Using Snails in Schools

USING SNAILS IN SCHOOLS

When I was going round schools talking to teachers, several asked me for more detail of how snails could fit into the curriculum. So I have made a list of some of the places where I think they could fit:

Key Stage 1

Health and safety (KS1.Sc1.2e)

Respect for living things (KS1.Sc2.2e) (KS1.Sc2.4a)

The main external parts of the snail body (KS1.Sc2.2a)

How snails explore the world around them (KS1.Sc2.2g)

What snails eat and drink (KS1.Sc2.2b)

The life cycle of the snail (KS1.Sc2.2f)

Different kinds of snails living in the school grounds (KS1.Sc2.4b) (KS1.Sc2.5)

Key Stage 2

Life Processes (KS2. Sc2.1a,c)

Different kinds of snails living in the school grounds (KS2. Sc2.4)

Shell and epiphragm for protection: hibernation and aestivation,(KS2. Sc2.5a)

What snails eat and what eats snails (KS2. Sc2.5.d, e)

General

I am happy to work alongside class teachers to create sessions that fit any part of the curriculum. Children can handle the snails and watch how they behave and use their senses to explore their environment. They can observe feeding and experiment with different kinds of food. They can observe the muscle contractions ripple down the body as the snail moves. The snail shell is an example of a spiral. It provides shelter from predators and the weather. We can talk about hibernation and life cycles. With farmed snails, all stages can be seen throughout the year.

The snail has a lot of predators amongst mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds. It can also be parasitised by a nematode worm. But it is very safe to handle. The slime is thought to have antibacterial properties and snails do not carry any diseases that might infect humans.

We can talk about the history of the relationship between humans and snails going back to 15,000 BC. The children could use the experience of handling snails to write poetry or a story about Egbert the snail or follow up with art or craft work. The class or the school could take part in the on-line megalab banded snail project which gives practice at experimental work and using keys.