Montessori Materials for Parts of the Snail Activity

Once the child has learned about the different types of invertebrates, particularly the Mollusks, they might be interested in learning about the parts of the snails.

Snails, or gastropods, have a shell that looks like a spiral. They carry this shell on their back. Their body and foot are inside the shell.

Before learning about their parts, have the child observe an actual snail (or a model) to help them have a more concrete grasp on the subject.

Table of Contents

Materials to Support Learning the Parts of the Snail
- Snail Puzzle
- Snail Model
Printable Activities to Learn the Parts of the Snail
Explore Other Parts of Invertebrates
Explore Other Parts of Vertebrates

Materials to Support Learning the Parts of the Snail

Snail Puzzle

Includes knobs for easier holding and parts involving different parts of the animal, which helps isolate the part from the whole.

Snail Model

You can use the snail object if you already have a set of life cycle miniature objects. Here’s what I recommend:

You can also provide printable materials to support this learning and help the child know the different parts of the snail.

Printable Activities to Learn the Parts of the Snail

The Parts of a Snail Activity helps kids improve their reading skills and learn the right names for animal parts, which helps them build their vocabulary. It also allows the child to know some of the snail’s features. This also encourages the appreciation for nature.

1. Montessori Zoology 5-Part Nomenclature Cards

This learning material have a gray border around each card. Color coding is used to tell apart the different classes of the Animal Kingdom in Montessori. The color gray is used to identify the class of mollusks, such as the snail.

This includes a set of cards with 5 parts including the definitions and a booklet with descriptions about each part of the snail. This is designed for children between the ages of 3 and 6.

Material

Each part of the snail has a set of 5 cards made up of:
1. Control card – contains the picture and label; it allows the child to SELF-CORRECT when matching the picture card and the label card.
2. Picture card – allows the child to focus on the image alone to examine the details better. It can also be matched to the control card for non-reading learners to help them engage in learning each of the cards individually.
3. Label card – aids in name identifying, reading, spelling, and writing. It is matched to the picture card and the child determines correctness using the control card.
4. Definition card – serves as the control card for matching the blank definition card with the label card.
5. Blank definition card – provides an engaging activity for the child to better remember the definitions. This is matched to the label card and the control card with image and label.

Prerequisite

– Some experience with an actual snail (or a model), if possible (See above)
– Child should make observations for a week of each part of the snail

Control of Error

– Control Cards

Direct Aims

– learn about the different parts of the snail
– develop their understanding of the definition of these parts

Indirect Aims

– Improve child’s vocabulary
– Develop reading skills
– Learn the basics of zoology

Presentation

The Montessori guide teaches children how to use Zoology Nomenclature Cards through two presentations

– First, the guide lays out the control cards and demonstrates how to match the picture and label to the control.
– Next, the student matches the pictures and labels, and checks their work with the control of error cards.
– Use the definition card to describe each part.
– Once the children are familiar with the definitions of the parts of the snail, give them the corresponding definitions to match with the pictures.
– Then allow the child to match the blank definition card with the label card.

Zoology Nomenclature Cards are unique to Montessori classrooms and provide an engaging alternative to textbooks and worksheets. They are a beautiful resource that encourages children to learn concepts, rather than rush through to finish a worksheet.

Get the Cards & BOOKleTs here

2. Control Chart and Fill-in Posters

After learning the individual parts of the snail, display the wall chart and invite the child to make her own wall chart of the parts of the sponge with these printable poster sheets of 3 different charts:

With color and label
Without color, with label
Without color, without label

mollusks montessori zoology parts of the snail anatomy control chart invertebrates booklet unit study

mollusks montessori zoology parts of the snail anatomy 5 part cards invertebrates booklet unit study

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