Poisonous Rattlesnakes

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Poisonous Rattlesnakes

• an interactive reading activity
• for an ESL classroom
• STANDARDS OF LEARNING ELP 1 "English language
  learners communicate for Social and
  Instructional Purposes within the school
  setting."
• ELP 2 "English language learners
  communicate information, ideas and concepts
  necessary for academic success in the content
  area of Language Arts."
• Slides by Michael Selikhov, Arcadia High School
• Text courtesy of The Reading Lab,
  www.geocities.com/yamataro670/readinglab.htm

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Poisonous Rattlesnakes
Directions Read the story. Then, complete the
quiz.
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Dangerous Rattlesnakes

• As unique as the buffalo is to the American
  prairie, the rattlesnake is to its mountains and
  deserts. There is a high concentration of them in
  the American Southwest, but they can be found in
  most parts of the country. This snake, found only
  in the Americas, is deadly poisonous, and should
  be treated with great caution. There are about
  thirty species of rattlesnakes in America. The
  most dangerous of them is the eastern diamondback
  rattlesnake found mostly in the mountains. In the
  deserts of the southwest, there is the
  sidewinder.

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• A rattlesnake can grow to be two meters
  long. The main characteristic of a rattlesnake is
  the rattle located at the tip of its tail. Before
  striking, the rattlesnake sends out a warning by
  shaking its rattle. It makes a whirring sound
  when shaken. This rattle is nothing more than
  horny and loosely connected hollow segments,
  added one at a time with each skin shedding.

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• The skin of the rattlesnake is sometimes
  prized by those who may have captured and killed
  one. Most skins are blotched with dark diamond
  designs and usually are gray or light-brown in
  color. However, this may vary among the different
  species. The skin is sometimes used for making
  belts and straps, and many people who live in the
  mountains may have a story or two of an encounter
  with the deadly.

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• It is easier to protect yourself against a
  snake bite than to treat it. You should learn how
  to identify a poisonous snake by its markings,
  watch where you walk, and avoid putting your
  hands where you can't see. When hiking or
  camping, it is a good idea to wear heavy boots
  and carry a long stick.

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• If a person is bitten by a rattlesnake, an
  intense burning pain will occur within five
  minutes. Swelling will follow, and the skin
  around the bite will become discolored. The
  victim may soon feel dizzy and nauseous and may
  faint within a few minutes.

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• Even though the rattlesnake bite may be
  deadly, there are some people who enjoy eating
  the meat of the rattlesnake, and recipes exist
  for rattlesnake stew. Of course, the poison
  should be removed before cooking. Does this sound
  strange? It shouldn't to the Japanese who prize
  eating fugu. This fish, considered a delicacy,
  contains a toxin even more deadly than the
  rattlesnake's bite.

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• There are even those who live in the
  mountains of Appalachia who use the rattlesnake
  in their church services. They are called the
  Holy Ghost People, a group of Pentecostals who
  chant themselves into a religious ecstasy. At the
  height of their worship, they pick up deadly
  rattlesnakes with their bare hands and hold them
  up to the Lord. If the snake does not bite them,
  it is a sign of God's love and protection over
  them. However, if the snake does bite them, it
  would have been safer to have eaten the stew.

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TIME FOR A QUIZ!
Are you ready?
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Where do most rattlesnakes live?

1. In the swamps
2. In the mountains and deserts
3. In abandoned houses
4. In the water

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Which of these is the deadliest snake in America?

1. sidewinder
2. eastern diamondback
3. big biter snake
4. Holy Ghost snake

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To what length can a rattlesnake grow?

1. 2 meters.
2. 1 meter.
3. 5 meters.
4. 10 meters.

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What does the rattle of the rattlesnake consist
of?

1. It is made of small stones.
2. It is made of dry skin.
3. It is made up of small loose bones.
4. It is made of loosely connected hollow segments.

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What does a rattlesnake do before it strikes?

1. It raises its head high
2. It coils into a ball
3. It sends out a warning with its rattle
4. It opens its mouth wide

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What is made of rattlesnake skin?

1. handbags
2. books
3. straps and belts
4. stew

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If you are hiking in an area known to have
rattlesnakes, what should you wear or bring?

1. Medicine for bites
2. Heavy boots and a stick
3. A flashlight
4. A torch

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Which does NOT happen when bitten by a
rattlesnake?

1. A burning pain occurs near the bite.
2. The area around the bite becomes discolored.
3. There is a feeling of dizziness and nausea.
4. The person begins to spit blood.

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What kind of sign occurs when the "Holy Ghost
People" pick up a rattlesnake and it does not
bite them?

1. A sign that the rattlesnake has no poison.
2. A sign that God is protecting them.
3. A sign that it would be safer to eat rattlesnake
   stew.
4. A sign that the snake likes them.

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What is fugu?

1. A snake
2. A bird
3. A snail
4. A fish

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