Teaching Outline:
SLIDE 1: Eyes of Amphibians
SLIDE 2:
A. Attention Grabber: In groups discuss the differences between amphibians and reptiles (Reptile
on slide is Bearded Dragon in class named Cuddles
SLIDE 3:
B. Teaching differences:
1. Appearance:
a. Amphibians: moist, generally smooth skin (no hair or fur), webbed feet, four legs
(sometimes none)
1)
2)
3)
4)
Tree frogs have adhesive pads on their toes for clinging to smooth surfaces.
The eyes and nose of a frog are on top of its head so it can breathe and see when most
of its body is under the water.
Some say that you will get warts from touching frogs and toads, but that is a myth. You
get warts from human viruses, not from frogs and toads!
Some frogs and salamanders have tongues 10x the length of their body.
5) Salamanders can re-grow their toes and tails- Similar to lizards
b. Reptiles: scaly skin, dry and tough, ear holes instead of ears
1)
The scales of all snakes (and many lizard species) are made of keratin, which is the same substance
that makes up the hair and fingernails of humans.
3) Contrary to popular belief, chameleons do not change their color to blend in with different
backgrounds. Chameleons are naturally camouflaged with their surroundings (most are predominantly green to
match their treetop environment). The fact is that chameleons change their color in limited ways, usually by
brightening or darkening their skin. But these color changes are related to temperature regulation and emotional
changes. A frightened or angry chameleon, for example, will become extremely bright in color.
4) Many people think that reptiles are slimy. But the fact is that reptiles do not have sweat glands like
you and I have, so their skin is usually cool and dry. I have several pet snakes for example, and people who touch
them for the first time always say the same thing: "Oh wow, they're not slimy at all."
5) Snakes shed their skin in relation to their growth rate. A young snake will shed more often because
they typically grow fastest during the first two years of their lives. An older snake will shed less often as its rate of
growth slows down.
6)
The world's longest snake species is the reticulated python, which can exceed 30 feet (10 meters)
in length. While reticulated pythons typically grow longer, the anaconda could be considered the
largest snake by overall size and weight. The anaconda is a heavy-bodied snake and can weigh well
over 300 pounds.
7)
BOTH AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES ARE COLD BLOODED
SLIDE 4
2. Types:
a. Amphibians: frogs and salamanders,
b. Reptiles: lizards, turtles, snakes, alligators, crocodiles
1. Lizards: lizards have long tongue, movable eyelids, claws, skin, leg, long tail;
2. Snakes: have streamlined body, no legs, no external ears, no eyelids, and
lonely one lung
3. Crocodiles & Alligators: large snouts visible teeth
4. Turtles: body covered with a protective shell, sharp edged beak,
5.
SLIDE 5
3. Development:
a. Amphibians: larva of frog is tadpole, undergo metamorphosis and lose gills
1) *Many Eggs
2) * Many frogs and salamanders take care of their young, either by guarding their eggs,
3)
transporting their young or feeding their tadpoles.
Bullfrogs stay tadpoles for about 2 years before they become frogs. Some frogs remain
tadpoles for only 8 days.
4)
b. Reptiles: An egg with a shell: shell lets oxygen in, and carbon dioxide out,
sometimes have live young
c. *Most snake species lay eggs. But about one-fifth of all snakes bear live young instead. Rattlesnakes
and boa constrictors are examples of snakes that bear live young.
SLIDE 6
4. Food:
Amphibians: most tadpoles are herbivores, however adult forms of salamanders, frogs, and toads are
carnivores that feed on spiders, bugs, mice, small birds. Frogs/toads wait for prey to come close,
salamanders stalk and ambush prey. Frogs and toads use camouflage to blend into the environment
a. Frogs don't drink water but absorb it through their skin.
b. Reptiles: *
1) Lizards and Snakes: some are herbivores others are carnivores
a. large lizards eat frogs and birds, chameleons have long sticky tongues,
b. Snakes: venom and fangs in snakes and large adjustable jaws to swallow
large objects. *
c.
. Certain types of snakes can go months without eating. This is especially true of the big
constrictors, such as the Anaconda and the reticulated python. Snakes eat large meals (relative
to their body size), and they have much slower metabolisms than we humans have.
d.
True to its name, the African egg-eating snake (of the genus Dasypeltis) prefers to dine on the
eggs of other animals. It will swallow the egg whole, and then use tiny "spikes" extending
internally from its spine to crack the egg open and swallow the nutritious contents. Lastly, it
will regurgitate the unneeded egg shell in a neatly folded piece.
2) Alligators and Crocodiles: carnivores that hunt at night, muscular tails for
swimming, jaws equipped with sharp teeth, eat: dogs, raccoons, and deer
*they don’t usually attack humans
3) Turtles: some turtles are carnivores, *leatherback turtles feed on jellyfish,
*Galapagos turtle feeds on cacti
SLIDE 7
5. Habitat
6)
Amphibians: Land and water, **Frogs cannot live in the sea or any salt water. Frogs
cannot live in the sea or any salt water.
a.
Reptiles: land (found on every country but Antarctica) * There are more than 8,000 species of
reptiles on the planet, and the live on every continent except Antarctica (where it is too cold).
b.
Most kinds of reptiles do not tolerate the cold very well. But the Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea
blandingii) is sometimes found swimming under the ice in the Great Lakes region of the United
States.
SLIDE 8 & 9
C. Categorize amphibian vs reptile
1. Reptile
2. Amphibian
3. Reptile
4. Amphibian
5. Amphibian
A group of engineers and scientist discovered a new species near a river in Brazil that
connected to Amazon. They called it Atretochoana eiseltiis , also known as caecilian,
which some people might know as a limbless amphibian.
6. Amphibian: Chinese giant salamander
7. Reptile:
The Ajolote Lizard aka the Mexican Mole Lizard lives mainly underground eating worms
and other insects. This reptile can be found only in the Baja California peninsula in
Mexico
8. Amphibian
The Axolotl is a strange looking amphibian only found in various lakes in Mexico, though
kept as pets in many other places across the globe. Unlike many other amphibians, the
Axolotl do not undergo any sort of metamorphosis, so adults remain aquatic creatures.
Axolotl feed on small fishes and worms, and are known to be able to regenerate almost
any part of their bodies.
SLIDE 10-12
D. Identify creature/ category by groups
1. What category is the creature in?
2. What is the creature?
3. How did you determine your answer?
4. The Tiers:
a.
b.
c.
Northern Lepord Frog
Coral Snake
Horned Lizard
SLIDE 13-14
E. Review over key points
RANDOM QUESTIONING OF AMPH & REP
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Certain frogs can jump up to 20 times their own body length in a single leap.
In most species of frogs only the male croaks. Croaking attracts female frogs during mating season
and lets other males know that this is HIS territory and others should back off!
The Bullfrog is the largest frog native to North America. It can grow to 18 in. and weigh 1.2 pounds!
. Most of the world's snakes (nearly two-thirds) are non-venomous, however, the opposite is true in Australia.
There are actually more venomous snakes in Australia than non-venomous snakes. The inland taipan is one of the
most popular of these venomous Australian snakes. 6.

It is a fact that more Americans die each year from bee stings than from snake bites.

Snakes and lizards flick their tongues in the air to capture scent particles. They use their tongues to collect scent
particles and then pass the particles over something called a Jacobson's organ to decipher the air around them.
This is partly how reptiles hunt for food.

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. Some species of gecko use their tails as a defensive tool. When attacked, the gecko will wiggle its tail to lure the
attacking creature. When the animal bites onto the tail, the gecko can detach the tail and make its escape. In
most cases, a new tail will grow in place of the old one.
While the reticulated python and anaconda are the largest snakes in general, the king cobra is by far largest of the
venomous snakes. It can grow to lengths of more than 18 feet (6 meters) can weigh in excess of 20 pounds.
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Lesson Plan *using EEI format
*Accommodations and/or modifications for a specific student with disabilities (explanation of these
accommodations)
STUDENT WITH DISABILITY: low IQ borderline mental retardation
EXAMPLE OF ACCOMODATIONS: instead of writing a paper explaining the differences between fish,
amphibians, and reptiles the student will be given pictures of animals and identify which animals fall into
each category.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: COMMON CORE CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.7 Integrate
quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that
information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

AZ State Standard: Strand 1: Inquiry process Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses
Formulate predictions, questions, or hypotheses based on observations. Locate appropriate resources

GOAL: Students will categorize the difference between amphibians in comparison to reptiles and
MAKE A CHART (OF AMPHIBIANS VS REPTILES)
Characteristics of animals on regular students (pictures with disability)
RESOURCES
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Pictures on google images
Interesting facts on amphibians: http://www.clemetzoo.com/forfrogs/learn/funfacts.asp
Interesting facts on reptiles: : http://www.reptileknowledge.com/articles/article19.php#ixzz2hRISOEsO
http://www.clemetzoo.com/forfrogs/learn/funfacts.asp

OTHER IDEAS ON LESSONS WITH AMPHIBIANS:
Frog Dissection
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPUugaacnaE&feature=fvwrel
EXTRA:
What category is this in? (Ninja Turtle): genetically altered human/ fiction
Discussion on whether lizard tail regrowth gene should be implemented in humans:
http://www.devbio.biology.gatech.edu/?page_id=2641
Newt death from predator: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/amphibiansanimals/salamanders/weirdest-newt/
INTRO TO THE EXCEPTIONAL CHILD
Levels of instruction:
A. Tier 1: Basic: identify simple creatures (frog) Northern Lepord Frog
B. Tier 2: Intermediate: identify complex creatures amphibians vs reptiles
(snake without showing animal) Coral Snake
C. Tier 3: Advanced: create an argument if human regrowth gene is possible
(odd creature without showing animal)- Horned Lizard
EEI INSTRUCTION METHOD
Objective: Classify/ categorize
Anticipatory set: what makes an amphibian vs reptile group discussion
Teach/Model: powerpoint *ask questions how do amphibians move? Before
moving to next topic
Guided Practice: identify which creature is amphibian vs reptile…into other
categories (Frogs, lizards, etc)
Independent Practice: on piece of paper identify which creature would live, eat
each pictured object, chart similarities/differences *ALTERNATE?? Would it be
possible to transmit the tail regrowth gene to humans?
Closure: review points/ question format REVIEW GAME: winner clap 3 times and
whoosh to winning team
Book Outline
Ch 11: Fishes, Amphibians,
and Reptiles
III. Amphibians
A. What is an amphibian? 1. Groups of Amphibians: two major groups salamanders and frogs
and toads. Distinguish between these by tail in adult form, salamanders keep tail, frogs and toads
do not
2. Reproduction and Development: larva of frog is tadpole, undergo metamorphosis and lose
gills
B. Living on Land
1. Obtaining Oxygen: gills change to lungs for oxygen, skin can also obtain oxygen
2. Circulatory System: has two loops and the heart is in three chambers, upper chambers are the
atria, lower chamber is the ventricle
3. Obtaining Food: most tadpoles are herbivores, however adult forms of salamanders, frogs, and
toads are carnivores that feed on animals. Frogs/toads wait for prey to come close, salamanders
stalk and ambush prey. Frogs and toads use camouflage to blend into the environment
4. Movement: strong skeleton to support body, fins in water, muscular limbs on land, some frogs
have sticky pads on their toes for climbing, others have webbed feet for swimming, (aftrican
clawed frog) leaping requires strong legs
5. Amphibians in Danger
IV. Reptiles: King Cobra of Southeast Asia is the world’s longest venomous snake. It can grow
to more than 4 meters long. Flatten neck to strike prey
A. Adaptations for life on land: lays eggs on land not water. REPTILES: snakes, lizards, turtles,
and alligators,
1. Skin and kidneys: scaly skin, dry and tough, kidneys filter wastes…(omitted some info)
2. An egg with a shell: shell lets oxygen in, and carbon dioxide out
B. Lizards and Snakes: lizards have long tongue, movable eyelids, claws, skin, leg, long tail;
SNAKES: have streamlined body, no legs, no external ears, no eyelids, and lonely one lung
1. Obtaining Food: some are herbivores others are carnivores…large lizards eat frogs and birds,
chameleons have long sticky tongues, venom and fangs in snakes and large adjustable jaws to
swallow large objects
2. Movement: snakes slither side to side, see sidewinder snake
C. Alligators and crocodiles: large snouts visible teeth
1. Obtaining food: carnivores that hunt at night, muscular tails for swimming, jaws equipped
with sharp teeth, eat: dogs, raccoons, and deer *they don’t usually attack humans
2. Reproduction: most reptiles don’t care for their young, but crocodiles and alligators do…for
up to a year alligator young will stay in close proximity to their mother
D. Turtles: body covered with a protective shell, sharp edged beak, some turtles are carnivores,
*leatherback turtles feed on jellyfish, *Galapagos turtle feeds on cacti
E. Extinct Reptiles-the dinosaurs
V. Vertebrate History in Rocks
A. What are fossils?
B. Interpretation of Fossils
1. A fossil’s age
2. Using fossils