
Do
a word web on the word snake , or have the children complete the
following sentence: Snakes make me feel.... Discuss their responses.
Many
people say they are afraid of snakes. List possible reasons for such fears.
Arrange
to have the children observe a snake (of any kind) for as long as possible.
Pet stores or private owners may be willing to loan your classroom a snake
for several days. Many zoos and pet stores will allow observation on the
premises. Do not encourage the children to capture a snake or remove it
from its natural habitat.
If
you are able to obtain a snake for observation in the classroom, ask the
snake owner how to care for the snake properly. Allow the children to touch
it, feed it and watch it.
After
observing the snake for several days, review the children's feelings toward
snakes to see if any attitudes have changed.
Share
the cover of the book with the children and have them speculate on what
type of snake is pictured and where it might live.
Discuss
growing older. Possible questions to ask include: What are some of the
advantages and disadvantages of growing up? Do adults have as much fun
as children? Do you look forward to becoming an adult, or would you rather
stay young for a long time?
Discuss
intergenerational communication. Possible questions to ask include: Do
adults speak the same way that they speak to other adults? Do adults who
know you speak to you the same way as adults who do not know you? How are
children expected to speak to adults? Why do adults so often tell children
to 'be careful'? Are adults always wiser than children?
Have
the children scrutinize the illustrations and then make a list of all the
animals they recognize.
Have
the children make a brief chronological outline of the story.
Review
your discussion about growing older. Do the children think Verdi displayed
any of the attitudes the class discussed? Which ones?
Ask
the children how Verdi's attitude toward growing up changed over the course
of the story. Why do they think it changed?
Review
your discussion about communication. Possible questions to ask include:
How did Verdi speak to the older snakes? How did they speak to him? Were
the older snakes wiser?
Were
the children surprised that the older snakes took such good care of Verdi
when he got hurt? Why? Do they think that Verdi was surprised by this?
Why?
Review
the story outline made while reading. What do the children think will happen
to Verdi as he gets older? Why?
Ask
the children if they have ever heard the old saying "Children should
be seen and not heard." Ask them what they think it means and how
it makes them feel. Have them relate this saying to the story.
Read
the Snake Notes section at the end of the book. Did the children learn
anything new about snakes?
Discuss
the advantages and disadvantages of keeping a snake as a pet. Possible
questions to ask include: What kinds of snakes might make good pets? Which
kinds would not make good pets? If you had a snake for a pet, how would
you need to care for it?
Have
the children call the county extension office or a nearby university to
learn which types of snakes are indigenous to your area. Ask the children
to research the habits of local snakes and whether they are venomous. Have
the children learn some safety tips to follow should they ever encounter
a potentially dangerous snake.
Have
each child select a green tree python, the type of snake you had in the
classroom, or another jungle animal shown in the book. Then have each student
make a poster report showing the creature as well as its habitat, food,
and its life cycle.
Have
the children research whether any of the snakes they selected are on the
endangered or threatened species lists.
When
a snake sheds its skin, it's called sloughing; in other animals this is
called molting. Have the children research what other kinds of animals
molt.
Have
the children research venomous snakes and write reports about how many
kinds there are, where they live, and what they eat.
In
the Snake Notes section the author discusses how snakes can analyse their
environment. Have the children find out more about this by using books
about reptiles to research the vomeronasal organ.
When
people want to insult one another, they often make comparisons to a snake.
For instance, they might say, "He's a real snake in the grass"
or "He's lower than a snake's belly." Possible questions to ask
include: Are these comments fair? How did snakes get such a bad reputation?
Discuss
other animals with whom people are sometimes compared in an insulting way,
and also talk about animals with whom people are compared in a complimentary
way.
Have
the children use the dictionary to find out why people who study snakes
are called herpetologists.
Some
snakes are called reticulated. Have the children look up this word in the
dictionary and decide if it is an appropriate description for some snakes.
Authors
carefully consider titles for their books. Ask the children why Janell
Cannon might have named the book Verdi. Have them look in the Snake
Notes for one possible explanation.
List
ten to twenty books that are class favourites and have the class discuss
how the books got their titles.
Find
a book of Irish legends that include the story of St Patrick and the snakes.
Read it aloud to the class.
The
snake is a familiar character in literature, from Genesis to "Riki-Tiki-Tavi."
find some books or stories about snakes and compare the fictional qualities
of the featured reptile with its real characteristics.
Everyone
is afraid of something - whether it be the dark, imaginary monsters, snakes,
spiders, getting older, or flying in airplanes. Have the children survey
at least ten young people and ten adults, asking each subject to name one
thing he or she might be afraid of. From this information, have the students
compare the fears of adults and young people. How are the fears alike?
How are they different? Have the children present their findings to the
class.
Have
the children compare Verdi to a human teenager in terms of attitudes and
actions.
Have
the children research the ways that various snakes have developed to protect
themselves from humans and other animals.
Have
the children construct snakes from found materials. They might try Slinky
toys, paper towel holders, accordion pleated construction paper, empty
cans, or socks stuffed wit newspaper. Emphasis creativity rather than realism.
Present a reptile display for parents or other children.
Have
the children research a specific snake then make their own snakes from
clay. Encourage the children to make their clay creatures as realistic
as possible.
Many
snakes have colourful and intricate scale patterns. Have each child make
a patterned snake skin from a reptile book or by creating an orginal one.
Take some construction paper and cut it into strips to represent a snake.
Next have the children pencil in patterns to make scales. For young children
different coloured cereal can be glued on to make the scales and with the
older children multicoloured sequins can be used.
Have
the children wiggle like snakes! Have them lie on their stomachs and keep
their arms along their sides and their ankles together as they try to move
forward. Hold snake races.
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These activities in Harcourt Brace Creative Curriculum Connections were written by Mary Lou Meerson. An educational consultant, Ms Meerson has been a classroom teacher, a language arts coordinator, an elementary school principal, and a university professor.These pages have been reproduced by Cherrol McGhee for the Verdi Book Rap with the permission of Harcourt Brace.
September 1998