Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went hiking on Thursday and actually saw a few students there hiking also, so it did turn out to be a field trip after all - ha ha. One of my students spotted a baby gopher snake and I caught it for the classroom. It is about 10 inches long (I don't know how to tell if it is male or female) and once it calmed down it was very friendly.

We set up a nice habitat for the snake, which was researched by the biology students last week, and actually fed it today. All the students knew we were going to try and feed it after school, so the room was packed with kids and, of course, the snake didn't eat. After everyone left I stayed in the room for about 30min and sure enough it ate the little mouse.

I know there was some controvercy about the whole process, but so far the whole thing has been incredible. The girl who spotted it is so proud and comes to visit every break with her friends, many students saw their first snake today, the teachers are excited, and it really feels like it was a good thing to do.

I guess there is still plenty of possibilty that it was a bad choice, but so far so good!

Thanks for all the input,

Jake

I don't see how tht can be a bad choice when you get taht much student attention and participation.

I'll bet you would have gotten just as much attention if you would have stood in front of the class with a herp book and directed the kids at the chapter on the snake, habitat and habits... (not).

The folks who are against this sort of thing have obviously not tried the two methods to compare.

Good choice.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

hey Jake,

If it means anything to you,
my 5th grade teacher had a Garter Snake, a Cal. King and an 18 year old Glossy snake in his class. Its been a long time since 5th grade, but I credit this teacher for cultivating my herp interests, and if it weren't for him sharing these wonderful animals with me and my peers, Who knows what we'd know about our natural world? I say what you have done with the Gopher Snake is a fine way to show kids whats going on around them.
Kudos, man.

-Phil Clevinger

Bah before this gets tossed around again, I never said it was a bad idea to introduce kids to a snake's life.

And congrats on the successful "lab"

What you've done at the very least is to insure that a whole classroom full of kids will not grow up to be the sort of people who indiscriminately kill snakes. You've sparked an interest in these kids that they would have never gotten from a textbook. What you've also quite possibly done is to inspire a new future Herpetologist. I can hardly see how that could be a bad decision.

Keep it up. You're a good teacher.
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's good to hear that stuff from people who know what they're talking about. We've decided to return the snake to its home next Thursday or so, but the classroom habitat will all ready for the next one!

Thanks again,

Jake

It was a fabulous idea, Jake. Sorry I've been so slow in responding, but I've been out of town for a couple of days.

It's all about preserving remaining habitats for wildlife, plants and animals. By bringing snakes, and other animals (and plants) into the classroom, we get to influence a large number of future citizens at the same time. When I bring a snake in for my 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th graders to see, I get all kinds of adverse reactions from adults, including other teachers, but, man, those kids just love this kind of stuff, and there's no telling how much good that can do in the long run.

I would advise care, however, because, if we come across with the wrong messages, we could have a large adverse affect too. The animal can be tied in with all kinds of scientific ideas and principles, including environment, natural history, conservation, and on and on. In my area we have massasauga rattlesnakes, too, so I always take time to do a lesson on venomous plants and animals, and bring in an old rattler in alcohol, so the kids can see what they look like. I don't want anyone to go out and pick up a rattler and get bit.

Happy and safe herping to ya'. The kids will always remember you bringing in things for them to learn from

Terry