The Biggest House in the
World by Leo Lionni
click here for more info. on Leo Lionni books http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/
Choose a house that is perfect for
a snail…
If you chose this shell you are
correct!
• This is the type of real
shell a snail will live
in.
• The snail in the story
twisted and twitched,
and wished really
hard to make his shell
grow.
• How do you think a
snail shell grows?
A Snail Shell is..
•
The snail’s most defining
characteristic is its spiral shell,
which is a living part of its
body. The shell grows along
with the snail, and provides a
retreat in times of danger. They
can hide from birds that are in
search of food.
• Snails love the rain! During
dry periods, land snails can
secrete a mucus “door” which
dries to seal themselves in
with a humid (damp or wet)
atmosphere inside.
What could happen if a snail allows
its shell to become too big?
Choose the answers that you think are
true…Discuss with your partner.
• The snail will not be able to move.
• The snail will make himself smaller.
• The snail may starve from lack of food.
• He will get on another snails back and get
a ride to the food.
Hands on Snails Time!
• How do you handle a snail?
This is what I will be observing
for handling assessment.
• Remain on your bottoms on
the carpet while holding a
snail.
• Pick up snail without
squeezing the shell too hard.
Place them down on the tank
floor. Do not drop them in the
tank.
• Relax they don’t bite!
• Remember, they are living
things they have eyes just like
us. Do not poke them!
What an experience it is to hold a snail take a few
moments to talk with your partner about these
topics…
•
•
•
•
•
How did they feel?
How did they move?
Did you hear any sounds from them?
What surprised you most about them?
Talk about any wonderings you have about
snails. Write them down.
Parts of a snail: print out sheet
We have discussed the parts of they snail
during our hands on activity, let’s see if
you got them.
• Try it out! Print sheet
• Click here: Label the Land Snail External
Anatomy Printout EnchantedLearning.com
How do snails eat?
• The mouth is under the
head. The tongue acts
like a cheese grater,
scraping off bits of food.
Snails are primarily
herbivores (plant eaters),
although some will
partake in a meal of a
dead animal if the
opportunity arises.
References
• The Biggest House in the
World by Leo Lionni.
• Leo Lionni
• potos are taken from
pdphoto.org
• Potos taken from
microsoft program clipart
• enchantedlearning.com –
Snail Print out