The Jeff Corwin Experience Reptiles of Australia and Tasmania Teacher s Guide

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1 Teacher s Guide Grade Level: K-8 Curriculum Focus: Life Science Lesson Duration: Two class periods Program Visit the southern hemisphere for a look at Australian and Tasmanian reptiles. You ll meet the death adder, carpet python, skink, brown snake, goanna lizard, copper snake, and tiger snake. Video Index Segment 1: Traveling in Australia (13 min.) Meet some unique reptiles in Australia. Observe a variety of venomous snakes, check out the ancient snake-necked turtle, and watch a brown tree snake hatch from its shell. Q: What reptiles do you know about? A: Students will probably mention snakes and turtles. Q: How does the death adder protect itself from enemies? A: Thanks to this snake s excellent camouflage, it can blend into its surroundings. Segment 2: Adelaide (5 min.) Find out what happens when humans live close to a snake habitat. Learn about conservation efforts, and how Australia s snakes are protected. Q: Why do you think snakes find their way into people s houses? A: Answers may include that because humans have moved into snakes habitats, it is more difficult for the snakes to find uninhabited places. Q: What actions does a conservation group take when it learns a snake is in a home? A: Workers from the group come to the home to rescue the snake and return it to the wild.

2 Teacher s Guide 2 Segment 3: Kangaroo Island (5 min.) Meet the goanna lizard, an Australian reptile, and explore its burrow. Take a close look at these interesting creatures. Q: Have you ever heard of the goanna? A: Answers will vary. Q: What are the mating practices of the goanna? A: The male and the female goanna mate in a burrow over a 12-day period. Then the female develops eggs, which ensure the continuation of the species. Segment 4: Tasmania (7 min.) Learn about the snakes in Tasmania. Meet the ovoviviparous lowland copperhead, and observe the habits of the tiger snake, the largest snake on this island. Q: Why have unique animals thrived in isolated environments? A: Answers may include that if humans and other animals are not present, animals can thrive without interference. Q: How does the ovoviviparous lowland copperhead produce its young? A: The young of the ovoviviparous lowland copperhead develop in eggs inside the female s body. The egg is then released, and the snakes soon hatch. Lesson Plan Student Objectives Learn about the reptiles of Australia and Tasmania. Match each reptile with key words. Discuss characteristics of each reptile. Materials The Jeff Corwin Experience: Computer with Internet access

3 Teacher s Guide 3 Newsprint and markers Paper and pencils Timer Procedures 1. Ask students: What reptiles are you familiar with? (Students will probably mention snakes and turtles.) What do you think of reptiles in general? (Students might say that they don t like reptiles because they are scaly, slimy, and scary. ) 2. Before showing The Jeff Corwin Experience:, tell students to pay close attention to the reptiles Jeff Corwin is visiting and to the key characteristics he points out. 3. After students have watched the program, generate a class list of the reptiles shown on a sheet of newsprint. The following reptiles were featured: Carpet python Snake-necked turtle Black-headed python Blue-tongued skink Brown tree snake Death adder Eastern brown snake Goanna lizard Lowland copperhead Tasmanian tiger snake 4. On a sheet of newsprint, write the following list of words describing reptiles: Fierce predator Camouflage Venomous Flashing tongue Mating burrow Ancient reptile Hatching out Ovoviviparous Constrictor Conservation concerns 5. Display the list of descriptive words you created in the previous step alongside the class list of reptiles featured in the program. Divide students into groups of three or four, and explain that they are going to play a reptile matching game.

4 Teacher s Guide 4 6. Tell the groups that their task is to match each word on the list with one of the reptiles mentioned in the program. While they will have 15 minutes to complete the matches, the first group to match all the words correctly will win the game. 7. Set the timer and give students time to complete the matching game. For your reference, the correct matches are listed below. Fierce predator black-headed python Camouflage death adder Venomous Tasmanian tiger snake Flashing tongue blue-tongued skink Mating burrow goanna Ancient reptile snake-necked turtle Hatching out brown tree snake Ovoviviparous lowland copperhead Constrictor carpet python Conservation concerns eastern brown snake 8. When the game is finished and a winning group has been named, discuss each of the matches. Make sure that students understand the significance of each identified trait, as well as the tremendous diversity among reptiles. 9. Conclude by asking students: Now that you ve learned more about reptiles, what do you think of them? Were you surprised to learn that retiles have adapted to so many environments on Earth? Has your overall opinion of retiles changes? If so, how? Assessment Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students work during this lesson. 3 points: Students were highly engaged in class and group discussions; played the game enthusiastically and successfully. 2 points: Students participated in class and group discussions; were somewhat engaged in the game. 1 point: Students participated minimally in class and group discussions; were not engaged in the game. Vocabulary black-headed python Definition: A snake that constricts, or squeezes, its victims to death Context: The black-headed python of Australia is known to be a fierce predator that targets flying foxes.

5 Teacher s Guide 5 blue-tongued skink Definition: A reptile that lives primarily in Australia and uses its distinctive blue tongue to threaten predators Context: Six different species of the blue-tongued skink make their home in Australia. brown tree snake Definition: A common snake that adapts well to different environments but lives mostly in trees Context: The brown tree snake emerges from its shell ready to live on its own. carpet python Definition: A common Australian snake that is a constrictor, meaning it squeezes its prey to death. Context: The carpet python is a nocturnal hunter that goes after mammals, birds, and some reptiles. death adder Definition: A venomous Australian snake from the elapid family; the snake s excellent camouflage protects it from predators. Context: As its name suggests, the death adder secretes a potent neurotoxin that can result in death for its victims. eastern brown snake Definition: A venomous snake that lives throughout Australia and Tasmania Context: Because the eastern brown snake lives close to cities such as Adelaide, it can make its way into people s homes; conservation organizations usually are called to take the snake back to its habitat. goanna Definition: A kind of monitor lizard with a forked tongue, much like a snake s Context: The male and female goanna mate in a burrow, after which the female lays between three and 10 eggs. lowland copperhead Definition: A snake living in the southern part of Australia and in Tasmania that attacks only when directly threatened Context: The lowland copperhead is ovoviviparous, meaning that its young develop in an egg in its mother s body and hatch shortly after the egg is released. snake-necked turtle Definition: An example of an ancient turtle whose long neck does not fit into its shell, making it unlike most turtles Context: Instead of popping its head into its shell, the snake-necked turtle folds its long neck close to its body.

6 Teacher s Guide 6 Tasmanian tiger snake Definition: A highly venomous snake that produces a potent neurotoxin that is fatal Context: Although the Tasmanian tiger snake is highly venomous, it is not an aggressive snake and will only attack if provoked. Academic Standards National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences provides guidelines for teaching science in grades K 12 to promote scientific literacy. To view the standards, visit this Web site: This discussion guide addresses the following science standards: Life Science o K-4 The characteristics of organisms; Organisms and environments o 5-8 Populations and ecosystems; Diversity and adaptations of organisms Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) McREL s Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit This lesson plan addresses the following national standards: Science: Life Sciences Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment Language Arts o Viewing Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media Support Materials Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit