Amphibian Lesson
Organize your amphibian theme activities for 2 days:
Day one:
Preparation:
1.Find drawings or pictures of frogs, toads and salamanders from books, magazines or old calendars.
2.Cut sheets of legal size papers in half lengthwise and accordion fold it them into 4 sections. Have crayons, pencils or markers for the children to draw with.
3.Find a book to read about the life cycle of a frog. Some excellent books are
Tadpole to Frog by Jan Kottke:
Fantastic Frogs by Fay Robinson
What is an amphibian?
1.Amphibians are animals that metamorphose from a water animal to a land animal.
2.Amphibians include frogs, toads and salamanders. Show pictures and discuss differences
3.Toads have dry, warty skin, while frogs have smooth, wet skin.
4.Frogs have tiny teeth on both upper and lower jaws, while toads do not have teeth.
5.Frogs have longer hind legs than toads. So frogs jump, while toads hop.
6.Salamanders have a long body and a tail. Frogs and toads are shorter and have no tail.
Define metamorphosis and discuss.
Change of physical form
Read a book and discuss each stage of the life cycle
Some suggestions for some good books on the life cycle of a frog:
Tadpole to Frog by Jan Kottke
Fantastic Frogs by Fay Robinson
1.Eggs.
2.Tadpoles have gills, similar to fish, covered and protected by a flap of skin. As they continue to develop, their hind legs form and grow. Then their tail begins to shrink and the front legs appear.
3.Soon the gills are gone, and the tadpole begins to breathe air at the surface, with his brand new lungs.
4.Soon after transforming into froglets or toadlets, they begin life out of the water and start eating insects.
Do a craft project:
1.The frog cycle book
2.Accordion fold a half sheet of legal size paper into four pages. Label each page as follows: Eggs; Tadpoles; Tadpoles with legs; Adult or Frog.
3.Write “Frogs” on the front for the title.
4.Have the child draw a picture to go with each stage.
5.Have the child write their names on the book.
Here are a few suggested discussion questions:
1.What information about amphibians did you like the most?
2.What are the main differences between a frog and toad?
3.What is a tadpole?
4.What other animals “metamorphose”? Butterflies
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