The Biggest House in the World by Leo Lionni click here for more info. on Leo Lionni books 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.comClick 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