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Life Processes Susan Mathews Mary Searls TEDU 414 December 4, 2014 2nd Grade 5 Days
Life Processes
Susan Mathews
Mary Searls
TEDU 414
December 4, 2014
2nd Grade
5 Days
A Frog’s Life
Second Grade
1) Unit Introduction:
● During this 5 lesson unit, students will study the life cycle of frogs.
● Students will be introduced to the concept of animals that develop in stages, changing
drastically through their life cycle.
● Students will identify some animals that grow in stages, focusing on frogs, their stages of
development, and important characteristics about them. Frogs are an easily identifiable
creatures and very common to students, making the lesson more relatable and
understandable.
2a) The student will know that some animals are not born looking like their parents but instead
go through stages called life cycles, more specifically focusing on the frog as an example. The
student will be able to name the different life cycles of the frog and give a little bit of information
about each life cycle. The students appreciate that frogs are an integral part of the ecosystem
and the pond habitat.
b. Specific Objectives:
● Given a sticky note, the students will be able to list one recently learned fact about frogs
and their habitats with 100% accuracy.
● Given a KWL chart the student will be able to write one fact they already know, one thing
they want to learn about, and one fact they learned through the reading.
● Students will be able to ask and answer questions about frogs and their life cycles
through a game called Quiz Quiz Trade.
● The students will able to write to construct a tadpole using a paper plate, tissue paper,
and paint based on information shared with them.
● The students will be able to contribute in a class discussion about appropriate behavior
during physical activities.
● The students will be able to identify characteristics of an adult frog that help it survive in
the wild.
● Given a smartboard, the student will be able to draw one characteristic of a frog, its
habitat, or its life cycle with 100% accuracy.
c. Standard of Learning (SOLs):
● Science 2.4
a) animal life cycles; and
b) plant life cycles.
● Science 2.5 The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a
system. Key concepts include
a) living organisms are interdependent with their living and nonliving surroundings;
b) an animal’s habitat includes adequate food, water, shelter or cover, and space;
c) habitats change over time due to many influences; and
d) fossils provide information about living systems that were on Earth years ago.
● Language Arts 2.9 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction
texts.
a) Preview the selection using text
features.
b) Make and confirm predictions
about the main idea.
c) Use prior and background
knowledge as context for new
learning.
d) Set purpose for reading.
e) Ask and answer questions about
what is read.
f) Locate information to answer
questions.
g) Identify the main idea.
h) Read and reread familiar passages
with fluency, accuracy, and
meaningful expression.
● Fine Arts/ Visual Arts 2.4
The student will create works of art inspired by a variety of concepts, themes, and
literary sources.
● Physical Education 2.4
● The student will exhibit, in physical activity settings, cooperative, respectful, and
safe behaviors.
● C/T K-2.1 Demonstrate an operational knowledge of various technologies.
A. Use various types of technology devices to perform learning tasks.
Use a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, touchpad, and other input devices to
interact with a computer.
Use appropriate buttons, gestures, menu choices, and commands to manipulate
the computer when completing learning tasks.
B. Communicate about technology with appropriate terminology.
Use basic technology vocabulary as
needed.
3) Unit Evaluation: The student will be able to answer 8 out of 10 questions correctly on
the end of unit test.
Resources:
● Butternut Hollow Pond by Brian Heinz
● Sticky notes
● “The Frog Pond” (Poster board labeled “The Frog Pond” and decorated as such to be
hung in the class for students to post sticky notes to share ideas)
● Blackboard/whiteboard/smart board with appropriate writing utensils
● Pencils, crayons, markers
● Science journals
● Tadpoles and Frogs by Thea Feldman
● KWL Chart
● Quiz Quiz Trade Cards
● http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts3.htm
● Day 2 Teacher Cheat Sheet
● Paper plates
● Glue
● Paint
● Google eyes
● Scissors
● Tissue paper
● Construction paper
● http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2010/07/paper-plate-crafts.html
● Tadpoles and Frogs by Thea Feldman
● http://animals.pawnation.com/interesting-tadpoles-6455.html
● Day 3 Teacher Cheat Sheet
● Scissors
● Photograph of frog
● 15-20 copies of frog print out
● Crayons/colored pencils to color frogs
● Tape/tacks to hide frogs
● 3-5 plastic baggies (depending on the number of teams)
● 3-5 sets of questions (depending on the number of teams)
● Scissors to cut questions into slips
● Pencils to write answers
● Computer with internet and YouTube access
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMs3waaW75g
● Smartboard/Promethean board
● Science journals
● Writing utensils to use in science journal (pencils, crayons, markers, etc.)
● Day 4 teacher sheet
● http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Themes/frogs/
● http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2010/07/paper-plate-crafts.html
● http://www.drawcentral.com/2012/05/how-to-draw-frog.html
Unit Plan Day 1- "Learning About Pond Habitats"
Purpose:
The student will learn about animals that grow in orderly stages. To exemplify this, the students
will focus on the life cycle of a frog, as frogs are common creatures in the student’s
environment, making the information more relevant to students’ own lives. To introduce this unit,
students will study ponds and the animals that live in a pond habitat, to establish some
background knowledge of frog, before diving into their life cycle. This information serves as a
basis for students’ developing knowledge of biology and how various life processes work.
Main SOL:
VA SOL Science 2.4
The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly
changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include
a) animal life cycles; and
b) plant life cycles.
Supporting SOL:
Science 2.5 The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system.
Key concepts include
a) living organisms are interdependent with their living and nonliving surroundings;
b) an animal’s habitat includes adequate food, water, shelter or cover, and space;
c) habitats change over time due to many influences; and
d) fossils provide information about living systems that were on Earth years ago.
Objectives:
● Given a sticky note, the students will be able to list one recently learned fact about frogs
and their habitats with 100% accuracy.
Procedure:
a) Introduction:
● Before the lesson begins, the teacher will grab the students' attention by giving the
students the chance to move around and "get the wiggles out." The teacher will invite
the class to the carpet, or another open space, and lead the class in a specific
movement. Students will start crouched down on the floor, then jump up high with their
arms up to the sky. The students will do this several times, before the teacher asks the
class what kind of jump the students were doing (frog jump). (kinesthetic)
● The teacher will explain that he/she will read a book (Butternut Hollow Pond) to the class
about pond life.
● Before reading, the students will share what they know about ponds and their
experiences with them.
b) Development:
● Before the book is read, the students will make predictions about the kinds of wildlife
they will see in the book.
● Time will be given for each student to open their science journal and label one page
"What I know about ponds" and the second page "What I learned about ponds."
Students will write their prior knowledge in the first section before the book is read.
● The teacher will read the book to the class, periodically stopping to check with student
about their predictions. (Auditory)
● After the book has been read, the teacher will work with the students to create a web on
the board to sort through new information. (Example start with pond, which branches into
different areas of the pond, which branches into animals that live in each area, which
branches into a food chain, etc.) (Visual) When the class has agreed on a thorough web,
each student will copy the web down in his/her science journal. This will go in the "What I
Learned" page.
c) Summary:
● The teacher will invite the students to think back to the book and write down one new
fact that they learned about frogs and their habitat. The students will write this on a
sticky note which they will post in the “frog pond” (see materials). (Visual) The teacher
will choose some of the students’ facts to discuss with the class. (Auditory) He/she will
explain that the class will be focusing on frogs and their life cycles for the upcoming unit
and encourage the students to remember what was discussed about frogs, in this
lesson, to use for the next few lessons.
● For strugglers, the teacher can help students write or allow them to draw a picture, for
those who struggle with expressing their thoughts through words.
● For advanced students, the teacher can encourage these students to write 2-3 facts.
Materials:
● Butternut Hollow Pond by Brian Heinz
● Sticky notes
● “The Frog Pond” (Poster board labeled “The Frog Pond” and decorated as such to be
hung in the class for students to post sticky notes to share ideas)
● Blackboard/whiteboard/smart board with appropriate writing utensils
● Pencils, crayons, markers
● Science Journal
Evaluation A:
● The teacher will know if the student has met the objective by reviewing the "frog pond,"
and assessing that each student has one correct fact written down.
● This will be supported through the class discussions to give further insight into the
student's understanding.
Evaluation B:
● Did the student meet your objectives?
● How do you know?
● Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners?
● What were the strengths of the lesson
● What were the weaknesses?
● How would you change the lesson if you could teach it again?
Unit Plan Day 2- "Stages of the Frog Life Cycle"
Purpose:
● In this lesson, students will learn that some animals are born looking unlike their parents
are grow in distinct stages until they take their adult form. To exemplify this, students will
study the life cycle of a frog.
Main SOL:
VA SOL Science 2.4
The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of
orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include
a) animal life cycles; and
b) plant life cycle
Supporting SOL:
VA SOL Language Arts 2.9
2.9 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts.
a) Preview the selection using text features.
b) Make and confirm predictions about the main idea.
c) Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
d) Set purpose for reading.
e) Ask and answer questions about what is read.
f) Locate information to answer questions.
g) Identify the main idea.
h) Read and reread familiar passages with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful
expression.
Objectives:
● Given a KWL chart the student will be able to write one fact they already know, one thing
they want to learn about, and one fact they learned through the reading.
● Students will be able to ask and answer questions about frogs and their life cycles
through a game called Quiz Quiz Trade.
Procedure:
a) Introduction:
● The teacher will ask the students to share what they know about the frog life cycle
(Auditory). If students need prompting, the teacher may ask about what a baby frog
might look like; does anyone know what a tadpole looks like; do frogs have live babies or
lay eggs; etc.) The emphasis should be on the students’ brainstorming, not the
correctness of the answers.
● The teacher will also ask if anybody has been to a pond and seen little things swimming
in the water?
○ What did they look like?
○ From what we have learned about the cycle so far do you think it could a stage in
the cycle for frogs? and if so what are they called? (Auditory)
● After the students have shared, the teacher will explain that the class will be reading a
book about the life cycle of frogs called Tadpoles and Frogs by Thea Feldman.
(Auditory)
● The teacher will pass out a KWL chart to each student. (see attached)
● The teacher will explain that the first column is for the students to fill out what they
already know about frogs.
● The teacher will explain that the second column is for student to come up with ideas of
things they would like to know about frogs.
● The teacher will allow about 5 minutes for the students to fill out the first two columns.
b) Development:
● The teacher will invite the students to gather on the carpet with their KWL charts.
● The teacher will explain that the students will be filling out the last column after the book
has been read.
● Throughout the reading of Tadpoles and Frogs by Thea Feldman, the teacher will
periodically pause to ask the students if any information came up that they had written
on the K part of the chart.
● After reading, the teacher will ask if any students learned the answer to some of the
questions they wrote in the W section of their chart.
● I will also use information from http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts3.htm with the kids
after reading the book. (Auditory and Visual)
● The teacher will have each student write one fact that they learned about the frog life
cycle in the last column of the chart.
● The teacher will allow time for the students to share what they learned (the L section).
○ For advanced students they will share how two facts are linked together.
○ For strugglers they can verbally tell me the fact but not have to write it down if
they can explain it better than they can write it.
c) Summary:
● The teacher will explain that the students are going to play a game called Quiz Quiz
Trade. (Auditory)
● The questions from Quiz Quiz Trade will come both from the book and
http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts3.htm.
● The teacher will give each student a card with a question about something from the
book.
● The teacher will explain the rules of the game: Two students will pair up, take turns
asking and answering each other’s questions, then trade cards.
● The students who need a new partner will hold their hand in the air until the find a new
partner, to make it easier to find another person to work with.
● The teacher will model a round.
● After the activity is done I will have everyone come back to the carpet and have them tell
me some of the things they learned through the activities that were interesting to them.
Materials:
● Tadpoles and Frogs by Thea Feldman
● KWL Chart (attached)
● Quiz Quiz Trade Cards (attached)
● http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts3.htm
● Day 2 Teacher Cheat Sheet
Evaluation Part A:
● The teacher will know if the students haves met the objective by looking at their KWL
charts, as well as through listening to their responses as they play Quiz Quiz Trade.
(Auditory)
Evaluation B:
● Did the student meet your objectives?
● How do you know?
● Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners?
● What were the strengths of the lesson?
● What were the weaknesses?
● How would you change the lesson if you could teach it again?
What I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned
Unit Plan Day 3: “Tadpole time”
Purpose:
In this lesson, students will study the second stage in the frog cycle, the tadpole. The tadpole is
one of the more important stages in the frog’s development, as it is the first stage after hatching
from the egg and is one of the most visually distinct stages.
Main SOL:
VA SOL Science 2.4
The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of
orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include
a) animal life cycles; and
b) plant life cycles.
Secondary SOL:
Fine Arts/ Visual Arts 2.4
The student will create works of art inspired by a variety of concepts, themes, and
literary sources.
Objectives:
● The students will able to write to construct a tadpole using a paper plate, tissue paper,
and paint based on information shared with them. (Visual)
Procedure:
a) Introduction:
● The teacher will invite the students to the carpet and tell them that today we are going to
learn a little more about the life cycles of frogs and the second stage in the cycle, which
is a tadpole.
● The teacher will ask the students to share what they remember learning about the frog
life cycle. (Auditory)
b) Development:
● The teacher will tell the students that they will be learning about the second stage of the
frog life cycle.
● The teacher will reintroduce the book Tadpoles and Frogs by Thea Feldman and read
pg. 10-15.
● The teacher will display the following website: http://animals.pawnation.com/interesting-
tadpoles-6455.html
● The teacher and students will look at the picture of the tadpole and compare it to the
other stages shown in the picture.
● See teacher cheat sheet for key information from the website
Summary:
● After reading the pages pertaining to the tadpole in the book along with websit, the
students will make a tadpole at their seats. (Auditory)
● Before doing the activity, the teacher should create his/her own tadpole or show the
class a picture of a completed project.
● Each student will be given a paper plate.
● The student will paint the paint green (like a tadpole).
● On one side of the plate, the student will glue a google eye and a mouth that they will cut
out of construction paper (or draw on the plate).
● On the other side of the plate, the student will attach streamer-like strips of tissue paper
to make a tadpole tail.
● As the students are working, the teacher will walk around the room to monitor the
students’ progress.
● The students will be given time to share their completed frogs with the class and hang
them in the room.
Materials:
● Paper plates
● Glue
● Paint
● Eyeballs
● Scissors
● Tissue paper
● Eyes
● Construction paper
● Tadpoles and Frogs by Thea Feldman
● http://animals.pawnation.com/interesting-tadpoles-6455.html
● Day 3 Teacher Cheat Sheet
● http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2010/07/paper-plate-crafts.html
Evaluation Part A:
● I will assess the students' knowledge of the life cycles of a frog by looking at their
finished tadpole to see if was constructed using information shared during class and the
picture (see next page)
Evaluation Part B:
● Did the student meet your objectives?
● How do you know
● Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners?
● What were the strengths of the lesson?
● What were the weaknesses?
● How would you change the lesson if you could teach it again?
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2010/07/paper-plate-crafts.html
Day 4- “Characteristics of Adult Frogs”
Purpose:
In this lesson, students will study the last stage of the frog cycle, the adult frog. Students will
learn about the characteristics of an adult frog and how it survives in the wild.
Main SOL:
VA SOL Science 2.4
The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly
changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include
a) animal life cycles; and
b) plant life cycles
Supporting SOL:
VA SOL Physical Education 2.4
The student will exhibit, in physical activity settings, cooperative, respectful, and safe
behaviors.
Objectives:
● The students will be able to contribute in a class discussion about appropriate behavior
during physical activities.
● The students will be able to identify characteristics of an adult frog that help it survive in
the wild.
Procedure:
a) Introduction:
● Students will learn new information about characteristics and behaviors of frogs during
the last stage of their life cycle, the adult stage.
● Students will refer back to information they have learned in this unit, so far, to participate
in a discussion about survival methods for adult frogs.
● Students will learn this information through physical activities, while practicing safe and
responsible behaviors.
b) Development:
● Before this lesson begins, the teacher should print out 15-20 copies of the frog print out
(see attached) and cut each one out. He/she should color each frog to match something
in the environment and tape the frogs around outside. depending on where the teacher
chooses to do the activity. This will simulate the frogs camouflaging.
● The teacher should also prepare, in advance, an area for a relay race and place baggies
with questions cut into slips at the end of the relay track (see summary for details).
● The teacher will gather the students outside.
● The teacher will show the class a photograph of a froglet. (visual)
● The teacher will address the class, reminding them of the frog life cycle that they have
been studying: “During each stage, the frog has been changing and growing to have
specific features. The frog goes through a lot of changes to become a frog. Let’s talk
about why these changes could be so important.”
● The teacher will ask the class to name some characteristics of an adult frog (no tail
anymore; four legs; sticky tongue; bulging eyes; can jump very far; etc.)
● How do these traits help a frog survive? (sticky tongue to catch bugs to eat; four legs to
jump far to escape from predators; bulging eyes to see predators sneaking up on them;
etc.)
● The teacher will introduce the concept of camouflage to the class: One key element of a
frog’s survival is its color. Many frogs use camouflage to hide from predators. This
means that they can blend in with their surrounding. Frogs that live in green, leafy trees
may be green to blend in with the leaves. A frog that mostly lives in muddy water, may
be brown to blend in with the mud. (auditory)
● The teacher will divide the students into 3-5 teams, depending on the size of the class,
with an equal number of students in each team.
● The teacher will explain that there are 15-20 (tell the class the specific number,
depending on how many copies the teacher chose to make) frogs camouflaged in the
environment. Each team should try to gather as many frogs as they can. When the
students, as a team, feel that they have found all the frogs that they can find, they will
bring them to the teacher, who will count them. The team that collects the most frogs
wins. (kinesthetic)
● Before students search for their frogs, the teacher will explain that it is important for the
students to be “cooperative, respectful, and safe,” while participating in physical
activities.
● The teacher will say: “We work together. We play fair. We look out for one another,” and
have the student repeat it back. (auditory)
● The teacher will encourage a discussion about what it means to be cooperative,
respectful, and safe: You can be fast, but look out for other students. Keep your hands to
yourself. Don’t be a sore loser or a sore winner. Etc.
● For struggling students, the teacher can encourage students within a team to buddy up,
while finding their frogs.
● For advanced students, the teacher can appoint a student or two per team to be the
“leader” and keep track of how many frogs the team has found.
c) Summary:
● The teacher will ask the students to discuss with their teammates all the characteristics
of a frog that help it survive in its environment. The students should think back to the
class discussion at the beginning of this lesson.
● After the students have had time to discuss, the teams will line up for a relay race. At the
end of each team’s line will be baggie with 7 questions about frogs (see attached).
● The first person in line will frog hop down to the baggie and retrieve one slip of paper
with a question on it. He/she will frog hop back to his/her team. (Hopping is one survival
mechanism of a frog!) (kinesthetic)
● For students who are physically unable to frog hop, the teacher can assign another
movement for the student to do in the relay.
● The team will collaborate on an answer for each question and write it on the back of their
question slip.
● When a question has been answered, the next person in line will repeat this process.
● This will repeat until all 7 questions have been answered, at which point one person from
the team will bring the questions and answers to the teacher.
● The first team to answer all 7 questions with the most questions correct will win.
● Before the activity has begun, the teacher will have the students recite the phrase,
again. “We work together. We play fair. We look out for one another.”
● The teacher will review with the students what this means for the relay race (stop a few
feet before you get to your team, so you don’t bump into them; stay in your lane; one
question at a time; etc.)
Materials:
● Photograph of frog
● 15-20 copies of frog print out
● Crayons/colored pencils to color frogs
● Tape/tacks to hide frogs
● 3-5 plastic baggies (depending on the number of teams)
● 3-5 sets of questions (depending on the number of teams)
● Scissors to cut questions into slips
● Pencils to write answers
● Teacher cheat sheet for day 4 (http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Themes/frogs/)
● http://www.drawcentral.com/2012/05/how-to-draw-frog.html
Evaluation A:
● The teacher will know if the class has met the P.E. objective, if students participate in the
scavenger hunt and relay using safe, positive, and appropriate behavior.
● The teacher will know if the class has met the science objective, through the completion
and accuracy of each team’s 7 questions during the relay race.
Evaluation B:
● Did the student meet your objectives?
● How do you know?
● Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners?
● What were the strengths of the lesson
● What were the weaknesses?
● How would you change the lesson if you could teach it again?
http://www.drawcentral.com/2012/05/how-to-draw-frog.html
The first stage of life for a frog is called the
(a) egg (b) pollywog (c) tadpole (d) froglet.
A frog’s color helps it hide. This is called
_______________________.
What is one big difference between a tadpole and a frog?
What does a frog’s tongue help it do?
Why do frogs need to be able to jump far?
Some frogs have suction cups on their feet to make them sticky.
Why would frogs need sticky feet?
Frogs have webbed feet to help to help them _______________.
Mary Searls
Susan Mathews
Unit Plan Day 5- “Life cycle of a frog review”
Purpose:
This lesson serves to act as a review for the previous four days. In this lesson, students will
watch a video clip of real frogs in their environment and review the stages of the frog life cycle to
solidify the information that have learned throughout the unit.
Main SOL:
VA SOL Science 2.4
The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly
changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include
a) animal life cycles; and
b) plant life cycles
Supporting SOL:
VA SOL Computer/Technology K-2.1
Demonstrate an operational knowledge of various technologies.
A. Use various types of technology devices to perform learning tasks.
Use a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, touchpad, and other input devices to
interact with a computer.
Use appropriate buttons, gestures, menu choices, and commands to manipulate
the computer when completing learning tasks.
B. Communicate about technology with appropriate terminology.
Use basic technology vocabulary as needed.
Objective:
● Given a smartboard, the student will be able to draw one characteristic of a frog, its
habitat, or its life cycle with 100% accuracy.
Procedure:
a) Introduction
● The teacher will show a YouTube video, called “Life Cycle of a Frog!” The video will
serve as a review of the stages of the frog life cycle, as well as to present new
information by showing real frogs in their natural environment. (visual and auditory)
● The teacher will give the class time to make comments and ask questions about the
information presented in the video.
b) Development
● The teacher will go over how to use basic drawing tools the smart board/Promethean
board with the class (use the pen or finger to draw; don’t press down too hard; how to
change colors, etc.)
● The teacher will invite a couple of students to the board to practice these skills. (visual
and kinesthetic)
● The teacher will give each student an instruction (i.e. draw a purple triangle) to practice
using the smart board/Promethean board.
● The teacher will draw an oval with a dark circle in the middle on the board. He/she will
explain that the drawing is of a frog egg, which is the first step of the frog life cycle.
● The teacher will invite a student to come to the board to add one thing to the oval,
making it look like the next step of the frog life cycle. (Example, the student may draw a
tail coming off of the oval to make a tadpole.)
● Another student will come to the board to add another piece to the drawing.
● The key to this activity is to not erase the whole drawing. Each student can erase parts
of the picture and add to the picture, but they can not erase the whole picture and start
over.
● Each student should try to draw only one thing. This may mean that several students
need to add to the picture to create one completed stage.
● The teacher should encourage the students to show what happens in between stages, if
possible. (Example, draw small legs on the tadpole before erasing the tail.)
● After the students have taken the oval all the way through to a frog, the students can add
pictures of the habitat, food sources, etc. that the frog would need to survive.
● For struggling students, the teacher can have the student dictate what he/she would
draw and have another student (or the teacher) draw for that student, if he/she is unable
to manipulate the board.
● For advanced students, the teacher can ask the student to explain the significance of
his/her drawing to the life cycle of a frog (how does this change help the frog?).
c) Summary
● When the students feel that their picture is completed, the teacher will instruct them to
write about the activity in their science journal and add an illustration. The students
should reflect upon the major changes that they made to the pictures to make east stage
of the life cycle. (visual)
Materials:
● Computer with internet and YouTube access
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMs3waaW75g
● Smartboard/Promethean board
● Science Journal
● Writing utensils to use in science journal (pencils, crayons, markers, etc.)
● Teacher cheat sheet for day 5
Evaluation A:
● The teacher will know if the class has met the computer/technology objective, if students
are able to effectively use the smartboard/Promethean board to illustrate the frog life
cycle.
● The teacher will know if the students have met the science objective by observing their
work at the smartboard/promethean board and assessing each student’s writing and
drawing in their science journal.
Evaluation B:
● Did the student meet your objectives?
● How do you know?
● Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners?
● What were the strengths of the lesson
● What were the weaknesses?
● How would you change the lesson if you could teach it again?
Teacher Sheet for Day 2
The Lifecycle of a Frog
Metamorphosis is the change of shape during an animal’s life. During metamorphosis the
tadpole will develop back legs first, then front legs. Around 6 weeks of life the mouth starts to
widen. Sometime around 10 weeks the froglet’s, as it is now called, eyes start to bulge out and
the tail begins to shrink and eventually disappear. When the lungs finish developing the froglet
makes it’s way onto the land and, Ta-da! It’s a frog!
Frog eggs floating in a pond: these clusters of
floating eggs are called "egg masses".
Frogs lay up to 4,000 eggs at one time!
Tadpoles hatch from the eggs and live in the
pond.
The tadpoles turn into Froglets. The body
shrinks and legs form. Sometimes this is
considered a separate stage called “tadpole with
legs.”
The Froglet's tail shrinks, the lungs develop and
the back legs grow and then we have a Frog.
Amphibians must shed their skin as they grow.
Usually the shed skin is eaten. Yum!
http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts3.htm
Teacher Sheet for Day 3
Tadpoles
Characteristics:
● Tadpoles do not resemble frogs or toads much at all -- they look more like fish (shape of
body and long, finlike tails)
● . Frog and toad tadpoles are usually brown, gold, or green in their coloring.
● . Their bodies display markings such as spots and speckles.
● Frog and toad tadpoles have two to four rows of teeth, depending on species.
● A tadpole has a tail, but when it's changing into a froglet and getting rid of its tail, it stops
eating and absorbs into its body all the food that's been stored in the tail.
Development:
● Frog tadpoles eventually transform into frogs, and toad tadpoles morph into toads. The
time it takes for this transformation to complete varies widely from species to species --
some amphibians fully develop into frogs or toads within six weeks, whereas others take
up to three years to complete the process.
● transformation should take place in the wild outdoors,rather than in captivity, especially
given that numbers of amphibians have been decreasing in the wild.
● Frog and toad tadpoles have what they need in the wild to develop properly. Because
tadpoles are so sensitive, the water they live in cannot contain certain toxins and
chemicals, such as chlorine, heavy metals and chloramines.
Breathing:
● Tadpoles breathe and absorb oxygen when they are in the water,
● Fully developed frogs and toads can breathe on both land and water.
● Tadpoles breathe through gills, which is another characteristic that makes them similar
to fish. As they grow, they eventually lose their gills.
Behavior:
● Tadpoles also behave like fish..
● They swim around in schools in the bodies of water they inhabit while developing.
● Tadpoles start to eat plants, such as algae and seaweed, about a week after they hatch
from eggs. Eventually as they grow, they start to eat insects.
● They spend all of their time as tadpoles living in water. Once tadpoles become fully
grown frogs and toads, they live both in water and on land.
http://animals.pawnation.com/interesting-tadpoles-6455.html
Teacher Sheet for Day 4
Frogs
Frogs are a kind of small animal belonging to a group called vertebrates (animals with
backbones) known as amphibians. This mean that they live part of their life in water and the
other part of it on land. The word amphibian comes from 2 Greek words, "amphi" which means
"both" and "bios" which means "life". Amphibians are cold-blooded animals. This mean that their
body temperature is the same as the surrounding temperature. Their skin absorbs water into
their body so they do not have to drink water to survive.
Examples of other amphibians are salamanders and caecilians.
Frogs have strong hind legs to enable them leap forward at a great distance.The front legs or
arms are short. They are used to prop the frog up when it sits.
Frogs also have webbed feet for swimming.
Some have suction disks on the tip of their toes to help them climb.
The back feet of the Spade-Foot toad has a special hard spur to make it easier for burrowing.
Some have large webs to assist them in gliding in the air, almost like flying.
The spines on the males' front feet help them to grip on the female during mating.
How does a frog catch an insect:
The frog's diet consist mainly of insects, small animals like earthworms, minnows and spiders.
Most frogs have a sticky tongue. To catch an insect, the frog flips out its tongue rapidly, get the
insect and retracts its tongue. Frogs will swallow their prey in one piece because they only have
teeth in the upper jaw. Doesn't do much for chewing ! Frogs hunt mostly at night.
How does the frog protect itself from the enemy:
The frog has enemies that will eat them. They are bats, heron, fish, racoons, turtles, snakes and
even human beings. Human beings eat them and also destroy their natural habitat and prevent
them from breeding. Different species of frogs have different kinds of protection. Some have
poison glands in their skin, like a chemical warfare tactic!. The skin will secret and cover the
body with the poison and this will deter the enemy from eating them. Some use colors to protect
themselves. Some will be very brightly colored body (especially red and yellow) to warn
enemies that it taste bad or are poisonous, so stay away! Example of this is the Poison Arrow
Frog (Poison-dart). The American Native Indians used their poison for their arrows. The
Malaysian Leap Frog will show bright colors to confuse its enemy. Others will use their color as
camouflage to blend into the environment to hide from their enemies. The Red-Eyed Tree Frog
does this pretty well. Frogs also have bulging eyes. This is to enable them to have a panoramic
view (can view in all directions) and avoid the enemy.
Some will try to fool the enemy by puffing themselves up with air to make it look too big to be
swallowed. An example is the Tomato frog. Then there is this False-Eyed frog which hunches
over to show its two false eye spots at the back. The spots also oozes out foul smelling liquid.
The eye spots are to scare the enemy away and if that does not work, it hopes to deter the
enemy from eating it by the foul smell. The Leopard Frog will play dead by keeping very still and
holding its breath to avoid being eaten. Some will give out a loud scream to startle the enemy to
drop them. Some will urinate as it jumps away to give it a bad taste and also to cover their
scent.
Singing Frogs:
The male frogs are the ones that sing. Different species sing different songs. Males are the
ones that have the loud voice. Some females have voices too but they are softer. The males
sing (grunts, croaks) to attract the females for mating. Some frogs even have a vocal sac which
fills with air and swells up to make the voice even louder, like an amplifier (refer to picture).
Some males use their voice as a territorial call to warn other males of the same species that this
is their territory.
Why are frogs important:
Frogs are important to human beings. They are a source of food in some countries. They eat
insects, some of which are serious pests. We use them for medical research to test for new
drugs and students dissect them to learn about anatomy. They are also part of the eco-system
which means that whatever happens to them will affect other animals and even us in different
ways. We are all connected in the web of life.
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Themes/frogs/
Day 2 Materials:
Quiz Quiz Trade Questions
What time of year do frogs come to the pond?
Why do frogs come to the pond?
Do frogs lay lots of eggs or just a couple?
What do frog eggs feel like?
What is inside each egg?
Do frogs grow inside of eggs?
How does the baby frog get out of the egg?
What is a baby frog called?
When the tadpole becomes three months what does it turn into?
After a month what does a froglet turn into?
Where do tadpoles live?
What are clusters of floating eggs called in a pond?
What does a froglet have that a tadpole doesn’t?
What does a tadpole have that a frog doesn’t?
How do frogs get from one place to another?
How do tadpoles move without legs?
What do some male frogs do to attract female frogs?
What is another name for a “tadpole with legs”
What kind of animal is a frog?
What is an amphibian?
How do tadpoles breath?
Where do you think a good place to hide would be, if you were a frog?
What do you think the best part about being a frog would be?
What do you think the hardest part of being a frog would be?
What kinds of predators do frogs (in all stages) have to look out for?
Cheat Sheet for the teacher:
● Where do tadpoles live? In water (Ponds)
● What are clusters of floating eggs called in a pond? Egg masses
● How does an adult frog catch its food? Long, sticky tongue
● After a month what does a froglet turn into? Adult Frog
● When the tadpole becomes three months old what does it turn into? Froglet
● Do frogs grow inside of eggs? Yes
● How does the baby frog get out of the egg? Wiggles its way out
● What is a baby frog called? Tadpole
● What is inside each frog egg? Tadpole/Baby frog
● What do frog eggs feel like? Squishy like jelly
● Do frogs lay lots of eggs or just a couple? Lots!
● Why do frogs come to the pond? To lay eggs
● What time of year do frogs come to the pond? Spring
● What does a froglet have that a tadpole doesn’t? Legs
● What does a tadpole have that a frog doesn’t? Tail
● How do frogs get from one place to another? Hop/Jump
● How do tadpoles move without legs?
● What do some male frogs do to attract female frogs? Sing
● What is an amphibian? An animal that is cold-blooded, has a spine, and has lungs to
breathe on land but starts out as a baby will gills to breathe in water
● What kind of animal is a frog? Amphibian
● How do tadpoles breath? Gills to breathe in the water
● What kinds of predators do frogs (in all stages) have to look out for? Fish, birds, cats,
dogs
Name ____________________________________________
Date________________________
Frog Life Cycle Test
Directions: Circle the choice that best completes the sentence. Each question is worth ten
points.
1) An animal's _________ includes its food, water, shelter and space.
a. home
b. habitat
c. domain
d. living space
2) Some animals go through ________.
a. life stages
b. life phases
c. life cycles
d. life times
3) In the first stage of the life cycle of a frog the eggs are called _______.
a. clusters
b. frog eggs
c. egg masses
d. a mass
4) During the second stage of the cycle baby frogs are called ________.
a. children
b. tadpoles
c. froglet
d. tiny frogs
5) During the third stage of the cycle the frogs are called ________.
a. froglets
b. teenagers
c. frogs
d. tadpoles
6) The fourth stage of the life cycle is the _________.
a. adult frog
b. froglet
c. polliwog
d. amphibian
7) Some animals use ____________ to blend in with their surroundings.
a. hibernation
b. hide and go seek
c. camouflage
d. carnivores
8) _______ and _________ are two things that help a frog survive in the wild.
a. sharp teeth/thick skin
b. . bulging eyes/ability to jump far
c. sticky tongue/sharp teeth
d. ability to jump far/sharp claws
9) The biggest difference between a tadpole and a frog is ___________.
a. Frogs don't have tails but tadpoles do
b. Tadpoles are bigger than frogs
c. Tadpoles are smaller than frogs
d. Frogs can camouflage
10) Frogs lay their eggs during the _________.
a. winter
b. spring
c. summer
d. fall
