A J T L Grades 1-4 Reptiles Learning Lapbook with Study Guide A Journey Through Learning www.ajourneythroughlearning.com Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 1
Authors-Paula Winget and Nancy Fileccia Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning Pages may be copied for other members of household only. For group use, please see our website to purchase a classroom/co-op license. Please check our website at: www.ajourneythroughlearning.com While you are there, sign up for our email newsletter and receive a FREE lapbook! You ll also receive great discount codes, special offers, find out what s new and what s to come! Join us on Facebook! Clipart is from www.clipart.com with permission Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 2
Things to Know Keep in mind that children of the same age can have very different academic and motor skills. Some children may have trouble writing in some of the smaller spaces of this lapbook. If this describes your child, we encourage you to let your child dictate the answers and you write for him. A lapbook is to be a fun project, not stressful. Hamburger Fold-Fold horizontally Hotdog Fold-Fold vertically Dotted Lines-These are the cutting lines. Accordion Fold-This fold is like making a paper fan. Fold on the first line so that title is on top. Turn over and fold on next line so that title is on top again. Turn over again and fold again on the next line so that title is on top. Continue until all folds are done. Cover Labels-Most of the booklets that are folded look nicer with a label on top instead of just a blank space. They will be referred to as cover label. How Long Does it Take to Complete the Lapbook? Doing a study guide page and mini-booklet a day, a 3-folder lapbook takes about one month to complete. However, you can expand the study portion and make it last as long as you like! That s the beauty of homeschooling! Do it YOUR way! Lapbook Assembly Choices (see photos on how to fold and glue your folders together) We recommend using Zip Dry Glue or Elmer's Extreme. Choice #1 -Do not glue your folders together until you have completely finished all three folders. It is easier to work with one folder instead of two or three glued together. Choice #2 -Glue all of your folders together before beginning. Some children like to see the entire project as they work on it. It helps with keeping up with which folder you are supposed to be working in. The choices are completely up to you and your child! How do I know where to place each template in the folder? Folder 1 This placement key tells you the template goes in the first folder at the top of the left flap. Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 3
Folding a Lapbook Base Original fold line Gather the number of folders required for the project. Fold them flat as seen here. For each folder, fold the left and right sides inward toward the original line to create two flaps. Crease so that the highest part of each flap is touching the original line. It is important not to let the two flaps overlap. You may want to take a ruler and run it down each crease to make it sharper. Glue your folders together by putting glue (or you may staple) on the inside of the flaps. Then press the newly glued flaps together with your hands until they get a good strong hold to each other. Follow this step to add as many folders as you need for your project. Most of our lapbooks have either 2 or 3 folders. G L U E Highest part of flap. G L U E G L U E G L U E Photo of a completed lapbook base Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 4
Supplies and Storage *Lapbook Pages *3 Colored File Folders *Scissors *Glue *Stapler *Brads (not needed for every lapbook. If brads are not available, a stapler will do.) *Hole Puncher (again, not needed for every lapbook.) To make the storage system (optional) See details below about the use of a storage system. *Duct tape (any color) *One 3-ring binder *Hole Puncher My child has made several lapbooks. Can I store all of the lapbooks together in one place? Yes! A three-ring binder serves as a great place to keep your lapbooks. This method of storage not only keeps your lapbooks from getting lost but also keeps them neat and readily available to share with dad, grandparents, friends, etc. When you are through sharing your lapbooks, just place the three-ring binder back on your bookshelf! Below are step-by-step directions of how to prepare each lapbook to be placed a in a three-ring binder. Close the lapbook. Measure a piece of duct tape that is as long as the lapbook. Place the edge of the duct tape on the top edge of the lapbook. Then fold the duct tape over so that it can be placed on the bottom edge. Make sure to leave enough duct tape sticking out from the edges to punch three holes. Be careful when punching the holes that you do not punch the holes in the folder. If you do, that s okay. Then place in three-ring binder. Depending on the size of your three-ring binder, you can store many lapbooks in it. Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 5
Folder 1 What is a Reptile? Crocodilians My Favorite Reptile Lizard Teeth Harmless Snakes Poisonous Snakes Sea Turtles Two Scary Snakes Folder 2 Report Turtles and Tortoises Folder 3 Turtles and Tortoises: Interesting Facts Tortoises Are Turtles Too Tuataras Cool Facts Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 6
Cut out the page on the dotted lines. Glue to the front of your closed lapbook. Inside of the aquarium, create a home for your reptile pet. Don t forget to draw your pet and name it, too! Reptiles Lapbook Grades 1-4 Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 7
What are Reptiles? Reptiles, like fish, amphibians, birds and mammals, are vertebrates. Vertebrates are animals with an internal skeleton and a backbone. Lizards, alligators, snakes and turtles are all reptiles. One of the most distinctive traits of a reptile is the look of their skin. The reptile's skin is dry to the touch and covered with scales. All reptiles, even the ones who live in water, breathe through lungs. Reptiles are cold blooded animals. This means they cannot regulate their body temperature from the inside. They need to rely on outside warmth like the sun, warm surfaces or the earth, to keep their temperature at the right level. Reptiles mate in the spring and most lay eggs. A few give birth to live babies. Reptile babies look very much like their parents except for the coloring, which might be different. Reptiles are found in all continents except Antarctica. Because they need warmth to regulate their body temperature, reptiles sleep or hibernate in the winter. In very hot climates they aestivate or lie motionless when the heat is really intense. There are four main groups of reptiles: crocodilians (alligators, crocodiles and caymans), chelonians or testudines (turtles and tortoises), squamatas (lizards and snakes), and a fourth group with only one member: the tuatara. Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 8
Folder 1 Read What are Reptiles? Cut out each piece on this page. Stack with title on top. Fasten together at the top with a brad (or staple). Glue into lapbook. Directions: On each booklet, answer the question or statement. x What are Reptiles? What is a reptile? Name some reptiles. Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 9
The Body of a Reptile Reptiles come in all different shapes, colors and sizes but their bodies share some common features. The skin of all reptiles is covered in scales. The scales of snakes and lizards are positioned in the skin in one single sheet of overlapping scales. In other reptiles, like crocodiles, the scales have a bony base. These bony scales are called plates and they form a protective armor around the body of the animal. Turtles are the only reptile with shells. Some reptiles, as they grow, shed their skin and grow a new one. The skeleton of a reptile forms a frame for the head, trunk and tail. Most reptiles have a hip and shoulder bone that helps to support their legs. These bones are called girdles. Since they do not have legs, snakes do not have girdles. Reptiles have lungs. All reptiles breathe through lungs. In some snakes, only one lung is working but in most species both lungs are in working order. Reptiles have a digestive system that matches what they eat. Carnivorous or meat eating reptiles, like the boa constrictor, have simple stomachs with very short intestines. Herbivore reptiles, like turtles, have a more complicated stomach with a longer intestine. Most reptiles have four short legs. They move by creeping or crawling. Some, like lizards, are very fast. Snakes are the only legless reptiles. They move their body from side to side in a slithering motion. Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 10
Folder 1 Read The Body of a Reptile. Cut out the booklet. Glue into the lapbook. Directions: Describe the different parts of a reptile. Reptile Body Skin- Breathing- Legs- Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 11
Lizards Lizards are close relatives of snakes. Like snakes, they are cold blooded reptiles and have a scaly skin. There are around 5,000 species of lizards living mostly in the tropics. Some live in more temperate climates but never in the polar areas where they would not be able to survive because of the brutally cold temperatures. Most lizards are small, growing only up to 16 inches. There is one specie, the Komodo dragon, that can grow up to 10 feet long. Lizards can be diurnal (active during the day) and nocturnal (active at night). Diurnal lizards have excellent eyesight and a keen sense of smell which helps to make them skillful hunters. Like most reptiles, lizards lay eggs. They bury their eggs in the moist soil or hide them in other appropriate places. They lay a clutch or group of eggs of about 50. Once they hatch the baby lizards are on their own. A small number of lizards are ovoviviparous. This means that they carry the eggs inside their bodies and they hatch there. Then the babies are born. Some lizards give birth to live young. Some lizards are great climbers. These lizards live on trees in the forest. Other lizards have adapted to the dry life of the desert. There are even some lizards that spend time in the water. These species have webbed feet to help them swim. Chameleons, iguanas, marine iguanas, and geckos are some of the better known lizards. Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 12
Folder 1 Read Lizards. Cut out the booklet as one piece. Hotdog fold in half. Glue into lapbook. Directions: Color the lizard. Inside of the booklet, write or draw 3 things you have learned about lizards. Lizards Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 13
Fearsome Reptiles: Crocodilians Crocodilians are the largest and the fiercest of the reptiles. Crocodilians include crocodiles, alligators and caymans. All crocodilians look alike: they have long tails, and large jaws. Their skin is covered by small bony plates and scales. They look like giant lizards! Crocodilians like water. Most spend their life around freshwater lakes, rivers or swamps. A few are found near the coast. In water, these reptiles are good swimmers. If they happen to be on a mud bank, crocodilians slide on their stomachs but, if they need to travel long distances, they walk on their short legs. Most crocodilians live in the tropics but certain species can be found in the warm, moist regions of the temperate zones. All crocodilians lay eggs. They lay 20 to 90 eggs in a group or clutch. The eggs are usually long, white and shiny with a thick, hard shell. Believe it or not, the fierce crocodilians are good mothers: they protect their eggs and then the hatchlings. Young hatchlings feed on fish, insects and shellfish. Adults feed on bigger prey like fish, birds, and any other animals they can catch. Crocodilians live a long time. In captivity, such as in a zoo, they can live up to 50 years. They are the heaviest of reptiles, weighing as much as 1,000 pounds. Crocodilians make lots of barking and grunting noises but can be quiet if necessary. When it gets too cold or too hot, crocodilians hibernate or aestivate. Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 14
Folder 1 Read Fearsome Reptiles: Crocodilians. Cut out each piece. Stack on top of each other. Fasten with a brad. Glue into lapbook. Directions: Inside of the booklet, answer the questions. Crocodilians How much can they weigh? How long do they live? Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 15
Alligators Alligators are crocodilians. They are powerful reptiles. There are two species of alligators in the world: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator. The American alligator is the biggest of the two. The males are between 11 and 12 feet long and can weigh about 1,000 pounds. The females are smaller and lighter. In the United States, the American alligator is found from North Carolina to Florida and along the Gulf Coast. The Chinese alligator is smaller, growing only to about 6 feet. The Chinese alligator lives in China's Yangtze River Valley. They are only about 200 Chinese alligators left in the world. Like all reptiles, alligators are cold blooded, meaning their body temperature changes with the changes of the outside temperature. Alligators are scary! Their most scary feature is probably the mouth. The mouth is filled with 82 very sharp teeth! When the teeth grow dull and fall out, replacement teeth from a back row take their place. Alligators can be sneaky. The lay in the water, with only their eyes showing, waiting for their next prey. They usually hunt after the sun has gone down. Because they hunt and kill other animals, we say alligators are predators. Alligators lay eggs on nests built on marshy areas. They are too heavy to sit on the eggs. Instead, they covered them with a layer of mud. The mother protects her eggs. Alligators can be very dangerous. They usually do not attack humans but it is better to stay away from them. Copyright 2012 A Journey Through Learning 16