Courting Amphibians:  Frogs and Toads

ITV PRIMETIME SERIES 

Eyewitness Video

Amphibian

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

Students will be able to:

Describe some physical characteristics of frogs and toads

Recognize some characteristics of an Amphibian

Recognize some basic behaviors and adaptations of frogs and toads

Explore probability with a number cube

Generate number facts using numbers 1-6

Collect and interpret data

Develop cooperatively a strategy to graph the results
 

Develop an appreciation for frogs and toads

Compare and contrast using Venn Diagrams
 

MATERIALS 

Video Amphibian

Markers

Activity sheet of Venn Diagrams

Transparency of Venn Diagrams

Activity sheets: Racing for the Pond and Racing for the Pond  Gameboard

PowerPoint presentation

Internet with sites

Overhead Projector

Transparencies for activity sheets

Foam cubes with Numbers

Assorted Frogs

White paper for graphs 

(Per student/group) 

Activity sheet of Venn Diagrams

Activity sheets: Racing for the Pond and Racing for the Pond Gameboard

Foam cubes with Numbers

Assorted Frogs

Sheet of white paper per student 

VOCABULARY 

Amphibians

Frogs

Toads
 

PRE-VIEWING ACTIVITIES

Before viewing the video, the teacher will initiate a brainstorming session about amphibians, and frogs and toads.  Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students.  Each group will choose a student to report back to the class.  The students in the groups will compare and contrast information that is familiar to them about amphibians, frogs and toads.  The teacher will set an allotted time (5-10 minutes).  Each student will write the information on the activity sheet.  At the end of the allotted time, the teacher will call the groups back together to share the information.  The teacher will record the information using the Venn Diagram transparency on the overhead.  The students in the groups will choose a reporter to share the information to the class.
 

FOCUS FOR VIEWING

Teacher:

To give the students a specific responsibility state “You are going to see a video that will show some amphibians, frogs and toads."  " Look and listen for the meaning for the words: amphibian, frog and toad."  "Look and listen for the characteristics of frogs and toads as well as behaviors and adaptations each make in their surroundings.”
 

VIEWING ACTIVITY

Resume:  Characteristics of Amphibians

Pause:  Pause the video at the scene where two frogs are sitting side by side.

Teacher: “What are some of the characteristics of amphibians that you saw in the video?” (Walk, jump, swim, smooth skin, moist skin, knobby skin, live on land and in the water, bulging eyes, and different colors for the eyes, shapes of the eyes are different.) “Let’s view the video to see how amphibians are described.”

Resume:  Descriptions of Amphibians

Pause:  Pause the video when the narrator says: (ugly creatures that inspire legends of beauty)

Teacher:  “How did the video describe amphibians?” (Creatures that live in the water and on land; animals that are born like fish but grow legs and walk.)

Resume:  Resume the video when the narrator says: (ugly creatures that inspire legends of beauty)

Pause: Pause the video when the narrator says: (running with legs)

Teacher:  “What are some other characteristics of amphibians?” (Creatures that start out in water and live on land.)

Resume: Resume the video when the narrator says: (running with legs)

Pause: Pause after the meaning of the word amphibious

Teacher:  “What does the word amphibious mean?” (Both sides of life.) “Listen to the video to learn another characteristic of amphibians.” 

Resume:  Characteristic of Amphibians

Pause:  Pause the video after the narrator says: (length of a man’s arm)

Teacher: “How long is the life cycle of amphibians?” (12 weeks)

“Let’s listen to learn where the amphibians live on the earth.”

Resume:  Amphibians live on the Earth

Pause: Pause the video after the narrator says: (deserts scorched by heat)

Teacher: “Where might amphibians live?” (Andes Mountains, deserts, tropical rainforests) “Let’s view the video to see some different characteristics of frogs and toads, and how frogs and toads are different.”

Resume:  Characteristics of Frogs and Toads and How Each Are Different

Pause:  Pause the video when the narrator says: (evil and witchcraft)

Teacher:  “What are some differences between frogs and toads?” (Toads skin is dry and knobby, poison glands behind the eyes; frogs skin is moist and smooth) “Let’s find out how frogs and toads are alike?” 

Resume:  Frogs and Toads Similarities

Pause:  Pause the video when the narrator says: (both have strong back legs)

Teacher: “How are frogs and toads alike?” (Both constantly pulsate their throats to pump air to their lungs; both have strong back legs) “Did you hear another difference between frogs and toads?” (Frogs jump and toads walk) “Now let’s listen to find out how the frog survives in the desert.”

Resume: Frog Survives in the Desert

Pause: Pause the video when the narrator says: (boy jumping 50 yards in one leap) “How did this frog survive in the desert?” (Lots of patience-waits seven years for it to rain) What did the frog have to protect itself?” (Makes a transparent bag over and around its body) “Let’s find out how the Wax frog protects itself from the dry weather.”

Resume: Wax Frog

Pause: Pause the video when the narrator says: (coating itself)

Teacher:  “How does the Wax Frog protect itself from the dry weather?” (The frog produces a wax and uses it to coat its body.) “Let’s listen to see how the Red-Eyed Tree Frog adapts to its surroundings.”
 

Resume: Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Pause :Pause the video when the narrator says: (curling up in the shade)

Teacher: “How does the Red –Eyed Tree Frog adapt to its surroundings?" (It prevents the loss of moisture from its body by curling up in the shade.) “Now let’s listen to find out what characteristics that frog and toads have in common.”

Resume:  Characteristic that Frogs and Toads Have in Common

Pause:  Pause the video when after the narrator says: (bullfrog hearing is keen)

Teacher:  “Which one of the five senses to frogs and toads have that is important in the behaviors of frogs and toads?” (Hearing-use differently by different frogs and toads; different in males and females.) “Let’s find out some characteristics about the eyes of amphibians.”

Resume: Eyes of Amphibians

Pause: Pause the video when the narrator says: (only sees in two colors: black and white)

Teacher: “Describe the eyes of amphibians." (Eyeballs come in all shapes and sizes. For night vision eyes come in catlike slits both horizontal and vertical, square pupils and heart shaped ones, wide range of colors, see only in black and white)

"How do frogs protect themselves from predators?" Let’s listen to find out.”

Resume: Frogs Protection from Predators

Pause: Pause the video when the narrator says: (frog’s adaptation wins the day)

Teacher: "How did the frog protect itself from the predator?" (The frog’s skin reflects the same amount of ultraviolet light, as the leaf it is sitting on-it becomes almost indistinguishable to the snake.)  "Finally, Amphibians have to protect themselves from other predators."   "Let’s listen to see some of their adaptations.”

Resume: Frog Adaptations

Pause: Pause the video when the narrator says: (hard as a helmet)

Teacher: “What are some of the adaptations that amphibians do to protect themselves?” (Adorns itself in many colors-moss or green chocolate brown in a bed of mud, spreads out weedlike in the surroundings, just becomes a leaf, uses head to retreat into a plant.)

Teacher: “Tell me what you saw in the video.” “Let’s review the information that we made earlier using the Venn diagrams.”  “What group of animals did we learn about today while viewing the video?” (Amphibians)  “What were the two groups of amphibians that we learn about while viewing the video?” (Frogs and toads)  “Let’s review the characteristics of frogs and toads.”

POST VIEWING ACTIVITY

The students will play the game:  Racing For the Pond.  Divide the class into groups of 3-6 students.  Each group of students will need two activity sheets:  Racing For the Pond and Racing For the Pond Gameboard The teacher will show and explain the game using the transparencies on the overhead projector.  Then the students will begin to play the game.  After each student has rolled the cube for all the six numbers, the group will add all the frogs together for each cube.  A recorder will record the results so that the group can complete the bar graph.  After all the groups have finished the bar graphs, a student chosen from each group will share the results with the class.

ACTION PLAN

Invite a herpetologist to visit the class

Take a field trip to a nature center, museum or zoo

EXTENSIONS

Language Arts:

Write a class BIG Book about Frogs and Toads

Write a poem about the frog or toad researched

Create a skit using the finger puppets
 

Science: 

Research a frog or toad

Draw and label the stages of the Life Cycle of Frogs and Toads

Create a mini book of the Life Cycle

Create a slide presentation about the frog or toad using HyperStudio or PowerPoint
 

Math: 

Measure and Graph the distance using the Jumping Frogs

Play game “Racing for the Pond"
 

Social Studies: 

Read and plot on maps showing the different locations of frogs and toads

Research how environmental problems affect frogs and toads

Read frog and toad legends from different cultures

Music: 

Listen to frog and toad sounds from the Internet sites: 

http://frog.simplenet.com/froggy/

Listen to audiotapes:

“Frog Talk” by Robert Baldwin

“Voices of the Night” by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology

“The Calls of Frogs and Toads” by Lang Elliot

Create a chorus by imitating the calls of different species of frogs and toads with voices and objects
 

Art: 

Create a sock tadpole

Make a mobile of the Life Cycle of Frogs or Toads

Create a Frog and Toad Mural

Use egg carton or walnuts to create a frog or toad
 

Internet Connections:

http://frog.simplenet.com/froggy/

http://frog.simplenet.com/froggy/pictures.shtml

http://cgee.hamline.edu/frogs/

http://www.kidland.com/

The Toad by Jane Burton Frog by Moira Butterfield Frog:Life Story by Michael Chinery The World of Frogs and Toads by Jane Dallinger & Sylvia Johnson What is a Frog by Gene Darby Frogs by Gail Bibbons Frogs and Toads by Kate Petty Toad by Andrienne Soutter-Perrot

RESOURCES

Tadpole and Frog by Christine Back

Hoppy

Copyright 2002

Bush's Bulldogs