available through my site to learn how to properly
set up and care for the reptiles and amphibians you may have. Make use of your
local herpetological society - many have outreach programs and even if they don't,
they should be able to provide you with care information. If you don't know of
any in your state, let me know where you live and I will send you what herp society
and reptile veterinarian information I have. Herp society and veterinarian listings
are available for many states and other countries at my Herp
Societies page. Looking
for my Beastly Garden of Wordy Delights? Looking
for coloring pages? Not
Just Herps
Why
do you want to get rid of your pet? Is it because someone in the family is allergic
to it? Or has it just become inconveniet? Keeping in mind that the majority of
pet species are sentient, intelligent enough to learn your routines as well as
their own, recognize people, have specific likes and dislikes, and get highly
stressed when there are any major changes in their lives and yours, please make
sure that you aren't like any of the people discussed in Pet
Dumpers' Litany of Lame Excuses. If you aren't giving more thought to getting
a pet than you are to getting a car, you shouldn't have pets. |
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Examples Incorporating
Reptiles, Learning and Fun
Doobie
the Leopard Gecko's Fun Page
M&M
Survival Challenge - Can't beat a camouflage experiment using chocolate
candies! Articles
Activities and Lesson Plans
Beastly
Words - or compiled into PDF
Dr.
Splatt's roadside attraction
Imagine: A Visualization
Exercise
Just for Kids: Humans and Animals
More than Half a Million U.S. Students Learn: What’s
a Herp?
Myths
and Fascinating Facts
Ophidiphobes and Ophidiphobia
Rainforest Imagery
Uncool
Boffins: All Children's Perceptions of Scientists
The
Use of Reptiles in Public Education Other
Web Resources For Parents, Teachers and Students
Advanced
Genetics Wizard
Animal doc
com - take University of Georgia's virtual tour of a vet hospital
AwesomeLibrary.org
Bell
Museum/Minnesota Herpetological Society Resource List (PDF)
Bibliography
on the Biology of Reptiles and Amphibians
Center
for Science in the Public Interest Nutrition Action Healthletter
Cortland
Herpetology Connection - Learn to use animal identification keys
Enature.com's
Online Field Guides
EnchantedLearning.com's
Little Explorer's Dictionary
International
Fund for Animal Welfare
IFAW's
Amphibians and Reptiles as Pets
Internet4Classrooms
Iowa State University's
Tasty Insect Recipes
Katerpillar
& Mystery Bugs
Kids.Net.Au (Kid/Teen-friendly
search engine)
Kid's Corner
(USFWS)
Teacher's
Guide: Mold is for Wimps: Antibiotics from Big, Scary Reptiles
National Biodiversity Information Infrastructure's Teacher
Resources
National Museum
of Natural History Division of Reptiles and Amphibians
National
Wildlife Federation - Environmental
Education, Kid Zone
Schoolyard
Habitat Program
ScienceBuddies.org
Science NetLinks
Smithsonian
Magazine Online
Sources
for Wildlife Pictures (See also Researching
Herp Info)
TRAFFIC Publications
and Resources
Turtle
Steve's U.S. Turtle Field Guide
USGS
Biological Resources Division's Learning Room (Middle-School on up)
USGS
Biological Resources Division's Kid's Corner
Virtual
Tour of the Reptile & Amphibian Hall
Word!
A Glossary of Medical Words - from Kidshealth.org
World
Wildlife Fund's Kid Stuff Bibliographical
References in Herp Names
Biographical
Appendix of the Translations of the Scientific Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians
of North America Coloring
Enchanged
Learning's Coloring Pages
First-School's
Reptile Coloring Page
FreePrintableColoringPage's
Reptiles
Homeschooling.About.com's
Reptile Coloring Book
Pelotes
Island Nature Preserve's Reptile Coloring Pages
SuperColoring.com's
Reptile & Dinosaur Coloring Pages
Doing
Create
a Backyard Habitat
Create a Schoolyard Habitat Reading
The following is a list of some of my personal favorite books with reptile and/or
environmental themes. The reptiles themselves are only characters in the greater
story - the themes of are of change, of friendship, of life. And
Still the Turtle Watched
Sheila MacGill-Callahan. 1991. Dial Books.
A tale of the flowing of time, of seeing and believing, of carelessness and redemption.
Survival:
Could You Be a Frog?
John Norris Wood. 1990. Ideals Children's Books.
Life is choices, good ones and bad ones. On lucky days, we make the right ones
and live another day to try again. The
Lorax
Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). 1971. Random House
From plenty to
putrid, redemption and the chance to start anew lies in a single seed...and the
example of the Lorax picking himself up by the seat of his pants. [I became interested
in Theodore Geisel ("Dr. Seuss") and so researched him for an author
paper I wrote for my Seminar in Child Literature class. If you would like to read
it, it is available in HTML and PDF
Just
A Dream
Chris Van Allsburg. 1990. Houghton Mifflin Company.
From plenty
to putrid...but only in a dream. The future can be changed by what we choose to
do, and not do, today. Thirteen
Moons on Turtle's Back
Joseph Bruchac and Jonathon London. 1992. Philomel
Books.
There are thirteen scutes on the turtle's back, and thirteen moons
in the lunar year. For many Native American cultures, each moon had a tale to
tell. In this book of poems, the cycles of the year, the sharing of myths and
stories from generation to generation, are retold. Brouchac has collaborated on
another book with some wonderful reptile and environmental and literature, Keepers
of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children,
Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. 1991. Fulcrum Publishing.
The
Turtle and the Moon
Charles Turner. 1991. Dutton Children's Books.
The turtle lives alone in his pond, day after day, with no one to play with. One
night, he awakens to find someone else playing in his pond! The
Salamander Room
Ann Mazer. 1991. Alfred A. Knopf.
A boy, trying to
convince his mother to let him keep a bright orange salamander he has found, describes
to her how he will keep the salamander, transforming his room into a delightful
habitat for both boy and sallie.
A few others that I have found to be quite good on some difficult topics:
Death is
Natural Laurence Pringle. 1977. Morrow Junior Books.
Evolution
Joanna Cole (and illustrated by Aliki). 1987. Thomas Y. Crowell. |
