Started Adding Video to Online Curriculum

So, this past week was a milestone for me, because I finally started to think about how videos can help with teaching, especially if you are now transitioning to online classes. Covid-19 may have started us having to learn about how to teach online, but I was part of a Zoom conference call last week where a San Francisco school is really taking it to another level! I was really impressed by this school, they really worked together, cared for one another, and were even willing to help veteran teachers like me learn more about online teaching – video being a huge part.

So here was a video I quickly put together (well, my husband did the editing) which I added to the Cultural Curriculum Week 31 Day 2. Check it out…

So, in Week 31 Day 2, in the First Circle for Zoology 42, we discuss snails. The lesson looks like this:

Zoology 42

We have been talking about different invertebrate groups of animal. Last month we talked about insects and arachnids. How many body parts do insects have? What about a spider? Today we are going to talk about another group that are called mollusks. Mollusks are animals like mussels, clams, slugs, and snails. Their name means “soft”, because mollusks do not have any skeletons. Many mollusks have shells made of calcium to help protect them. Most mollusks live in the ocean, but some kinds of snails and slugs live on the land. Today we are going to talk about snails, those that live on the land.

The body of the snail is long, moist,and slimy. It has a shell to help protect it’s soft body. If a snail is disturbed it can pull its body back inside the shell.If the weather is dry a snail will pull itself inside the shell and seal it. This protects the snails body from drying up. Snails hibernate in the winter. They are active at night. They do not like hot dry days. They like moist humid days, ones that are cloudy.

Let’s look at a snail. The eyes are on the tips of the tentacles. A snail has two pairs of tentacles on its head. the eyes are on the longer pair.The smaller pair help it to smell and feel its way around. A snail moves by creeping along a flat foot underneath the body. Snails can have different shaped shells. It can be a rounded shell or maybe a flat one. The shell help to protect the snail. What do snails eat? They like to eat living plants as well as decaying ones. They also chew on fruits.

As a baby snail grows its shell grows too. There are some other animals that like to eat snails. Ground beetles, snakes, toads, turtles, and some birds eat snails. Snails can be fun to watch. Have you seen any snails in your yard or other places?

Excerpt of Week 31 Day 2

Of course, I have photos too, but I added this video to really show how the snail looks, moves, sees, etc. I thought it was really informative! What do ou think?