Which Herp Is Which?
By writing to "pen pals" from the point of view of a reptile
or amphibian, your students can be creative while learning about how these
animals are alike and different.
- List several examples each of reptiles and amphibians.
- Describe how reptiles and amphibians are similar to and different from
- Books and other reference materials on herps.
- Index cards.
- Pencils and crayons or markers.
- Social studies, language arts
- 1. Before the activity, write the names of several types of herps on
slips of paper (one for each person). Try to include an equal number of
reptiles and amphibians. Depending on the level of your group, you can
keep the names general (e.g.: frog, snake) or make them more specific (e.g.:
bull frog, garter snake). Write a number on each slip so you can keep track
of who has which herp.
- 2. Hand out the slips of paper you made earlier, taking note of who
has which herp. Tell the students to keep the identity of their animal
- 3. Assign each person a herp pen pal. Try to match reptile with amphbian
- 4. Give the students time to find out about their herps. Then pass
out index cards and have the students write "postcards" to their
pen pals from the point of view of their particular herps. Explain to the
students that they shouldn't give away their herp's identity, but they
should give clues that will help their pen pals figure out whether their
herp is a reptile or an amphibian. The information should also be as accurate
as possible. (If you're working with more advanced students, you can also
have them try to figure out what kind of reptile or amphibian their pen
pal represents. You may want to provide a list of the herps you've assigned,
to help the students narrow down their choices.)
- 5. You may want to consider having the students write a series of postcards,
with each one revealing a new clue about their identities. Here's an example
of one postcard a frog or toad might write:
Dear Pen Pal:
Life is busy these days! I have been practicing very hard on my
song. Spring will be here soon, and I have a lot of competition!
- 6. On the other side of the postcard, have the students draw a picture
of their herps' habitats (excluding the herps themselves!).
- 7. Collect the postcards and hand them out to the appropriate pen pals.
Provide resources and give the students time to figure out what kind of
herp is their pen pal.
- 8. Have several of the students read their postcards out loud, then
ask for opinions on the kind of herp that "wrote" each card.
Finally, have the various pen pals identify themselves.
- 9. Use the postcards to create a bulletin board display. The focus
of the display could be similarities and differences between reptiles and
amphibians. (See the background information under Who's