Salamanders

Objectives:

• Students will be able to describe the physical characteristics of salamanders.

• Students will be able to identify the behavioral characteristics of salamanders.

• Students will be able to describe the variety of salamanders known as newts.

Suggested Grades:

3rd Grade - 4th Grade - 5th Grade

Lesson Procedure:

Print the reading comprehension worksheet passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions. Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt:

Salamanders look a lot like lizards. However, unlike lizards, which are reptiles, salamanders are amphibians. Like most amphibians, salamanders are born in the water and spend the first part of their lives there. As adults, many salamanders spend most or all of their time on land. However, some salamanders spend their entire lives in the water. Salamanders are actually more closely related to frogs and toads than they are to lizards. They have smooth, slimy skin and do not have scales or claws. Salamanders always live near water. Since they don't have any covering on their skin, they will dry out if they are not in a moist climate. Many salamanders live in moist soil under logs and rocks where they can be shaded from the sun. They also often live near streams.

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