School › Reptiles and amphibians › Ages 6–7
Scales or slime?
Meet frogs and salamanders, snakes and turtles. Who has wet skin and who has scales, who starts life as a tadpole, and why does a lizard love the sun?
Read
Frogs, toads and salamanders are amphibians. Snakes, lizards, turtles and crocodiles are reptiles.[3][2]
Reptiles have dry skin covered in scales. Scaly skin helps stop their bodies from drying out.[3][2]
Amphibians have soft, wet skin. They can even breathe through their skin![1][3]
A frog starts life as a tadpole in the water. A tadpole has a tail and no legs. It slowly grows legs, loses its tail and turns into a frog.[1][3]
Frog eggs are soft and covered in jelly, so they must stay wet. Many reptiles lay their eggs on land, and the babies hatch looking like small grown-ups.[1][3]
Reptiles and amphibians cannot make much heat inside their bodies. They warm up in the sun and cool down in the shade.[3][2]
Try it: Wet skin, scaly skin
You need
- Two kitchen sponges or folded paper towels of the same size
- Cling film (food wrap)
- A cup of water
- A plate or tray
Safety
Use only clean tap water. Wipe up drips so nobody slips. Never put cling film near your mouth or nose.
What to do
- Make both sponges wet with the same amount of water.
- Wrap one sponge in cling film. This is the 'scaly skin'. Leave the other sponge bare: this is the 'wet frog skin'.
- Put both on a plate in a warm place in the classroom.
- Guess: which one will dry out first?
- Feel both sponges after lunch or at the end of the day. Which one is still wet?
Play: Reptile or amphibian?
Scales or wet skin? Tap the right group for each animal.
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Quiz
Other ages: Ages 10–11 · Ages 15–16