Skinks and Geckos

Skinks and Geckos

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about using information provided to identify similarities and differences between geckos and skinks.
The following boxes contain facts about the similarities and differences between skinks and geckos.
 
Facts about Skinks
fivelined_skink.jpg
Head Narrow. A skink looks rather snake-like.
Skin Smooth and shiny, with tiny fish-like scales.
Sloughing
(pronounced 'sluffing')
 Skin comes off in pieces.
Feet Smooth, narrow toes.
 
Facts about Geckos
gecko.jpg
Head Larger than a skink's, a wider mouth, geckos look rather frog-like.
Skin Velvety, loose skin. It does have scales, but not as obvious to the naked eye as a skink's.
Sloughing
(pronounced 'sluffing')
 Skin comes off in one piece as if they are climbing out of a tightly-fitting suit.
Feet Wide toes (like padded gloves). With a microscope, you could see thousands of tiny hairs under their toes that help the gecko climb smooth surfaces.
 
Facts about Skinks and Geckos
Food: Skinks and geckos eat mainly insects, though some eat berries and fruit. Also, some skinks and geckos eat other smaller lizards.
Blood: Skinks and geckos have cold blood. Their blood is the temperature of their surroundings. Skinks and geckos need the warmth of the sun to stay active enough to catch their prey.
 
 
  1. Use the boxes below to show how skinks and geckos are different from each other. The differences in their head shapes have been done for you. Use the information on the previous page to make brief notes in the boxes for skin, sloughing, and feet. Write the main ideas only.
  Head differences
Skinks
  • narrow
  • snake-like
Geckos
  • larger than skinks
  • wide mouth
  • frog-like
 
  Skin differences
Skinks
  •  
  •  
Geckos
  •  
  •  
 
  Sloughing differences
Skinks
  •  
  •  
Geckos
  •  
  •  
 
  Feet differences
Skinks
  •  
  •  
Geckos
  •  
  •  
 
 
  1. Use the boxes below to show what skinks and geckos have in common. The facts about food have been done for you. Use the information on the previous page to make brief notes in the box for blood.
Food
  • mainly insects
  • some eat berries and fruit
  • some eat smaller lizards
 
Blood
  •  
  •  
  •  
 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper.
Copyright: 
Skink:  Michael Holroyd | Wikimedia | Public Domain.
Gecko: Josch13 | Pixabay | Public Domain.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
English, Creating meaning, Writing
Key Competencies: 
Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
note taking, organisation
Description of task: 
Students read about skinks and geckos and identify information relating to the similarities and differences between them. The information that students identify is rewritten in note form.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can be used to help to identify students’ ability to create texts to meet the writing demands of the New Zealand Curriculum.
 

Links to the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing:
This resource helps to identify students’ ability to:
  • use vocabulary that clearly conveys ideas, experiences, or information
as described in the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing at: http://www.literacyprogressions.tki.org.nz/The-Structure-of-the-Progressions.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Creating texts to communicate knowledge and understanding, sets 4-5
within the Writing Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y8 (06/1998)

a)


i)

 

 

 


ii)

 

 

iii)

 Skin differences
Skinks  •  smooth
               •  shiny
               •  tiny, fish-like scales

Geckos   •  velvety
                 •  loose
                 •  scales less obvious than skink scales

Sloughing differences
Skinks    •  skin comes off in pieces


Geckos   •  skin comes off in one piece (like getting out of a tight suit)


Feet differences
Skinks   •  narrow toes
                •  smooth

Geckos  •  wide toes (like padded gloves)
                •  microscopic hairs under toes (help
                   geckos to climb smooth surfaces)
moderate

difficult

 


easy


easy

 


easy


easy
b)   Blood

  • cold blooded/have cold blood
  • (blood) is the temperature of surroundings
  • need warmth of the sun (to stay active enough to catch prey)
 easy
    Overview:
One mark for sustained conciseness, i.e., notes in similar form to the examples above.		 easy