k-6 - naturewatch · mathematics k-6 ... this section include topics such as the change in a...

AN EDUCATOR’S GUIDE TO FROGS

K-6

DEAR EDUCATOR,

Throughout most of history, people have not regarded reptiles and amphibians with high opinion. Infact the 18th century Swedish botanist and zoologist Carolus Linnaeus, famous for his classification system, presented a very strong example of the prevailing attitude toward reptiles and amphibians:"These foul and loathsome animals are abhorrent because of their cold body, pale colour, cartilaginousskeleton, filthy skin, fierce aspect, calculating eye, offensive smell, harsh voice, squalid habitation, andterrible venom; and so their Creator has not exerted his powers to make more of them." Although thisattitude may still be representative of many people’s impressions of snakes, it seems that for the mostpart, our attitude towards frogs has grown to be a little more civilized—or at least it remains so in ourchildren.

Children are fascinated by frogs—and with good reason. They are cute, they are easily caught, theymake cool sounds, and they have been found in abundance (although their decline is the whole reasonprograms like FrogWatch have come into existence). For these reasons, frogs are perfect candidateswith which to nourish a growing curiosity in living things and encourage an appreciation for the naturalworld as a whole.

The well-being of the other species we share this earth with depends a great deal on our attitudestowards them; in a world so pressured to fulfill human needs, a species must have value if it is to beconserved with zeal. Instilling a life long passion for nature in upcoming generations is our responsibility: it ensures us that we will have individuals in our future communities whose love fornature will place priority on maintaining biodiversity and the health of our home, the Earth.

Frog on, Friends.

Author: Terra Brie Stewart Koval, [email protected] & Illustrations: Rost Koval, [email protected], www.mangobonz.150m.comEditor: Neala MacDonaldFrogwatch Illustrations: Wallace Edwards, courtesy of the Toronto Zoo

This guide has been written by Terra Brie Stewart Koval and designed by Rost Koval through a Science Horizon's Grant with additional support from the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network Coordinating Office. This teachers guide is free from copyright when used for educational purposes. If reproduced we ask that you credit the author and the EcologicalMonitoring and Assessment Network Coordination Office.

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Acknowledgements

Although I am the official author of this educator’s guide, I feel this project is more of a collaborativeeffort, and without the support of many enthusiastic individuals and dedicated organizations, this project would not have been possible.

I want to begin by thanking the providers of the financial backing for this project through a ScienceHorizons Youth Internship: Environment Canada’s Ecological Monitoring Assessment Network (EMAN),Nature Canada and Nature Saskatchewan. Still, it is the passionate individuals within these organizations who provided me with invaluable assistance over the last six months.

Neala Macdonald, Nature Canada’s Education Specialist, not only volunteered many, many hours of hertime to edit my guide and answer countless questions, but also gave me a great deal of moral supportand, having “been there before” as the author of the Grade 7-12 FrogWatch guide, understandingalong this journey. Neala’s diligence, commitment, and dedication have transformed this guide from adraft into a professional document in which I hold a great deal of pride.

Brian Craig (EMAN) was my directional force in this project. Having been an elementary schoolteacherhimself for many years, Brian was able to communicate to me his knowledge of students and share hisclassroom experiences, which served as signals that I was heading in the right direction. At times whenI felt I was treading into unknown waters, it was Brian’s unwavering confidence in me that acted as thecompass that directed me to the completion of this guide.

Margaret Skeel and Paul Dumont at Nature Saskatchewan battled away at many the logistics in thisproject; they also made me feel very welcome within the community of Nature Saskatchewan.

Andy Didiuk, Saskatchewan’s provincial FrogWatch coordinator at the Prairie and Northern WildlifeResearch Centre, provided me with scientific guidance and a fantastic work environment.

There is another group of individuals that have been instrumental in this project—the teachers and theschools. I not only had a volunteer committee of teachers to review my guide, but also entire classrooms who welcomed me into their community to conduct my research.

I want to start by thanking Tim Haughian, the director of Environmental Education in the SaskatoonCatholic Schools, for finding a number of classrooms for me to visit. Tim’s passion for environmentaleducation is an inspiring force to anyone who has had the opportunity of meeting him.

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I received an equally powerful sense of inspiration from Marcia Klein, and environmental educator withthe Saskatoon Public School Division. Marcia has reminded me of our responsibility to youth—our dutyto share the love of nature with them and thus nourish their budding appreciation for our outdoorworld. We pass our world with aging, hopeful hands into the strong, determined hands of upcominggenerations.

I would like to thank my teacher reviewers Wendy Hyshka, Alandina Laplante, and Greg Bubnick forreviewing my draft and stimulating new ideas for the guide during at a very busy time in the schoolyear.

One stage in the writing process of this guide was learning my audience. I spent a few weeks touringschools and meeting the individuals I was really writing for—the students. I initially visited classes toassess the grade level of the students and later returned to some classes to test drive activities. In theSaskatoon Catholic School division, I owe thanks to Wendy Hyshka’s Kindergarten class at St. JamesSchool; Michelle McAuley’s grade 1 class at Sr. O’Brien School; Alandina Laplante’s grade 2 class at St.Mark School; Cathy Coumont’s grade 3 class at St. Frances School; Richard Blanchet’s grade 4 class atSt. Paul School; Greg Bubnick’s grade 5 class at St. John School; and Norbert Schidlowsky’s grade 6/7class at St. Peter School. In the Saskatoon Public School Division, much thanks is extended to RobertaIrinici’s grade 2 class at Sutherland School; Kathy Probert’s grade 2/3 class at North Park Wilson School;and Dianne Martin’s grade 4 class at Brunskill School.

And finally, I want to thank all of you, the educators, who are taking the initiative to introduce environmental education into your classrooms. Your dedication to teaching youth about our globalhome and the interconnectedness of its inhabitants is the key to creating sustainable ecosystems forhundreds of generation to come.

Terra Brie Stewart Koval, B.Sc.

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................7

0.1 The Amazing World of Frogs ............................................................................................9

0.2 The 10th Annual Canadian Frog Conference ..................................................................14

BIOLOGY AND CLASSIFICATION......................................................................................................19

1.1 Leap Around the World ..................................................................................................21

1.2 Who Am I: Frog or Toad?................................................................................................26

1.3 Is that a Frog on Your Finger or a Toad on Your Thumb? ................................................31

1.4 If You Were a Frog..........................................................................................................36

1.5 Wood Frog: Connect the dots ........................................................................................38

1.6 Anatomical Anagrams ....................................................................................................40

1.7 It's All Latin to Me ..........................................................................................................42

1.8 Name That Frog..............................................................................................................44

REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................47

2.1 Musical Metamorphosis..................................................................................................49

2.2 Wheel of Life..................................................................................................................53

2.3 CrissCrossed Frogs..........................................................................................................56

2.4 Whose Life is it Anyway?................................................................................................60

2.5 Far out Frogs ..................................................................................................................62

BEHAVIOUR AND ADAPTATION ......................................................................................................65

3.1 The Fabulous Functions of Frog Feet ..............................................................................67

3.2 The Frog Olympics ..........................................................................................................70

3.3 Sir Toadleby’s Authentic Anuran Cuisine ........................................................................76

3.4 Soak it Up ......................................................................................................................78

3.5 Dressed for Success: Camouflage in the Classroom ........................................................80

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FROGS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................83

4.1 Walking in a Wetland Wonderland ................................................................................84

4.2 Working on a Chain Gang..............................................................................................86

FROGS AND HUMANS ....................................................................................................................93

5.1 The Call of the Wild ......................................................................................................96

5.2 I am CANADIAN! ........................................................................................................103

5.3 The Field of Greens Mini Field Guide ............................................................................106

Glossary ..........................................................................................................................................121

Suggested Resources and Sources................................................................................................125

PAN-CANADIAN CURRICULUM LINKS ..........................................................................................127

Science K-3 ............................................................................................................................127

Science 4-6 ............................................................................................................................130

Language Arts Kindergarten ..................................................................................................134

Language Arts Grade 1 ..........................................................................................................136






Mathematics K-6 ....................................................................................................................151

Table of Contents (Cont’d)

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Introduction

The mission of Nature Canada is to protect nature, its diversity and the processes that sustain it. By identifying simple and accessible ways to measure Canada’s environmental health, NatureWatch programs encourage the lifelong involvement of various stakeholders in this mission.

Nature Canada and the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network Coordinating Office (EMANCO) present these education programs as an opportunity for the public to explore the naturalworld and share their observations with environmental scientists. By tracking key species and seasonalevents, NatureWatchers help monitor regional and global environmental trends, and contribute to anearly warning system of ecosystem change that may threaten the well being of Canadians.

The engaging nature of FrogWatch makes it ideal for the classroom. It may fuel a sense of curiosityabout the natural world to last a lifetime. It is through connection and awareness that individuals areencouraged to take action to ensure the survival of important wildlife and ecosystems.

Before starting any of the activities in the Educator’s Guide, it is highly recommended that you obtain aFREE official FrogWatch poster from the Nature Canada,1 Nicholas Street, Suite 606, Ottawa, ON,K1N 7B7; telephone (613) 562-3447; fax (613) 562-3371; e-mail [email protected].

The FrogWatch Educator's Guide explores the world of frogs and toads through curriculum-based work-sheet activities, hands-on activities, and classroom demonstrations. It is divided into six sections, eachcontaining a set of activities relating to the main topic. The sections open with text introducing the edu-cator to the concepts addressed in the activities. Relevant vocabulary words are highlighted in bold textand the definitions are found in the glossary at the end of the guide. The guide is outlined as follows:

INTRODUCTIONThe introduction serves as an outline for topics to be discussed in the guide. This section answers suchquestions as: What is an amphibian? How many frogs are there in the world? What do frogs eat?Where do frogs live? What are some concerns facing frogs? Why are frogs disappearing?

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INTRODUCTION

BIOLOGY AND CLASSIFICATIONThe biology section discusses concepts such as classification and nomenclature, the differencesbetween frogs and toads, frog anatomy, and frogs around the world.

REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENTThe primary focus of this section is the spectacular phenomenon of metamorphosis. Other topicsinclude challenges faced at different stages of the anuran life cycle and reproductive adaptations.

BEHAVIOUR AND ADAPTATIONThis section include topics such as the change in a frog’s diet from tadpole to frog, how frogs eat, frogcalls, camouflage, permeable skin, and adaptations of frog feet.

FROGS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTThis section examines the relationship between frogs and their environment. The primary concept in this section is food chains and food webs. Students are also introduced to species that share habitat with frogs.

FROGS AND HUMANSThis section examines the threats to amphibians and the possible causes of the worldwide decline inamphibian numbers. Frog monitoring as well as Canadian frog identification are introduced.

THE ACTIVITIES ARE ORGANIZED INTO • Objective: States the theme and objective of the activity.• Grades: Suggested grades the activity is appropriate for. Note than many of the activities can be

slightly modified to include younger students.• Type of Activity: For example, Charades, Crosswords and Reader Theatre• Materials: Materials required to complete the activity• Vocabulary: Specific terminology your students may not be familiar with; it is a good idea to review

these words before starting the activity. Definitions for these words can be found in the glossary.• Curriculum Links: Reference numbers to the general outcomes in the subject areas of Science (S),

English Language Arts (E), and Mathematics (M)• Background Information: This section provides additional information that prepares the educator

for questions that may arise. More complete text can be found at the beginning of each section.• Teacher Instructions: Step by step instructions that guide the educator through the activity.• Extensions: Suggested ways to expand upon the presented activities including modifications that

would make them appropriate to an outdoor setting.

Although a list of discussion topics does not always accompany the activities, it is suggested that theeducator take time before starting an exercise to give students a chance to express themselves by asking questions or sharing experiences on the subject matter pertaining to the upcoming activity.

All activities are linked to the Pan-Canadian Protocol for Collaboration on School Curriculum: CommonFramework of Science Learning Outcomes K-12; the Western Canadian Protocol for Collaboration inBasic Education:The Common Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts K-12; and the WesternCanadian Protocol for Collaboration in Basic Education: The Common Curriculum Framework for K–9Mathematics. Documented curriculum matches can be found at the end of the guide.

INTRODUCTION

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The Amazing World of FrogsOBJECTIVE To provide students with basic knowledge about frogs

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONThe following text provides an introduction to frogs and introducesthe topics that will be explored in more depth later in the guide.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. As a class, brainstorm everything you know about frogs.2. For younger students, hand out the question sheet before you

begin the teacher read and have them follow along and answerthe questions as you read.

3. For older students, tell them before hand that they will be givena quiz after you finish reading the text and hand out the question sheet after you read the text.

4. Give students some time to work on the questions and then goover the answers as a class. Discuss any particularly interestingfacts and encourage further independent research.

K-3 ADAPTATION1. To introduce younger students to frogs, you can make a KWL

chart either as a class or individually. A KWL chart is divided intothree parts. The first tells what a student KNOWS (K) about a subject before it is studied in class. The second part tells what thestudent WANTS (W) to know about that subject. The third parttells what the child LEARNED (L) after studying that subject.

2. Share some of the fascinating froggy facts presented in theAmazing World of Frogs text with your students.

COMPREHENSION QUIZ ANSWER KEYA. 1.T; 2.F; 3.T; 4.T; 5.F; 6.T; 7.T; 8.F; 9.F; 10.TB. 24C. SnorkelD. SnakesE. Cold bloodedF. African BullfrogG. Dart poisonH. South AmericaI. freezing

GRADES 4-6 with a K-3 adaptation

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Teacher read/comprehension

MATERIALS• Copies of page 13• Pencils

VOCABULARY algae, amphibian, bio-indica-tor, cold blooded, globalwarming, habitat, herpetol-ogy, metamorphosis, perme-able, reptile, species, tad-poles, ultraviolet

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade KE 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.4Grade 1,2S 200-1E 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.4Grade 3S 200-1E 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.4Grade 4S 204-1, 301-2, 409E 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.4Grade 5,6S 204-1, 409E 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.4

Activity 0.1

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INTRODUCTION

The Amazing World of Frogs

DID YOU KNOW...that there are more than 3000 different species of frogs around the world and that 24 of these can befound in Canada? Actually, this number also includes toads since toads are really are just a type of frog.These fascinating little fellows can be found living in wetlands, deserts, rainforests, and on mountain-tops; frogs can live just about anywhere-except in your pocket! Frogs have also been around for a long,long time, even before the dinosaurs. In fact, some scientists think that frogs "jumping legs" evolved tohelp them leap away from hungry dinosaurs!

EVOLUTION AND AMPHIBIANS: THE BEGINNING The theory that life on land began with a fish walking out of the water might sound pretty crazy butthis is just how frogs and the other amphibians live--the first part of their life cycle takes place in waterand the next part on land. In fact the word amphibian means 'double life'. You can think of otheramphibians as cousins to the frogs; so if you were lucky enough to be invited to an amphibian familyreunion, you would also meet the lizard-like newts and salamanders and the strange worm-like caecilians. Even though these guys sound Italian, you'll only find them in the jungle. The skin of allamphibians is almost always moist and is water permeable, which allows oxygen to move through itso they can "breathe" through their skin and the lining of their mouths. Their skeletons are mostlymade of bone (and not cartilage like sharks), and most amphibians also lay their eggs in water inside ajelly mass. Amphibians are also cold-blooded; this does not mean that their blood is really cold, butrather that their body takes on the temperature of their surroundings.

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?Now, even though scientists often study reptiles and amphibians together as a field of study calledherpetology, they are very different from each other. Who are the reptiles? Snakes, lizards, turtles,and crocodilians are all reptiles. Reptiles, which are also cold-blooded, evolved from the amphibians. Soin a way, amphibians are ancestors to the reptiles. They are different from the amphibians in that theyhave well-developed lungs, scaly skin, and either have shelled eggs that are laid and hatched on land orelse they give birth to live young.

FROGS: MASTERS OF ADAPTATIONMost of the time frogs lay their eggs in water where they eventually hatch into little fish-like tadpoles.Like fish, these tadpoles breathe through gills. The algae they eat gives them the energy they need togrow and develop into an adult frog through a process called metamorphosis. Depending on thetype, or species, of frog, it may be able to swim, walk, jump, climb or fly. It may live in water, on land,or even in trees. It may eat insects, plants, or meat, and it may be found in essentially every major habitat on the planet. These masters of adaptation even lived through whatever killed the dinosaurs65 million years ago. This just goes to show that you don't have to be fierce to survive!

INTRODUCTION

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FUN AND FASCINATING FROG FACTSFrogs come in just about every colour and size that you can imagine ranging from tiny Cuban ArrowPoison frogs which are smaller than a ten cent coin to the huge African Bullfrog which is the size of afootball. So next time you look at a football, just imagine it as a hopping frog, and you will never forget the 'goliath' of the frog world. And in case you were wondering, some frogs can live for up toforty years, which is a long time compared to most other animals.

Although most frogs eat insects, there are exceptions. The South African Bullfrog and Ornate HornedToad of South America (who is nicknamed the Pac Man toad probably for his huge mouth) wouldn'tturn down a meal of mouse or rat. Other frogs eat worms, snakes, slugs, spiders, centipedes or evenother frogs! Look out, Kermit!

Some frogs have the ability change colour to blend with their surroundings and escape detection bypredators. The Glass Frog is a translucent green colour and its organs are actually visible through itsskin. The Gray Treefrogs of southern Manitoba are masters of disguise and can change colour frombrown through pale gray to brilliant green. Other Canadian frogs that are also gifted in this way are theWood Frog and the Pacific Treefrog.

The brilliantly coloured tiny Arrow Poison Frogs are interesting as well. It is estimated that enough poison may be found on the skin of one of these little guys to kill up to 20,000 mice. An interestingrelationship between these little frogs and man started when hunters discovered that blow darts covered with the essence of the Cuban Tree frog could in fact kill deer or even jaguars. When raised incaptivity and fed different plants than they would normally eat in the wild, the Poison Dart Frogs arecompletely non-poisonous. So what do you think is the source of the Cuban Tree Frogs' poison?

FROGS AROUND THE WORLD The greatest number and diversity of frogs are found in tropical regions. Almost half of all species live inCentral and South America while only 1% of the world's frog species are found in Europe. This is probably because people have lived there for so long and changed much of the frogs' natural habitat.Often in the middle of winter we think the tropics would be a great place to live as well. There are,however, some Canadian frog species that have found a great way to beat the winter blues-by freezingsolid! Wood Frogs, Spring Peepers, Chorus Frogs, and Gray Treefrogs survive the winter cold by basically freezing and thawing when it warms up in the spring. Many people wish they could freezetheir body too. Mastering the secret of frog freezing, or cryogenics, would allow people with untreat-able diseases to 'pause' their life until some date in the future when a cure would be found.

FROGS AND YOUThe health of most plant and animal species is depends on their relationship with us and the value thatwe assign to the species. In some parts of the world, frog legs are served in expensive restaurants whileother cultures eat them as a source of protein. The dart hunters of the American tropics undoubtedlyplaced high value on the Poison Dart Frogs for their poison, but as hunting societies are far less common in this technological world, this value has decreased. Frogs have also been used for dissections in anatomy classes, which may support local economies in some areas.

THE DEMISE OF A FROGGY FRIENDAlthough frogs have been hopping lucky to survive major changes in their world, it now appears theyare in trouble. Not only are the numbers of individual frogs decreasing, but we are also losing entire

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INTRODUCTION

species. In the past, the Costa Rican Golden Toad has been used on posters to advertise the diversityand beauty of Central America. It has also been a symbol of environmental protection as the junglewhere it lives had been named an ecological preserve. Although this frog was thought to be safe in itsprotected habitat, something else has affected the life of this frog. Sadly, this little frog has not beenseen since 1989 and may well be extinct. Some people think that global warming may have caused theloss of this species.

FROGS AS BIO-INDICATORSFrogs are can give us clues about how healthy an ecosystem is. Declines in frog populations can tell usthat the environment has weakened. We all know that the pollution of wetlands, forests and prairiecan damage or destroy important habitat for frogs, there are concerns about the earth's atmosphereaffecting frogs as well. Unfortunately, these problems are much more difficult to predict and require avery long time to prove. The results of more ultraviolet (UV) radiation from pollution eating away atthe ozone layer and global warming are of major concern to scientists today. Right now, we can onlyreally guess how these problems are hurting frogs, but our knowledge will grow over time as we continue to collect new information. Programs like FrogWatch, which you as a class may take part in,are a very important way for us to learn how to take better care of all the animals and other organismswith who we share the earth.

How Froggy is Your Memory?

A TRUE OR FALSE?

❍ ❍ 1. Toads are a type of frog.

❍ ❍ 2. Dinosaurs are thought to have existed before the frogs.

❍ ❍ 3. The word amphibian means “double life”.

❍ ❍ 4. The study of reptiles and amphibians is called herpetology.

❍ ❍ 5. Tadpoles eat insects.

❍ ❍ 6. The Ornate Horned Toad, or Pac Man toad, will eat mice.

❍ ❍ 7. Glass frogs have semi-translucent (“see through”) skin.

❍ ❍ 8. 85% of the world’s frogs live in Europe.

❍ ❍ 9. The number of frogs around the world is growing rapidly.

❍ ❍ 10. Frogs can give clues that tell us how healthy an ecosystem is.

B HOW MANY SPECIES OF FROGS CAN BE FOUND IN CANADA?

❍ 4 ❍ 24 ❍ 400 ❍ 3400

C AMPHIBIANS DO NOT USE WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING TO BREATHE:

❍ skin ❍ gills ❍ lungs ❍ snorkel

D WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT AMPHIBIANS ?

❍ snakes ❍ caecilians ❍ salamanders ❍ toads

E WHICH IS A COMMON CHARACTERISTIC TO REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS?

❍ warm-blooded ❍ good dancers ❍ cold-blooded ❍ five-toed

F WHAT IS THE LARGEST FROG IN THE WORLD CALLED?

❍ Elephant Frog ❍ African Bullfrog ❍ Cuban Tree Frog ❍ Wood Frog

G WHAT DO PEOPLE USE CUBAN TREE FROGS FOR?

❍ food ❍ anatomy class ❍ perfumes ❍ dart poison

H WHICH CONTINENT HAS THE MOST FROG SPECIES?

❍ North America ❍ Asia ❍ Antarctica ❍ South America

I WHAT ADAPTATION DOES THE WOOD FROG HAVE FOR SURVIVING WINTER IN CANADA?

❍ staying in water ❍ burrowing ❍ drinking hot tea ❍ freezing

0.1

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INTRODUCTION

GRADES 3-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Reader Theatre

MATERIALS• FrogWatch poster• 10 Students • A picture of a Poison Dart Frog• Copies of pages 15-17, one

per pair of students• Copies of Finger puppets on

stiff paper (optional), page18

• Pencil crayons, crayons, ormarkers

• Scissors

VOCABULARY amphibians, extirpated, fertilizers,habitat, mucous, pesticides

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 203-5, 400, 406E 2.2, 2.3, 4.4, 5.1Grade 4S 105-1, 108-1, 108-3, 207,409, 410, 418, 419 E 2.2, 2.3, 4.4, 5.1Grade 5S 108-7, 207-3, 409, 410, 418, 419E 2.2, 2.3, 4.4, 5.1Grade 6S 108-5, 108-8, 207, 409, 410,418, 419E 2.2,2.3,4.4, 5.1

The 10th Annual Canadian Frog ConferenceOBJECTIVE To introduce students to the concerns facing frogs and toads inCanada and in other parts of the world

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONThe following reader theatre is an excellent way to introduce students to some of the environmental threats facing frogs and todispel some myths about frogs and toads.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Make copies of pages 15-17 and hand out one copy to a pair

of students.2. Instruct the students on the procedure of conducting a reader

theatre. For example, the text in Italics is not to be read outloud.

3. Assign roles to each student.4. If you choose to use the finger puppets to complement the

reading, encourage your students to colour their finger puppetto match the colours of the frog they are playing. Refer them tothe FrogWatch poster for guidance. Also try and show them apicture of a poison dart frog pointing out the bright colourationand highly contrasted pattern.

K-2 ADAPTATIONYounger students will enjoy colouring the finger puppets. Theycould research information about a frog, colour the finger puppetaccordingly, and tell other students facts about the frog using thepuppet. For example, “I have see-through skin…”.

EXTENSION1. Break students into groups and have them write and perform a

one-act puppet play addressing some of the issues presented inthe reader theatre. Ideas include: introduced species, frogs asfish bait, pesticide/fertilizer contamination, vanishing frogs,handling of frogs etc.

2. Play some recordings of frog calls and quiz your students as to“who’s making all the noise”.

Activity 0.2

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

Leonard the Leopard FrogFlash the Poison Dart FrogBruce the BullfrogPeeps the Spring PeeperWilliam the Wood FrogGertie the Great Plains ToadMilly the Mink FrogSally the Plains SpadefootClementine the Green FrogPatricia the Pickerel frog

(Everyone starts off by croaking and ribbiting to each other, looking around, and nodding and continuing to do so until Leonard calls them to attention)

Leonard: Order, order, ORDER! Thank you. Hi. I am Leonard the Leopard Frog and now that I have yourattention I want to welcome you all to the 10th Annual Canadian Frog Conference-and yes toads, thatincludes you too because all toads are actually frogs. We are gathered here today to discuss someissues relating to frogs and toads here in Canada and all around the world. I'd like you all to take amoment to welcome our special guest, all the way from the jungles of Costa Rica, Flash, a Poison DartFrog.

(Everyone claps hands and croaks a bit more.)

Flash: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Hey all you funky froggy friends, how is it going? It sure was along trip. I had to wear a coat on the airplane because every time someone saw my bright colours, theywould jump and run away because they were scared of my poison. Brrrr…it sure is cold up here inCanada. I mean really cold. How do all of you deal with this weather?

William: Quack, quack, quack. Well, Flash, I am William the Wood Frog and also a member of a specialclub called the "Deep Freeze Six". That means me and five other types of frogs in Canada actuallyfreeze our bodies in the winter and hide under leaves or in cracks of trees. Then when it warms up, wethaw out (but not melt!). That way we don't feel a thing. Sure beats those winter blues. Quack, quack.

Clementine: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! I sure like to scrEEEEEEEEEEEEam! Keeps those pesky predatorsaway. Flash, I am Clementine the Green Frog and in the winter I chose to stay at the bottom of a frozenpond and chill out. Because my body gets so slow, I don't even feel hungry then I get very sleepy andwake up when the ice melts again. This is how the rest of us deal with the cold.

The 10th Annual Canadian Frog Conference

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INTRODUCTION

Gertie: (Gertie takes a deep breath and puffs out her cheeks. She does this because when she feelsthreatened or is mad, it will make her look bigger) Aren't you forgetting me? My name is Gertie theGreat Plains Toad and we don't stay at the bottom of the pond. No siree. We have special tools on ourfeet that help us dig deep down in the soil below the frost. That is how we spend our winters, it'stoad-ally warm. Right, Sally?

Sally: That's right Gertie. I am a Plains Spadefoot and I don't have these spades on my feet for noth-ing! I also use them to dig in the soil when it's super hot to avoid losing my precious water. That's onething about all of us frogs and toads, we need a constant source of clean, healthy pond water.

Bruce: (Bruce starts to speak croak and he sounds like he is saying Jug-o-rum, Jug-o-rum). Hi everyone.I am Bruce the Bullfrog and it's true: Clean water is a problem. Often pesticides and fertilizers fromnearby farms get into our ponds and make them very bad places to live. Many of my friends have gotten sick from drinking and living in bad water. And with the earth getting warmer each year, it isgetting harder and harder to find a good pond that doesn't dry up too soon. Phewww. What is thatsmell?

Milly: Excuse me. It must be me. I am Milly the Mink Frog and I don't mean to smell. It's just that whenI get nervous I sometimes sweat something that smells like rotten onions. Bruce, you are right. Water isso important to us. All of us depend on water for some part of our lifecycle as tadpoles or adult frogs.That's what makes us amphibians. Part water, part land. We need water to lay our eggs in and tokeep our skin moist so we can breathe properly. Our skin feels slimy because it is covered in mucousand this helps us breathe. Without it, we can die.

Peeps: Peep! Peep! Speaking of skin, peep, peep, I am Peeps the Spring Peeper and I want to tell anynon-frogs in the audience that it is not gross that we eat our skin. Peep. When we shed, it feels wonderful, like getting a new pair of running shoes. And peep, peep, our skin has lots of vitamins in itthat are good for us. What I peep, peep, think is gross, is how humans are shedding their skin peep,peep, all the time!

Patricia: Hi everyone. I am Patricia the Pickerel Frog. Can I say something about humans? Normally, Ithink humans are pretty neat creatures. Lots of them do good things for us like protect our habitatand listen for our calls every spring to make sure we are healthy. I don't even mind if they pick us up aslong as they wash their hands first and put us back exactly where they got us. But there is one thingthat really, really bothers me and that is when people kill us to put on their fish hooks. I lost my brotherto a fisherman last year. (Patricia snores quietly and sadly)

Bruce: Jug-o-rum, jug-o-rum. Speaking of humans, I want to defend myself a little here. I know all ofyou think I am a big bully and you have gotten very angry at me in the past for eating some of yousmaller frogs, but my family and I were never supposed to live in British Columbia. Humans who wanted to raise me to eat my legs, moved me to a new province. And when I got there, I was not usedto the environment and I was hungry and ate what I could and I am so sorry if I ate any of your friendsor family. I just can't seem to help myself. Jug-o-rum, jug-o-rum.

Leonard: On behalf of all of us, I forgive you Bruce. I know its not really your fault. We all eat otheranimals-flies, spiders, slugs, snails-you name it! The only time we didn't eat other animals was whenwe were all vegetarians as tadpoles. Back then, algae and plants were the only things we ate.

INTRODUCTION

THE Frog FILES 17

Clementine: Other animals are always trying to eat us like skunks, owls, fish, and snakes. When any ofthem come near me, I just remember to scrEEEEEEEEEEEEEam!

Gertie: I just puff myself up really, really big so I look to hard to get in their mouths. And, anotherthing… I have icky tasting poisons on my skin that I make in my poison glands. Once they get a taste ofthat, peh, peh (pretend to spit something out), they spit me out pretty fast. Mostly everyone that is,except for those Hognose Snakes. I ought to give them a piece of my mind….Phew. What is that smell?Milly, is that you again?

Milly: I'm sorry. Yes, it is me. But it sure helps keep predators away. Hey, have any of you heard fromCarmen the Cricket Frog? I haven't heard or seen her in AGES!

William: Quack, quack, quack. I guess you haven't heard the bad news, have you Milly? As you know,Carmen and her relatives live on only a tiny, tiny island called Pelee Island. The bad news is, nobody haseven heard from her since 1989-not even a postcard. Many believe that she no longer lives in Canadabut maybe lives in another country. The word for this is extirpated and it is very sad if in fact this iswhat has happened. Quack, quack.

Flash: That is sad. Something very sad happened in my home country too. The Costa Rican GoldenToad, a very pretty but shy little toad, also disappeared without a trace in 1989 even though they livedon a wildlife preserve. What is happening to us?

Peeps: Peep, peep. I don't know what is happening, Flash, but I do know one thing. There is some-thing peep, peep we can do to help. You see there are some humans called scientists that are workingreally hard to find out what is happening to us. These scientists have called on volunteers for help.

Sally: Hey, I've heard about these volunteers. These are people that care about frogs and the environment and want to help the scientists. What they do is go out to a pond or other area where welive every year and listen for us singing. First they take the time to learn each of our voices so that theyknow who we are when they hear us. When they hear us, they write our names down and send it tothe scientists. That way the scientists can keep track of our numbers from year to year.

Patricia: I've heard of that! It's called FrogWatch and it is happening all across Canada. People really docare about us (even though some of them insist on putting me on a fish hook). And anyone can helpwith FrogWatch. Even the human tadpoles and froglets-oh I mean, kids. I have an idea. Let's end thisconference by having all of us practice our calls together so the humans will hear us when they arefrogwatching. Ready? On three. One, two, three! Croak!

(Everyone start croaking and ribbiting as a "chorus" of frog calls).

The End

18 THE Frog FILES

THE Frog FILES 19

Biology and Classification

Frogs enjoy one of the longest histories of any species currently inhabiting the planet. They have withstood millions of years of ecological upheaval and change including rotational shifts in the earth'saxis, countless volcanic eruptions, and almost unimaginable prolonged cycles of global warming andcooling over millions of years. Through all of this, frogs have maintained the genetic flexibility toadjust and adapt to these profound changes in the earth's atmosphere and landscape. While morethan 3000 species of frogs exist in the world today, there is no doubt that countless thousands ofspecies have come and gone in the march of evolutionary time. But it is the basic and simple strategyof dividing a lifecycle between land and water, diverting energy into a metamorphosis from an aquaticto a land animal combined with an explosive reproductive potential that has served this group of animals so well.

CLASSIFICATIONClassification systems are the scientific interpretation of organization in nature. The broadest categories in this system are the KINGDOMS; the six Kingdoms are the Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists,Bacteria and Archaea bacteria. The next level is PHYLUM followed by CLASS. The amphibians aregrouped into the Class: Amphibia. Frogs and toads form the ORDER Anura (or Salientia) that is dividedinto about 20 families (see Table 1). The explanation to the riddle "all toads are frogs but not all frogsare toads" is that toads are just one family in Order Anura and generally speaking, all of the membersof Anura are referred to as frogs. Orders are divided into FAMILIES that give way to GENUS and finally,SPECIES. The scientific name is made up of the Genus and Species name and are either italicized orunderlined.

Five families of frogs and toads live in Canada: the tree frogs, the true frogs, the tailed frogs, thetoads and the spadefoots. There is but a single species of tailed frog, that being in BritishColumbia. Tailed frogs are unique in that they possess a tail-like appendage that functions to deliver sperm internally to the female of the species. Remember that amphibians are generally characterized by the external fertilization of eggs by males so the tailed frog is a divergence fromthat general rule.

20 THE Frog FILES

BIOLOGY & CLASSIFICATION

GENERAL DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF FROG FAMILIES IN CANADA*

If it has a tail… Tailed Frog

If it has two lines down its back… True Frog

If it has specialized toepads for climbing… Tree Frog

If it looks like a toad without the poison glands and has a vertical pupil... Spadefoot

If it has warty skin and poison glands… Toad

*Remember there are always exceptions to every generalization.


THE Frog FILES 21

Leap Around the World OBJECTIVETo familiarize students with some frogs from around the world;To identify the continents where these frogs are found on a worldmap

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONFrogs are found on every continent of the world (exceptAntarctica) in a variety of habitats. By putting together a puzzle ofthe world, students will not only sharpen their geography skills,but also learn about some amazing frogs and toads from aroundthe world.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Copy a blank world map, a set of frog stamps and a Leap

Around the World text sheet for each student.2. Tell students they are going to match the frog to its home

continent by referring to the provided text.3. Have them cut out the frog stamps and place them on the

blank map.4. When they are sure they have them in the right place (or you

have checked over their map), have them tape or glue the frogsin their home.

5. Recognize that there may be more than one correct spot forsome of the frogs. Refer to the answer key map for one set ofpossible answers.

6. As a class, discuss as a class which frogs they find particularlyinteresting and why.

GRADES 3-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Geography Puzzle

MATERIALS• Copies of pages 23-25• Scissors• Glue or tape

VOCABULARYegg, mating season, prey,tadpole

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 401, 402, 404Grade 4S 300-1, 412, 413, 416Grade 5S 300, 412, 413, 416Grade 6S 300-17, 412, 413, 416

Activity 1.1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1011 12

22 THE Frog FILES


ANSWER KEY

HAIRY FROGS• Live in Africa• During mating season males develop a

“skirt” of hair around their hips

RED-EYED TREE FROGS• Live in Central America• Small enough to perch on a dial of a

wristwatch• Brilliantly coloured: green, white, and

yellow

GOLIATH FROGS• Live in Cameroon (Africa) • Also called African Bullfrog• World's largest frogs; can measure over

76 cm in length and weigh more than 3 kg!

TAILED FROGS• Live in north-western North America

(Canada!)• Only frogs which keep a stub of their

tadpole tail in male adult life

WATER HOLDING FROGS• Live in central Australia• During rainy season, they absorb water

into their skin and store it in a bag-likesac

• When conditions are very dry, they bury themselves underground

• These frogs are said to be able to stayalive while buried as long as 10 years!

FLYING FROGS• Live in Borneo (Indonesia)• Can launch out of trees and use foot

webbing as parachute to help land safely away from danger

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

ASIAN LEAF FROGS• Live in Asia• Has flaps of skin or "horns" over its eyes• It's brown skin and jagged shape make it

look just like dried leaves in the forest

TONGUELESS FROGS• Live in Africa and South America • Include African Clawed Frogs and the

flat Surinam Toads—the Surinam Toad isso flat it looks like roadkill

• Live completely in water and thereforedo not need a tongue to catch prey

BARKING FROGS• Live in the southern United States• Sound more like small dogs than frogs• Some fathers stand guard over the eggs

until baby frogs emerge ready to fendfor themselves

HORNED FROGS• Live in South America• Also called the "Pac Man frog" for their

big mouths• Known to have nasty tempers and very

sharp teeth that they are not afraid to use!

PARADOXICAL FROGS• Live in Trinidad (Caribbean) • Tadpoles can be over a 30 cm long but

will shrink into their adult form to just3.8 cm

CASQUE-HEADED FROGS• Live in South and Central America• Skull bones form a solid helmet • May use their bony heads to block the

entrances to their burrows and reduceevaporative water loss

Leap Around the WorldCarefully cut out the frogs of the world stamps. Then, using the following information, find out where the frogs live. Place their stamp on the propercontinent. When you are sure you have them placedon their proper home, glue them in place.

1.1

24 THE Frog FILES


1 2 3 4

5 6 78

9 10 11 12

1 2 3 4

5 6 78

9 10 11 12

1 2 3 4

5 6 78

9 10 11 12

26 THE Frog FILES


Who Am I: Frog or Toad?OBJECTIVETo teach very young students the basic differences between frogsand toads

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:Frogs and toads are both members of the Order Anura. Frogs aregenerally more smooth-skinned and longer limbed. Toads arestout-bodied, warty skinned frogs that are found further awayfrom water sources. Frogs are characterized by the presence ofdorsolateral ridges down their backs whereas toads are identi-fied by the presence of bumpy parotid (poison) glands and cranial crests. Frogs may have teeth but they are absent in toads.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Make double sided copies of the pictures with the text on the back.2. Colour the pictures of the frog and toad.3. Cut the pictures into quarters and place the 8 pieces in an envelope.4. Have students reach into the envelope and draw out one card.5. Hold the pieces up so they can see part of the diagram, read them

the back of the card and ask them if they think it is a frog or a toad.6. Put fun tack on the back of each piece and put frog pieces on

one side of the blackboard and toad pieces on the other.7. When all the pieces have been drawn, check any wrong answers

and assemble the pieces into a completed puzzle.8. When finished, give students copies of the pictures of the frog

and toad to colour for themselves.9. Help them write "FROG" on the frog picture and "TOAD" on the

toad picture.10.Grade 2 students could do this activity in partners.

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM EXTENSION1. Divide your class in half—one groups of frogs and one group of

toads. Put the frogs on one side and the toads on the other.2. Tell the students that you are going to read some clues. If the

clue is about toads, the toads are supposed to chase the frogs;if the clue is about frogs, have the frogs chase the toads.

3. When reading the clues, help the students if they are unsure ofthe answer. Have fun!

GRADES K-2

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Simple Puzzle and Colouring

MATERIALS• Copies of pages 27-30,

double sided as explainedin instructions

• Extra copies of pages 27and 29

• Scissors• Crayons, pencil crayons,

or markers• A big yellow envelope• Fun tack or tape

VOCABULARYdorsolateral lines, frog,parotid (poison) glands, toad

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade KE 5.1S 100-1, 202, 203Grade 1E 5.1S 100-4, 100-7, 100-8, 202-2, 203-2Grade 2E 5.1S 100, 202-2, 203-2

Activity 1.2

I have teeth.

I have long legs for jum

ping.

I have lines dow

n my back.

My skin is soft,

smooth, and m

oist.

I don't have any teeth.

I have short legs for craw

ling.

I have big poison glands behind m

y eyes.

My skin is rough,

dry and bumpy.


THE Frog FILES 31

Is that a Frog on Your Finger or a Toad on Your Thumb?OBJECTIVE To illustrate the differences between frogs and toads

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONIt is a common belief that there are only two types of hoppingamphibians in the world, frogs and toads. However, the words"frog" and "toad" are very general and describe only the basicdistinctions between many types of frogs and toads. The word"frog" encompasses all the anuran families including many typesof frogs, toads, and spadefoots. Toads are just a family of frogsand "frogs" are actually broken down into true frogs, treefrogs,tailed frogs etc. (see Table 1:Frog Families of the World, page 46).Therefore, all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads. There areseveral characteristics that separate True Toads (Family: Bufonidae,eg. Great Plains Toad) from True Frogs (Family: Ranidae eg.Bullfrog). Generally toads have dry, bumpy skin; live further from awater source than frog; and have parotid (poison) glands andcranial crests. Frogs usually have smooth, moist skin; live close towater; and have dorsolateral lines. Many frogs fall on a gradientbetween frog and toad. The following activity will teach studentssome of the morphological differences between frogs and toads.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Begin writing the riddle "All toads are frogs but not all frogs

are toads" on the board. Ask students if they can decipher theriddle. Explain the phrase to them.

2. Hand out copies of each page to pairs of students. Make suregroups have 2 different sheets.

3. Construct the Origami Frog Flycatchers. If the class is notalready familiar with this technique, refer to page 33.

HOW TO PLAY FLYCATCHER Q&ABreak the group of students into pairs. One person starts with aflycatcher closed on their fingers (Student A) and the other personstarts by picking a frog picture from on the outside (Student B). Forexample, Student B may choose "Gray Treefrog". Student A opensthe "mouth" of the flycatcher and displays a number adjacent to

GRADES 3-6 with a K-2 Adaptation

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Origami Frog Flycatcher

MATERIALS• Copies of pages 35-36• ScissorsK-2 Adaptation• tape• pencil crayons, crayons, or

markers • red construction paper cut

into strips

VOCABULARY cranial crests, dorsolaterallines, parotid glands, spawn

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 201-1, 203-2E 5.1Grade 4S 104-6, 205-3, 300-1E 5.1Grade 5S 104-7, 205-3, 300E 5.1Grade 6S 104-8, 300-17E 5.1

Activity 1.3

32 THE Frog FILES


the Gray Treefrog. In this case, the number displayed will be either 1 or 2. If 2 is shown, Student Aopens the mouth in one direction and then again in the other direction to equal "2". Student B thenpicks another number and Student A opens the flap to reveal the question and asks it to Student B. IfStudent B answers correctly, he/she gets another chance to be asked a question and the above stepsare repeated. When Student B gets a question wrong, it is Student A's turn to be asked a question andStudent B manoeuvres the other flycatcher. The student who answers all their questions correctly first isthe winner.

K-2 ADAPTATION1. Have you students make a frog puppet! Follow the steps to make an origami frog flycatcher except

use blank paper. 2. Tape together two of the four edges on the flycatcher so that the "mouth" can only open in one

direction.3. Have your students colour eyes on their frogs.4. Take a strip of red construction paper and wrap it around a pencil to make it curl. This is the frog's

tongue.5. Tape the tongue inside of the frog's mouth.6. How many flies can you catch with your flycatcher?

SOURCE How to make an origami flycatcher diagrams were adapted from those athttp://www.yasutomo.com/project/fortuneteller.html


THE Frog FILES 33

12

34

56

7

Start with a square piece of

paper lying flat on the deskw

ith the PRINT SID

E DO

WN

.Fold the paper in half diago-nally, both w

ays, corner tocorner.

Make sure the paper is still

PRINT SID

E DO

WN

and fold upall corners so that the pointsm

eet in the middle.

Again, fold all the corners

into the centre.

Fold paper in half and unfold.Fold paper in half from

topto bottom

. Do not unfold.

Slide thumbs and forefingers under the squares to

move the Frog Flyatcher back and forth.

Turn the paper over so thatthe four flaps are facingdow

n.

34 THE Frog FILES


Frog Toad

Toad

ToadToad

ToadFrog

Frog

I havelong legs

for jumping

I nee

d to

live n

ear w

ater

to kee

p my s

kin m

oist

I have cranial crests

and parotid glands

I don’t have any

teeth

My skin is rough, dry and bumpy

I have

knob

s on

my h

ind fe

et to

help

me di

g in s

oil

My spawn looks like a long ribbon of eggs

I have a small waist

7

8

2

1

3

4

6

5Gray Treefrog Canadian Toad

Boreal Chorus FrogGreat Plains Toad


THE Frog FILES 35

Frog Toad

Frog

ToadToad

FrogToad

Toad

I havesmall teeth

on my upper jaw

I can

dr

ink w

ater

by pr

essin

g my

pelvi

s aga

inst th

e soil

I have short legs

for walking

I usuallylay my eggs

in small clusterson grasses in water

I don’t have much webbing on my hind feet

My sk

in is

smoo

th, so

ft an

d mois

t

I can be found far from water

I have a wide waist

7

8

2

1

3

4

6

5Northern Leopard Frog American Toad

Fowler’s ToadNorthern Cricket Frog

36 THE Frog FILES


If You Were a Frog... OBJECTIVETo raise awareness of the differences and similarities between afrog and a student

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Make copies of the worksheet, If You Were a Frog...2. For the older students break the class up into pairs and have

them fill out the chart.3. For younger students, you may choose to complete the chart

as a class on easel paper.

CLASS QUESTIONS1. Who can jump further? You or a frog?2. Who has more fingers?3. Who has fewer toes?4. Who is heavier?5. Who becomes an adult first?

GRADES 1-3

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Complete the chart

MATERIALS• Copies of page 37• Pencils• Tape measure• Bathroom scale

VOCABULARY amphibian, hibernate, mammal, reptile, tadpole

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 1S 100-4, 100-5, 100-8, 200-1, 201-5, 203-2E 1.1, 3.1, 5.1Grade 2S 100-15, 100-16, 102-6,200-1, 201-5, 203-2E 1.1, 3.1, 5.1Grade 3S 200-1, 201-5, 203-2E 1.1, 3.1, 5.1

Activity 1.4

What kind of animal are you? Are you:a) A mammal . . . . . . . . . . . . .❍b) A reptile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .❍c) An arthropod (bugs) . . . . . .❍d) A bird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .❍e) A fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .❍f) An amphibian . . . . . . . . . . .❍

...you would would be an amphibian.

How far can you jump? ...you could jump up to 10.3 metres (if you werea South American Sharp-nosed frog)!

How many fingers do you have altogether?

...you would have 8 fingers.

How many toes do you havealtogether?

...you would have10 toes.

How much do you weigh? ...you would weigh up to 3.3 kg (7 pounds)

How tall are you? ...you could measure less than 1cm to 30 cm.

How long will it take until you are a grown-up?

...on average, it would take you112 days tobecome an adult.

What are your favourite foods? ...you would eat mainly insects and worms butalso almost anything that would fit in yourmouth. As a tadpole, you’d eat only plants forthe first 7 weeks.

What do you like to do in the winter?

...you would hibernate in the winter. Some ofyou would hibernate in cracks in trees, othersburrow in the mud, and some spend the winterat the bottom of a pond.

How long can you expect to live? ...you would probably live between 2 to 40 years

If You Were A Frog...

Complete the chart to find out how you compare to a frog.

NAME: IF YOU WERE A FROG...

1.4

38 THE Frog FILES


Wood Frog: Connect the dotsOBJECTIVE To introduce students to a widely distributed and easily recognizable Canadian frog

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Post the FrogWatch poster where all the students will have

access to it.2. Make copies of the Connect the Dots worksheet.3. Hand them out to each student and have them connect the

dots.4. Ask them to take their sheet up to the FrogWatch poster and

find the frog that matches the one they just made. 5. Get them to write the name of the frog on the blanks provid-

ed. Younger students will need help writing "WOOD" in theblanks provide.

6. Draw attention to the black mask that defines this frog. 7. Ask the students if any of them have ever seen a wood frog.

And if so, where was it? Why do they think it would be called a"Wood" frog? (they are often found in wooded areas) Sharewith them the fact that the Wood Frog can freeze solid overthe winter. Brrrrr!!

GRADES 1-3

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Connect-the-Dots/ Colouring

MATERIALS• Copies of page 39• Pencils• Pencil crayons, crayons, or

markers

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 1S 100-5, 202-9E 1.1, 2.1, 4.3Grade 2S 202-9E 1.1, 2.1, 4.3Grade 3S 202-9E 1.1, 2.1, 4.3

Activity 1.5

1

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78

910

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4846

4749

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I am a _ _ _ _ Frog

Connect the Dots

Connect the dots and colour the picture of the ZORRO of the frog world!

1.5

40 THE Frog FILES


Anatomical AnagramsOBJECTIVE To make students aware of the anatomical differences betweenfrogs and toads

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Make copies of the Anatomical Anagrams worksheet.2. Hand them out to each student and have them unscramble the

labels to complete the diagram.

ANSWER KEY (TOP TO BOTTOM)Frog1. Eyes2. Nostril3. Mouth4. Eardrum5. Throat6. Dorsolateral lines

Toad1. Cranial crests2. Eyes3. Mouth4. Eardrum5. Parotid glands

GRADES3-5

TYPE OF ACTIVITYDiagram labelling/ anagram


VOCABULARY WORDS cranial crests, dorsolaterallines, parotid (poison) glands

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 203-2E 2.1Grade 4S 300-1E 2.1Grade 5S 300E 2.1

Activity 1.6

YEES

LISTRON

TUHMO

DRAUMER

TORTAH

LORAOTSODELSILEN

FROG

TOAD

SEYE

MTUOH

MRAUERD

ARTIDOPDLANGS

NARICALSRCTSE

Anatomical AnagramsUnscramble the labels to complete the diagram of the mainparts of a typical frog and toad.

1.6

42 THE Frog FILES


It's All Latin to Me OBJECTIVETo introduce students to the logic behind scientific nomenclature.

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONScientific names are composed of the genus and the species. Thestandard format is to use a capital letter on the genus and lowercase letters for the species (e.g. Genus species). The namesare separated by a space and are either italicized or underlined.The roots of these words are often Latin or Greek but sometimesthey are modified English words or the names of people. Scientificnames are universal; a Bullfrog may have 15 different names in asmany languages but when referred to as Rana catesbeiana, theaudience will know which frog you are talking about whether youare in Japan, India, or Canada.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Make copies of the It's All Latin to Me worksheet.2. Hand them out to each student and have them match the

scientific name to the common name.

EXTENSIONEncourage students to look up some words in the dictionary andtry and find Latin or Greek roots to common English words.

ANSWER KEY Great Basin Spadefoot 3Bullfrog 6Canadian Toad 5Green Frog 4 Western Toad 2 Red-legged Frog 8 Pickerel Frog 1Wood Frog 7

SOURCE Information was adapted from text atwww.aquatic.uoguelph.ca/amphibians

GRADES 4-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Matching


VOCABULARY cranial crest, habitat, hibernation

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 4S 104-6, 300E 2.1, 2.3 Grade 5S 104-7, 300E 2.1Grade 6S 104-8, 300-15E 2.1

Activity 1.7

It’s All Latin to Me!Latin names, or more correctly, scientific names, areassigned to species by scientists so that people around theworld can all use the same language when referring to anorganism. Brush up on your Latin skills by matching the scientific name to the common name. If you get stuck, lookto the “hints” below for clues.

Rana palustris; Rana-Latin for frog, from the Latin paluster,meaning "of the marsh"

Bufo boreas; Bufo-from the Latin bufonis for toad, boreas-meaning from the north

Scaphiopus intermontanus; Scaphiopus-derived from theGreek words scaphio meaning spade and pous meaning foot,intermontanus-of Latin origin inter meaning between andmontanus meaning "of mountains"

Rana clamitans; Rana-Latin for frog, from the Latin clamito,meaning to cry loudly-referring to their loud escape squeak

Bufo hemiophrys; Bufo-from the Latin bufonis for toad,hemiophrys-from the Latin word for eyebrow, referring to thecranial crest between and behind the eye

Rana catesbeiana; Rana-Latin for frog, catesbeiana-namedfor German naturalist, Mark Catesby

Rana sylvatica; Rana-Latin for frog, from the Latin sylva,meaning "a wood", and sylvaticus, "growing among trees",referring to the habitat of this species.

Rana aurora; Rana-Latin for frog, aurora-Latin for "dawn"referring to the underside colour of the hind legs

1.7

1 The common name comes from the frequent use of this frog as bait for pickerel fishing

2 The only toad in British Columbia3 This spadefoot has a built in shovel4 A "colourful" name that doesn't always describe it correctly5 Our own "home-grown" toad6 A large and aggressive bully towards other frogs7 A frog that freezes during hibernation and thaws out in the spring8 A colourful frog named for its rosy underside

123

45

67

8

Great Basin Spadefoot

Bullfrog

Canadian Toad

Green Frog

Western Toad

Red-legged Frog

Pickerel Frog

Wood frog

44 THE Frog FILES


Name That FrogOBJECTIVETo familiarize students with different species of frogs worldwideand learn something about their lifestyle

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Frogs occupy a diversity of habitats worldwide and many have veryspecific adaptations that help them cope with the challenges ofamphibian life. Some of the following frogs have very bizarreadaptations whereas others just have very interesting names thatstimulate the imagination.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Photocopy the "Name that Frog"card sheet and cut it into

individual cards and put them in a hat.2. Divide the class into pairs. Have one person in each group draw

a card from the hat. 3. Inform the class that in pairs, they are to act out the strange

name of the frog on their card while the rest of the class triesto guess the name of the frog.

4. Once someone is correct, have the charaders read out the"frog factoids" on their card. If the students are taking toolong to guess the name of frog the being acted out, have thecharaders reveal their frog's identity and proceed with the reading of the frog factoids.

GRADES 3-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Charades game

MATERIALS• Copies of cards on

page 45

VOCABULARY predators, tadpole

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 203-5E 5.1Grade 4S 207, 300-1, 412, 418E 5.1Grade 5S 207-3, 412, 418E 5.1Grade 6S 207, 300-17, 301-15, 412,418E 5.1

Activity 1.8


THE Frog FILES 45

POISON ARROW DART FROG• Live throughout the tropics• Very brightly coloured to warn predators of

their poisons• Poisons on their skin used by people to hunt

with arrows

GHOST FROGS• Has the most restricted range of any South

African amphibian; it lives only on TableMountain

• Tadpoles have evolved large sucker-likemouths for clinging to smooth rocks in fast-flowing mountain streams

BARKING FROGS• Live in the southern United States• Sound more like small dogs than frogs• Some fathers stand guard over the eggs until

baby frogs can emerge ready to fend forthemselves

CATHOLIC FROG• Lives in Australia• Named for dark cross-like pattern on it's back• It copes with drought by burying

underground

WOOD FROG• Found here in Canada as far north as the

Arctic Circle• These are "deepfreeze" frogs: they make

enough sugar in their blood that they canfreeze solid for 2 weeks or more!

HORNED TOAD/ PAC-MAN TOAD• Lives in South America• Also called the "Pac Man frog" for their big mouths• Known to have nasty tempers and very sharp

teeth that they are not afraid to use!

GIANT BULLFROGS• Also called a Goliath Frog• Lives in Cameroon, Africa• Biggest frog in the world• This frog is the size of a football

TOMATO FROG• Lives in Madagascar• Got it's name because it looks like a dropped

tomato• It puffs itself up to scare away predators

FOUR-EYED FROG• Found in Chile• Has a pair of eye spots that mark it's rear-end• They are actually big poison glands with

spots on them but when threatened, thefrog puffs them up and scares off predators

FLAT HEADED FROG• Lives in Australia• It lives in burrows and is noted for its' ability

to store enough water in its body to take ona ball-like shape.

FIRE-BELLIED TOAD• Found in Asia and Europe• Their tongues cannot extend out like other

frogs so they have to leap forward and catchtheir prey in their mouths

• They have brightly coloured bellies to warnpredators that they are poisonous

FLYING FROGS• Live in Malaysia and Borneo• Have parachute webbing on their hands and

feet which act as an air-brake when theyglide from tree to tree or leaf to leaf

46 THE Frog FILES


GR

OU

PIN

G(N

UM

BER

OF

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IES)

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ERA

L FE

ATU

RES

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ME

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ING

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ley

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ull c

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mp,

sho

rt-li

mbe

d, e

ggs

laid

in w

ater

Mos

tly t

ropi

cal,

glob

al

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Toa

ds (

339)

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ally

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d, r

ough

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in,

shor

t an

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t w

ith s

hort

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ison

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nds

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tad

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ater

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lar

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nds

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og a

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ew Z

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(88

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n la

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are

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sW

este

rn N

orth

Am

eric

a, N

ew Z

eala

nd

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e fr

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(637

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ng le

gs,

feet

oft

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ebbe

d, m

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spec

ies

with

circ

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ks o

n fin

gers

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with

larg

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f eg

gs la

id in

ope

n w

ater

.G

loba

l

True

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gs (

611)

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lts m

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uatic

, la

rge

eyes

and

ear

drum

, m

ost

lay

eggs

in w

ater

G

loba

l

Gol

d Fr

ogs

(2)

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der,

roun

d-sn

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d, b

urro

win

g, g

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ured

with

bla

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arki

ngs

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ack

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head

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gs la

id in

wat

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il

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th-b

rood

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s (2

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all,

slen

der,

gree

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wn,

web

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fee

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ggs

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hat

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and

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plet

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pmen

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the

mal

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voca

l sac

Sout

hern

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le a

nd A

rgen

tina

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k-to

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d To

ads

(14)

Fire

-bel

lied

toad

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aint

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rogs

and

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bour

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s la

y eg

gs in

wat

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mal

e m

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oads

car

ry e

ggs

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tch

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put

them

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ater

Euro

pe,

NW

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ica,

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a M

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, C

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,K

orea

; ba

rbou

rula

s en

dem

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o th

ePh

ilipp

ines

and

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neo

Cla

wed

and

Sur

inam

Toa

ds (

26)

Broa

d an

d fla

tten

ed b

ody,

fee

t la

rge

and

broa

d, n

o to

ngue

, ro

und

pupi

l, eg

gs la

id

in w

ater

but

in S

urin

am t

oads

, eg

gs d

epos

ited

in s

kin

pits

on

fem

ale’

s ba

ckA

fric

a, S

outh

and

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tral

Am

eric

a

Burr

owin

g To

ad (

1)A

dults

ter

rest

rial,

burr

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g; e

gg-s

hape

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dy w

ith p

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, sm

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delik

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etC

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Ric

a to

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Gra

nde

Valle

y of

Tex

as

Gho

st f

rogs

(4)

Skin

of

belly

thi

n an

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mos

t tr

ansp

aren

t, lo

ng li

mbs

, ey

es la

rge

and

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inen

t,

toe

and

finge

rtip

s ex

pand

ed,

eggs

laid

on

dam

p gr

ound

or

in s

mal

l pud

dles

Sout

h A

fric

a

Myo

batr

achi

d Fr

ogs

(100

)A

dults

mos

tly b

urro

win

g or

ter

rest

rial,

som

e fo

und

in s

wift

str

eam

s; b

ody

rang

ing

from

sm

all

toad

-like

bur

row

ing

form

s to

larg

e st

out

bodi

ed s

peci

es w

ith p

ower

ful l

imbs

res

embl

ing

bullf

rogs

Aus

tral

ia,

Tasm

ania

, N

ew G

uine

a

Lept

odac

tylid

Fro

gs (

722)

Rang

e fr

om c

ompl

etel

y aq

uatic

to

com

plet

ely

terr

estr

ial;

wid

e-m

outh

ed t

oads

sto

ut-b

odie

d lik

e tr

ue t

oads

; lif

e hi

stor

y ra

nges

fro

m la

ying

egg

s in

wat

er,

build

ing

foam

nes

ts o

n ve

geta

tion

to la

ying

egg

s on

land

whi

ch d

evel

op d

irect

ly in

to f

rogl

ets

Cen

tral

and

Sou

th A

mer

ica

Pois

on-A

rrow

Fro

gs (

116)

Oft

en v

ery

brig

htly

col

oure

d, s

lim,

snou

t ro

unde

d, t

oe a

nd f

inge

r tip

s ex

pand

ed in

to s

mal

l ad

hesi

ve d

isks

; te

rres

tria

l, la

rge-

yolk

ed e

ggs

ofte

n gu

arde

d an

d m

oist

ened

by

mal

e;

adul

ts t

rans

port

tad

pole

s on

the

ir ba

cks

to w

ater

whe

re t

hey

com

plet

e de

velo

pmen

t

Cen

tral

and

Sou

th A

mer

ica

Seyc

helle

s Fr

ogs

(3)

Adu

lts t

erre

stria

l; sl

ende

r bo

dy,

long

legs

; eg

gs la

id o

n la

nd,

fem

ales

may

car

ry t

adpo

les

to w

ater

on

thei

r ba

cks,

oth

ers

have

dire

ct d

evel

opm

ent

Seyc

helle

s

Sedg

e an

d Bu

sh F

rogs

(29

2)A

dults

mos

tly a

bore

al,

rese

mbl

e tr

ue t

ree

frog

s; t

his

fam

ily in

clud

es t

he H

airy

fro

gs,

abor

eal s

peci

es la

y eg

gs o

n le

aves

abo

ve w

ater

; so

me

have

dire

ct d

evel

opm

ent

Sout

hern

Afr

ica,

Mad

agas

car,

Seyc

helle

s

Old

Wor

ld T

ree

Frog

s (1

84)

Adu

lts m

ostly

abo

real

, of

ten

brig

ht w

ebbi

ng b

etw

een

toes

, re

sem

ble

true

tre

e fr

ogs;

eg

gs la

id in

foa

m n

ests

, ta

dpol

es d

ropp

ing

into

wat

er t

o co

mpl

ete

deve

lopm

ent,

so

me

lay

eggs

aw

ay f

rom

wat

er a

nd h

ave

dire

ct d

evel

opm

ent

Afr

ica,

S In

dia,

Sri

Lank

a, C

hina

, SE

Asi

a,In

done

sia,

Eas

t In

dies

, Ja

pan

Nar

row

-mou

thed

Fro

gs (

281)

Adu

lts t

erre

stria

l bur

row

ers

or t

ree

dwel

lers

, m

outh

nar

row

and

slit

like

, us

ually

with

out

web

bing

betw

een

toes

and

with

out

disk

s; s

ome

lay

eggs

in w

ater

, in

bur

row

s or

in p

lant

s of

the

bro

mel

iad

fam

ily,

som

e ta

dpol

es d

irect

dev

elop

ing

Trop

ical

, gl

obal

Pseu

did

Frog

s (4

)A

dults

5-8

cm,

tadp

oles

up

to 2

5cm

; eg

gs la

id in

fro

thy

mas

s in

wat

er h

atch

ing

into

fre

e sw

imm

ing

tadp

oles

gro

win

g ve

ry la

rge

Sout

h A

mer

ica

Gla

ss F

rogs

(64

)Br

ight

gre

en w

ith n

early

tra

nspa

rent

ski

n; m

ost

lay

eggs

abo

ve r

unni

ng w

ater

, tad

pole

s dr

op in

to w

ater

Cen

tral

and

Sou

th A

mer

ica

THE Frog FILES 47

Reproduction and Development

In general frogs lay abundant egg masses. Most frogs lay their eggs in clumps except for the toads,which generally lay eggs in ribbons. Frog species in some environments have evolved more conservativereproductive strategies, but for the most part, they are known to lay thousands of eggs. These may giverise to a very large number of tadpoles if conditions are favourable and predators do not consume allthe eggs before they hatch. Frogs face further danger from predators as they change from tadpoles tolittle froglets and their survival is largely a numbers game in which the vast majority of eggs never survive the cycle of development. The object of the survival game is for populations to maintain stability in the long-term, but for frogs this is a boom and bust pattern as populations fluctuate broadlyfrom year to year in relation to numerous environmental conditions. While production of a large number of eggs is the general strategy of most frogs, there are of course numerous exceptions to therule. Although some frogs such as bullfrogs can lay 20 000 eggs at once, the Red-spotted Toad andCuban Arrow Poison Frog will lay only a single egg!

METAMORPHOSISThe metamorphosis from a tiny jelly-encased egg, to tadpole, to froglet and finally adult form and is aprocess that has long intrigued both children and adults. There is a complete change in form and function; gills give way to lungs, the mouth changes structure, limbs sprout and the tail disappears. Thetadpole changes from a plant consumer to most effective insect catching machine. The transformationprocess serves as 'proof in nature' that life forms can indeed transform from one form to another andled to much speculation and literature respecting similar powers in man.

REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGIESFrogs have evolved a variety of evolutionary strategies to cope with difficult environments, including thetadpole phase of the life cycle. For example, the eggs of the Surinam Toad are deposited in skin pits onthe back of the female; here they hatch into tadpoles and remain until they morph into froglets essentially by-passing the free swimming stage of tadpole life. The Mouth-brooding Frogs of SouthAmerica use a similar strategy. The males actually lick up several eggs just prior to hatching; they arestored in a special mouth pouch where they hatch into tadpoles and undergo their metamorphosis to

48 THE Frog FILES

REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

froglets before entering the world out through the mouth of the frog. A variety of adaptations to life indesert and arid environments have evolved to keep eggs damp during the period of incubation. Thisincludes the building of moisture-holding foam nests and using moist nest cavities of other species likethe Bulldog ant in Australia to ensure that eggs hatch. Other species have specialized adaptations tocope with low oxygen environments like the Lake Titicaca frog of the Andean highlands in SouthAmerica; since this species has no lungs it has developed an extremely baggy skin which serves as itsrespiratory organ. Still other species have evolved specialized patterns of colourization, which may serveas a camouflage to their environment to avoid detection by predators, while others have developed extraordinary colourful displays to warn predators that they are in fact poisonous. This is asmall sampling of the diverse and wonderful methods that frogs have used to deal with their environment. The long journey across millions of years of evolution has resulted in almost every adaptation one could possibly imagine to increase survival.


THE Frog FILES 49

Musical Metamorphosis OBJECTIVETo explain the life cycle of a frog and make students aware of thechanges a frog goes through from egg to adult

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONA frog begins life as a tiny black dot in the middle of its jelly egg.Frog eggs are covered in a translucent, gray-black coloured jellycalled spawn. The jelly protects the eggs from the cold and frompredators. It also absorbs heat from the sun and keeps the eggsslightly warm so they develop faster. The female Leopard Frog canlay up to 6000 eggs in a mass, which are attached to underwaterplants or rocks.

Depending upon the water temperature, within 10 to 20 days theeggs hatch and the tadpoles have a tail (but no limbs) and gills forbreathing underwater. Tadpoles eat plants and algae in the water,and are continually metamorphosing or transforming. As the tadpole develops, the gills shrivel, the lungs are formed, the mouthchanges structure, legs and arms sprout and its tail shrinks. As thebody grows, the four legged tadpole's tail gets smaller and smaller.It is now a miniature adult called a froglet. As adults their dietturns predatory and they eat almost anything they can catch. Preycan be insects, small fish and even each other. It takes two to threeyears for an adult to become sexually mature.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Copy the lifecycle wheel diagram onto a sheet of easel paper

and hang it where all the students can see it. 2. Begin by showing the students a picture of a Leopard Frog

(from FrogWatch poster). Then using the background information, discuss the Leopard Frog's life cycle. Point to theegg mass, tadpole, and adult drawings you copied earlier asyou discuss each stage. What changes do the students noticein the tadpole as it becomes a frog? (the tail gets shorter andeventually disappears, the back legs and then front onesappear, the mouth gets much bigger, and so on)

3. Next tell the students that in addition to the differences theycan see between the frog and the tadpole, the two are very different from each other on the inside too. For one thing, the

GRADES K-3

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Action Song and Craft

MATERIALS• Familiarity with the tune

"Froggie Went A Courtin"• Enlarged copy of page 55• Copies of puppet parts

page 52 on cardstock • Scissors• Pencil crayons, crayons, or

markers• Brass fasteners

(3 per student)

VOCABULARY algae, froglet, metamorphosis, spawn, tadpole

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade KS 100-1, 100-3, 201-1, 203-2E 2.3Grade 1S 100-4, 100-5, 201-1, 203-2E 2.3Grade 2S 100-15,101-7, 102-6, 102-7, 201-1, 203-2E 2.3Grade 3S 201-1, 203-2E 2.3

Activity 2.1

50 THE Frog FILES


frog breathes with lungs instead of gills. And the frog has different mouth parts and internal organs (its diet has changedfrom plants to animals).

4. After your discussion, have the students form a circle. Tell themthey're going to sing a song about a tadpole that hatches froman egg and slowly changes into a frog. First go over the wordsand actions and then let the students perform as a group.

5. You may want to follow up the song by making a tadpoletransformation puppet.

TRANSFORMING PUPPET1. Begin the class by surveying the class for animals they know go

through metamorphosis (insects).2. Photocopy page 52 onto stiff paper. 3. Start the activity with an introductory discussion about frog

metamorphosis. 4. Then hand out students copies page 52 . 5. Have the students colour their frog parts and then cut them

out. (Younger students will need help). 6. Guide students through the assembly of their transforming

tadpole by punching the fasteners through the black dots. 7. The tail and both the back legs share a fastener, and each of

the front limbs has their own.8. When all the limbs are tucked under, the puppet is a tadpole;

bring out the legs and it becomes a froglet; and tuck the tailaway and the metamorphosis is complete with a frog.

SOURCESThe song was borrowed from Let's Hear it For Herps page 23The pattern for the puppet was borrowed from:http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro//lessonplans/profbooks/tadpole.pdf

1 3

2


THE Frog FILES 51

Froggy Grows Up

SONG MOVEMENTS

(SING TO THE TUNE OF "FROGGIE WENT A-COURTIN'.")

Froggie was a-floatin' in a big ol' pond, uh-huh, uh-huh. Make wave motions Froggie was a-floatin' in a big ol' pond, uh-huh, uh-huh. with hands.He was one black spot in a jelly glob; Hold forefingers andOne small egg in a great big blob, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. thumbs together to show egg.

Soon froggie was a-swimmin' on his own, uh-huh, uh-huh. Make a tail by placingSoon froggie was a-swimmin' on his own, uh-huh, uh-huh. palms together behind back.His fast-moving tail helped him get around.back. Wiggle tailAnd he munched on tiny plants he found, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. back and forth to swim.

And froggie was a-changin' day by day, uh-huh, uh-huh. Hold a leg up and And froggie was a-changin' day by day, uh-huh, uh-huh. wiggle it, then wiggleFirst he got back legs and then front ones too. both arms.And he lost his tail and his lungs grew, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.

Now froggie is a-hoppin' on the land, uh-huh, uh-huh. Hop in place.Now froggie is a-hoppin' on the land, uh-huh, uh-huh.His long, sticky tongue helps him catch his prey, Stick out tongue andAs he feeds on bugs and worms all day, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. quickly pull it back in.

Transforming PuppetStart by colouring the puppet parts. Then carefully cut themout. Next assemble them with brass fasteners (as shownbelow) to create a transforming puppet. Transform yourpuppet through the stages of metamorphosis from tadpoleto froglet to adult frog.

2.1


THE Frog FILES 53

Wheel of LifeOBJECTIVETo familiarize students with the stages of metamorphosis

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONRefer to background information in Musical Metamorphosis page 49.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Copy the handout Wheel of Life on page 54 for each student.2. Have the students cut out the six puzzle pieces and arrange

them in the order that reflects the Leopard Frog's lifecycle.When completed correctly, the pieces fit into a circle in orderfrom spawn through three tadpole stages to froglet to adultfrog, and back to spawn. See page 55 for solution.

3. You may decide to have students colour the puzzle pieces andglue them onto construction paper.

4. Students may label each stage of the frog's life cycle. You couldcall out various characteristics present at a certain stage of thelife cycle and have students name the stage it represents orhave them tell you the story of metamorphosis as they assemble their puzzle.

5. Discuss what they think would happen to the lifecycle if a tadpole’s habitat were polluted.

SOURCEPuzzle pieces borrowed from Alberta’s Threatened Wildlife Teacher’sGuide Grades K 1 2 3 Leopard Frog page 24-26

GRADES K-4

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Simple Puzzle

MATERIALS• Copies of page 54• Pencil crayons, crayons, or

markers• Glue• Scissors• Construction paper

(optional)

VOCABULARY egg, frog, froglet, metamorphosis, spawn, tadpole

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade KS 100-1, 100-3, 203-2Grade 1S 100-4, 100-5, 200-1, 200-3, 202-2, 203-2, 203-3Grade 2S 100-15,101-7, 102-6, 102-7, 200-1, 200-3, 202-2, 203-2, 203-3Grade 3S 200-1, 200-3, 203-2Grade 4S 104-6, 207-2, 301-2

Activity 2.2

Wheel of LifeCut out the six puzzle pieces and arrange them in theorder that reflects the Leopard Frog's lifecycle.

2.2

Wheel of Life 2.2

56 THE Frog FILES


CrissCrossed FrogsOBJECTIVE To introduce new words associated with frogs

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONTo learn about frogs, students need to become familiar with theterms used to describe their lifestyle and habits. These two crosswords will introduce students to some of the terminologyassociated with frogs along with trivia and factoids.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Copy the crossword puzzle appropriate to the grade level of

your class and hand out one to each student.2. Have the students work through the puzzle on their own or in

partners.3. Go over the solution together and elaborate on the facts

presented whenever appropriate.4. Encourage questions!

Younger StudentsGrade 2 may be capable of doing the first puzzle; you may, however, wish to do it together as a class.

GRADES Puzzle A: 2-4; Puzzle B: 5-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Crossword puzzles

MATERIALS• Copies of page 58 or 59,

depending on grade level; one per student

• Pencils

VOCABULARY Refer to answer key on page57

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 2S 203-2E 2.1, 4.3Grade 3S 203-2E 2.1, 4.3Grade 4S 104-6E 2.1, 2.3, 4.3Grade 5E 2.1, 4.3Grade 6S 104-8E 2.1, 4.3

Activity 2.3


THE Frog FILES 57

TEACHER'S ANSWER KEYPuzzle AAcross1. It is a myth that a toad will give you warts.2. The best time of day to hear frogs calling is night.3. The "little fish" that hatches from a frog's egg is called a tadpole.4. Most frogs start life in the water as an egg.5. A frog's skin is slimy because its covered in mucous.6. Frogs are very dependent on water for survival.

Down1. A frog breathes with its skin, mouth, and lungs.2. Frogs, toads, and salamanders are all amphibians.3. Spring is the season when frogs mate.4. An animal that is disappearing from the wild is said to be endangered.5. A group of frogs is called an army.6. A frog's tongue is sticky which helps them catch their prey.

Puzzle B (more advanced)Across1. Estivation is a period of dormancy that frogs enter during long periods of heat or drought.2. The coloured pattern on the skin of a frog often acts as camouflage, which helps them hide from

predators.3. A frog's skin must always remain moist.4. Froglet is the name given to the juvenile frog that is not yet fully developed. 5. It is a myth that touching a toad will give you warts.6. Male frogs sing in order to attract a mate.7. Metamorphosis is the entire process of frog development from egg to adult.8. Frogs generally breathe with lungs whereas tadpoles breathe with gills.9. Each year a frog's bones form a new ring.

Down1. Another name for a frog's eardrum is tympanum.2. Sugar in the blood acts as antifreeze in the winter for some frog species.3. Frogs are ectothermic; another way of saying this is that frogs are cold-blooded.4. A common name for a tadpole is pollywog.5. While overwintering, frogs draw oxygen from the water through their permeable skin.6. When mating, the male frog may grasp the female in a piggyback embrace called amplexus.7. A member of the group of frogs and toads, which has the scientific name Anura, is called an

anuran.8. Toads have large parotid glands that make poison.9. Most frogs require two distinct habitats to complete their lifecycle.

2

6

5

5

3

31

6

4

2

1

ACROSS1. It is a myth that a toad will give you ...................................................2. The best time of day to hear frogs calling is .......................................3. The "little fish" that hatches from a frog's egg is called a...................4. Most frogs start life in the water as an ..............................................5. A frog's skin is slimy because its covered in .......................................6. Frogs are very dependent on............................................ for survival.

DOWN1. A frog breathes with its........................................, mouth, and lungs.2. Frogs, toads, and salamanders are all ................................................3. ......................................................... is the season when frogs mate.4. An animal that is disappearing from the wild is said to be .................5. A group of frogs is called an ..............................................................6. A frog's tongue is ........................ which helps them catch their prey.

ANSWERS

WATERARMYSTICKYEGGMUCOUSWARTSSKINSPRINGAMPHIBIANSTADPOLENIGHTENDANGERED

CrissCrossed Frogs A 2.3

1

3

2

3

2

5

5

6

77

8

9

8

9

1

4

4

6

ACROSS1. ............................ is a period of dormancy that frogs enter during long periods of heat or drought.2. The coloured pattern on the skin of a frog often acts as ............................, which helps them hide.3. A frog's skin must always remain ...................................................................................................4. ..............................................is the name given to the juvenile frog that is not yet fully developed. 5. It is a myth that touching a toad will give you ................................................................................6. Male frogs sing in order to attract a ................................................................................................7. ........................................................ is the entire process of frog development from egg to adult.8. Frogs generally breathe with lungs whereas tadpoles breathe with .................................................9. Each year a frog's bones form a new .............................................................................................

DOWN1. Another name for a frog's eardrum is ............................................................................................2. Sugar in the blood acts as ...................................................... in the winter for some frog species.3. Frogs are ectothermic; another way of saying this is that frogs are ....................................blooded. 4. A common name for a tadpole is ....................................................................................................5. While overwintering, frogs draw .............................. from the water through their permeable skin.6. When mating, the male frog may grasp the female in a piggyback embrace called .........................7. A member of the group of frogs and toads, which has the scientific name Anura, is called an .......8. Toads have large .................................................................................... glands that make poison.9. Most frogs require two distinct .......................................................... to complete their life cycle. .

CrissCrossed Frogs B

ANSWERS

GILLSANURANRINGMATECAMOUFLAGECOLDTYMPANUMHABITATSPOLLYWOGMETAMORPHOSISWARTSAMPLEXUSESTIVATIONMOISTPAROTIDFROGLETOXYGENHABITATS

2.3

60 THE Frog FILES


Whose Life is it Anyway?OBJECTIVE To familiarize students with the different stages of a frog's lifecycleand introduce some of the challenges presented to frogs at eachstage

BACKGROUND INFORMATION See background information in the Wheel of Life activity page 53.

TEACHER INSTRUCTION1. Photocopy the "Whose Life is it Anyway?" card sheet and cut it

into individual cards and put them in a hat.2. Open with a review discussion about frog metamorphosis. You

may wish to talk about the challenges facing frogs at everystage of their life cycle. Discuss how vulnerable eggs and tadpoles are to predators and how this accounts for the explosive breeding strategy of many species. As well, mention that eggs and tadpoles are also especially vulnerableto pollution which affects their proper development intohealthy, adult frogs. Sometimes the disruption to metamorphosis is so great that the adult frogs are not able tosurvive.

3. Divide class into groups of four to five students.4. Have one student from each group pick a card out of the hat.5. Inform the groups that they are to act out the stage of the

frog's lifecycle on their card to the rest of the class. 6. Have the classmates try and guess what stage or scenario is

being acted out.7. After all groups have finished, put all the "eggs" together, all

the "tadpoles" together and so on and have them make a listof everything they need to be healthy. (ie. Eggs: safety fromfish, clean water, etc.)

8. Discuss how personal actions can help protect frog habitats.

GRADES 3-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Charades game

MATERIALS• Copies of cards on

page 61• A hat

VOCABULARY explosive breeding

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 200-1, 203-2, 203-5E 4.4, 5.1Grade 4S 108-3, 108-6, 300-1, 301-2, 302-1, 302-2, 413, 418E 4.4, 5.1Grade 5S 108-7, 207-3, 413, 418E 4.4, 5.1Grade 6S 108-5, 413, 418E 4.4, 5.1

Activity 2.4


THE Frog FILES 61

EGGS: HATCHING• As eggs hatching, you must eat your way

through the egg’s jelly and wiggle out as abrand new tadpole into your new environment. What is your new environ-ment? Is it scary? What will you do first?

TADPOLES: TRYING TO ESCAPE A BIRD• Look out overhead! A bird has its eye on

you! (One of you be the bird, the others willbe tadpoles)

• Don’t be afraid to use sound effects!

TADPOLES: DYING FROM PREMATUREDRYING OF THEIR POND• It is a very hot summer and your pond is

drying up before you have had a chance togrow into frogs. Try to make it look like youare really hot before you die.

FROGLETS: TRYING TO ESCAPE ASTALKING SNAKE• SSSSSSSSSSsssssssss….A big garter snake is

on your tail! You haven’t seen one beforeand you are scared. (One of you be the snakeand the others be froglets)

• Don’t be afraid to use sound effects!

FROGLETS: FIRST STEPS ON LAND• You’re limbs have developed and now it is

time for you to take your first steps. Are youused to your legs yet? Are they strong? Canyou jump yet?

ADULTS: FEMALES LAYING EGGS• You are all full of eggs and you are ready to

find a good place to lay them. Have youfound a good spot? Does it look safe? Layaway!

TADPOLES: TRYING TO ESCAPE A FISH• Watch out! You better swim fast! A big fish

is after you. (One of you be the fish, the others will be the tadpoles)

TADPOLES: DYING FROM PESTICIDE CONTAMINATION• Your pond had been polluted with poisons.

You are all dying.(One of you could be a person dumping pesticide into the pond andthe rest of you will be dying tadpoles)

FROGLETS: TRYING TO CATCH FIRSTMEAL• You are newly transformed froglets trying to

catch your first meal. How easy is it? Howgood are you with your tongues?

TADPOLES: BEGINNING TO GROWLIMBS• .You are a bunch of tadpoles beginning to

transform into froglets. What is happening toyou? Are you surprised? Can you move yournew limbs?

ADULTS: MALE FROGS SINGING IN AMATING CHORUS• You are a bunch of male frogs looking for

girlfriends. You all want to sing the bestsong. Sing away!

ADULTS: STRUGGLING TO EAT ANEARTHWORM• You are hungry, hungry frogs and each of

you has found and earthworm. How are yougoing to catch it? How are you going to stuffit into your mouth?

62 THE Frog FILES


SOURCEActivity borrowed from Let'sHear it For Herps page 29-30

Far out Frogs OBJECTIVETo stimulate interest in frogs by highlighting how several frogspecies have unique reproductive strategies

BACKGROUND INFOMost, but not all, frogs lay their eggs in the water and then abandon them. In fact, some have pretty amazing strategies fortaking care of their offspring. In this activity the students in yourgroup will discover some of these unusual frogs and the differentways they protect their eggs and young.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Begin by showing the students a picture of a Bullfrog or

Leopard Frog. Explain that a female frog lays thousands of eggseach year in a pool, pond, or other body of water. Tadpoleshatch from the eggs and later metamorphose into frogs.

2. Ask the students what benefits there are to laying so manyeggs. (Many of the eggs are eaten by fish, birds, aquaticinsects, and other predators. By laying large numbers of eggs,these frogs increase the chances that at least a few of the tad-poles will hatch from the eggs will survive to become adults.)

3. Ask the students if they can think of any other animals that usethis strategy. (Most insects, spiders, fish, other amphibians etc)

4. Next tell the students that even though most frogs use thesame strategy as the bullfrog and leopard frog, there are someother frogs that do things quite differently.

5. Pass out copies of the Far out Frogs handout to each student. 6. Explain that you are going to read a description of how each of

the frogs on the handout takes care of its eggs and/or young.The students can then decide if the animal is real or imaginary.(You should only read the information in bold). If they think theamphibian really exists in the wild, the students should circle"Yes"; otherwise they should circle "No".

7. Ask students which frogs they thought were imaginary andthen reveal to the students that all the frogs on the pageare real and take care of their young in the ways youdescribed.

8. Review each frog by supplying more information by reading thenon-bolded information.

GRADES 3-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Teacher read and handout

MATERIALS• Copies of page 64• Pencils• FrogWatch poster or other

pictures of a Bullfrog orLeopard Frog

VOCABULARY egg, predator, tadpole

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 200-3, 203-2, 403, 405E 4.4Grade 4S 104-6, 300-1, 412E 4.4Grade 5S 104-7, 206-4, 300, 412E 4.4Grade 6S 104-8, 300-17, 301-15,412E 4.4

Activity 2.5


THE Frog FILES 63

1 SURINAME TOAD At breeding time, the skinon the back of this female toad becomesspongy. As she lays her eggs, the male

pushes them onto her back. Then, after all 50-100 of her eggs are in place, the skin swells andcovers the eggs, sealing each one in a separatepouch. The eggs develop into tadpoles withinthe tiny pouches. In about three months tinytoads pop out of their mother's back. These frogslive in parts of South America. They spend their entirelife in the water. Their dark bodies help them blend inwith the mud at the bottom of the streams, rivers,and swamps where they live. Their fingertips are star-shaped and covered with tiny "hairs" that they use tocomb through the water and mud searching for food.

2 MIDWIFE TOAD As the female toad startsto lay her strings of eggs, the male pullsthem out of her body and wraps them

around his legs. Then he hops off to a protectedplace. He carries the eggs for several weeks,dunking them in water or dragging themthrough dew to keep them moist. When he sens-es that the eggs are ready to hatch, he hops intoa pond and the tadpoles swim away. Midwifetoads live in Europe. At mating time, each female laysabout 15-60 eggs out of the water. A male toad maycarry eggs for more than one female at a time.

3 GREEN AND BLACK DART POISON FROGAfter the female lays her eggs underleaves on the ground, the male guards

them. When the tadpoles hatch they wriggleonto their father's back. Then he carries themfrom the ground to tiny rainwater pools. Once inthe water the tadpoles leave of their father and finish growing within this "treetop" nursery.These colourful frogs live in trees in the rainforests ofCentral and South America. Sometimes the fatheralso carries the tadpoles water-filled plants calledbromeliads that grow in the trees, to small puddles onthe ground, or to other small water-filled spots. Likemost of the other kinds of dart-poison frogs, theyhave brightly coloured skin. Their skin is a warning towould-be predators that the frogs are poisonous.

4 SMITH FROG At mating time, the male frogbuilds a mud nest on the edge of a pond.Using his front feet, he pushes the mud up

into a circular wall. When it's finished, the nest isabout 30 cm wide with 7.5-10 cm of water in it.The female lays her eggs in the water within thenest. The eggs and the tadpoles that hatch fromthem are relatively safe from aquatic insects andother predators. Smith frogs are tree frogs that livein parts of South America. They get their commonname from the sound of the male's call: it sounds likea blacksmith's hammer striking an anvil. Like othertree frogs, Smith frogs have disks on their toes andfingers that help them grip bark and leaves.

5 GLASS FROG The female usually lays hereggs on a leaf that hangs over a stream.She lays her eggs in a big, jelly-covered

clump, and the male frog watches over them asthe tadpoles develop inside. After about twoweeks the tadpoles are old enough to swim andthe jelly turns to liquid. One by one the tadpoles"drip" into the stream below. Glass frogs live inrainforests and parts of Mexico and Central and SouthAmerica. The adults live on the leaves of trees andshrubs deep in the jungle, and their bright greencolour helps hide them from predators. The sucker-like disks on their fingers and toes help them grip thebark and leaves of the tress and shrubs.

6 DARWIN’S FROG After the female frog laysher eggs, the male guards them. As soonas the tadpoles start to hatch, he slurps

them up. The tadpoles slide from his mouth intohis vocal sac. They develop inside the sac foralmost three months. Then the male opens hismouth and as many as 20 little frogs crawl out.Darwin's frogs are tiny-they are not much more than2.5cm long. They live mainly on the ground nearstreams in parts of Chile and Argentina.

Far Out FrogsListen closely to the description of the lifestyle of thesefrogs. If you think this frog is real, circle YES. If not, circle NO.

1. Yes No

3. Yes No

4. Yes No

6. Yes No

5. Yes No

2. Yes No

2.5

THE Frog FILES 65

Behaviour and Adaptation

Behaviour and specific adaptations are the thumbprints of survival for all animal species and permitthem to exploit the environment in select ways. Species that are dependent upon events or habitatcomponents that are uncommon in nature are highly specialized and are at greater risk to disturbancesthan species that can exploit a broad range of habitat types and conditions. Among frog species thereare a great number of specialists and generalists alike, to such an extent in fact that volumes of bookshave been written on the evolutionary strategies of amphibians.

TADPOLE DIETS "Why are frogs so happy?" Because they eat whatever bugs them!

The food preferences of amphibians are tied to their unique multi-stage life cycle; the dinner plate for atadpole looks quite different compared to a mature adult frog. Most tadpoles are free swimming. Theyhatch from eggs that are usually laid in shallow warm ponds that are teeming with aquatic life, particu-larly plants and algae. The strategy of tadpoles is to take advantage of the rich pond life to provide theenergy they need to complete their development through to froglets and finally mature breedingadults. Given that there is usually an abundance of aquatic plant and algal life, the nutritional needs ofmost tadpoles can be met in a healthy habitat. Unfortunately, they are highly sensitive to changes intemperature, acidity, pollution, and anything that would negatively impact their food supply. In addition, many other wetland species love to eat tadpoles, including birds, fishes and reptiles. The lessdiverse the environment, the higher the risk to tadpoles from predators. However, tadpoles are delicatecreatures in that they cannot survive indefinitely in that form and must complete the transformation tofroglets or die. Once a tadpole morphs into a froglet, they are no longer equipped to eat and digestplant material. They have basically made a switch from a machine designed to process plant material toone better equipped to digest animal protein; in most cases this is from the insect world.

HOW FROGS EATThe majority of frog species have special adaptations for catching insects, something that they are verygood at. Many frogs catch flying insects with a long sticky tongue. Basically they take aim with deadly

66 THE Frog FILES

BEHAVIOUR & ADAPTATION

accuracy, close their eyes and shoot their tongue at their prey. Once returned to the mouth they areingested without chewing. To help swallow, they push their eyes down into their head and use thepressure to help them move the food into their stomachs. However, not all frogs have tongues and notall frogs eat insects; the Ornate Horned frog in fact eats mice and has been seen using their front feetto stuff the rodent meal into their mouth.

FROG CALLSAnother aspect of frogs that should not be overlooked are the variety of calls that have evolved as ameans of communication. Most of us have been exposed to the spring chorus of frogs before we actually have our first visual encounter. Frogs may have been one of the first animals on earth to actually make any noise, and considering they are still croaking and trilling, it was obviously a very useful skill. Frogs croak for many reasons; they may call during mating or to end the mating embrace,females may call in response to a male's call; or they may even vocalize to startle a predator. Primarily,however, male frogs croak during the mating season so that females know where they are; the louderhe croaks the more likely he is to attract a female. For this reason many types of male frog have specialair sacs that act as a resonator, thereby boosting the volume of each croak. They squeeze their lungswith their nostrils and mouth shut. Air flows over their vocal chords and into their vocal sacs located ontheir throat, which then blow up like balloons. Given that there are more than 3000 species of frogsand that most have evolved calls to be different from each other, the world is indeed alive with thesound of frogs.


THE Frog FILES 67

The Fabulous Functions of Frog FeetOBJECTIVE To illustrate how frogs' feet are adapted to help them movearound their environment

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONAnimals are adapted to their environment with specifically shapedbody parts. The typical frog has a small body, wide mouth, longlegs and no neck. Its teeth are so tiny that it cannot chew well andso it must swallow its prey whole. Most frogs have enormouslystrong, long legs for swimming and take-off when leaping. Thefront legs absorb the shock while landing (the frog has uniqueshoulder bones, which are adapted for this purpose). Not all frogsare alike. The type of feet can give clues to where and how a froglives. For example, the leopard frog has back feet that are webbedfor swimming and the flying frogs have feet adapted for gliding.Other frogs may have different types of feet.

FROGS HAVE SPECIFICALLY ADAPTED FEET• Digging feet for burrowing in the soil • Climbing feet for sticking to the shiniest leaves• Gliding feet for "flying" between treetops• Grasping feet for grasping prey and climbing among the reeds• Swimming feet for powerful swimmers

ACTIVITY 1: FEET FOR SWIMMING MATERIALS• sink, plastic basin, bucket or aquarium, 1/2 filled with water• plastic bags (big enough to put an open hand into)• elastic to hold bag sealed around wrist• towels for spills and wiping hands

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Ask students if they have ever used flippers. If so, how did it

affect their swimming?2. Fill the your selected water vessel 1/2 full with water.3. Have students take turns running their hands (not feet)

through some water in the basin. They will actually push waterwith the hands, so remind students not to push too hard orelse there may be more water outside than inside the basin.

GRADES 2-4; Worksheet 4-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Experiment/Demonstration;worksheet

MATERIALSSee text body

VOCABULARY adaptation

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 2S 100-25, 200-1, 201-1, 201-5, 201-7, 202-9, 203-1, 401,402, 403, 406, 408Grade 3S 200-1, 200-3, 201-1, 201-5, 201-7, 201-8, 202-9, 401,402, 403, 406, 408Grade 4S 104-1, 204-1, 204-3, 205-1, 205-3, 205-5, 206-1, 206-5, 206-9, 207-1, 300-1, 413,415, 418, 420Grade 5S 204-1, 204-2, 204-3, 205-1, 205-3, 205-5, 205-8, 206-1, 206-9, 207-1, 207-3, 413,415, 418, 420Grade 6S 204-1, 205-3, 205-5, 205-8, 206-1, 206-9, 300-17,301-15, 413, 415, 418, 420

Activity 3.1


4. First have students pass their hand through water with an open hand and their fingers spread apart.5. Next, have them close their fingers together so their hand looks like a paddle.6. Then, place a plastic bag over the student's hand, securing it to the wrist with an elastic band and

have them push through the water with their fingers spread.7. Ask the students which one of three ways was most effective at moving water. Which method best

represents webbed feet?

ACTIVITY 2: FEET FOR GLIDING MATERIALS• Pieces of paper

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Have the students take two pieces of paper, both the same size.2. Have them spread out one paper flat and drop it. Ask them to notice how it takes a while to float

to the floor.3. Then take the second piece of paper and crumple it into a little ball.4. Drop the crumpled paper from the same height as the first paper. Notice how much faster it falls.5. Explain to the students that flying frogs have large membranes between their toes that act like mini

parachutes and allow them to glide through the air like the flat pieces of paper. Without the extrawebbing, a falling frog would go *SPLAT!*

SUMMARY MATERIALS• Copies of worksheet page 69• Pencils• FrogWatch poster• Amphibian field guide (optional)

SUMMARY ACTIVITIES1. Have students look at the feet of some of the frogs on the FrogWatch poster or in field guides. Can

they guess what their feet are adapted for? Hint: look at their name and habitat for some clues.Some of the frogs are quite obvious. The Gray Treefrog, Spring Peeper, Pacific Treefrog, and theChorus Frogs, all have sticky pads on their feet for clinging to trees; the Bullfrog, Mink Frog, andLeopard Frog have webbing for swimming; and the Spadefoots and Toads have adaptations for digging and burrowing, but these features are harder to distinguish using the poster.

2. Hand out copies of the worksheet, The Fabulous Functions of Frog Feet3. Have students complete the matching worksheet.

ANSWER KEY TO WORKSHEET (TOP TO BOTTOM)Digging; Swimming; Climbing; Gripping; Gliding

68 THE Frog FILES

SOURCESThe Feet for Swimming activity was modified from "Try On Webbed Feet"in Alberta's ThreatenedWildlife Teacher's Guide Grades K 1 2 3 ; The Feet for Gliding activity was borrowed fromhttp://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/general/feet.html; and the worksheet was adapted from images athttp://kiddyhouse.com/Themes/frogs/frogclips/wshtfrogft.gif

GRIPPING Many frogs and toads have feet for gripping reeds and moving food to their mouths

CLIMBINGGray Treefrogs, Spring Peeper, Pacific Treefrog, Chorus Frogs

DIGGING BURROWSSpadefoots

SWIMMINGBullfrog, Mink Frog,Leopard Frog

GLIDINGFROM TREESFlying Frogs ofBorneo

3.1The Fabulous Functions of Frog Feet

Frogs have developed all different kinds of feet to suit their lifestyleand habitats. Can you match the frog feet to their function?

70 THE Frog FILES


The Frog OlympicsOBJECTIVE To introduce the concept of frogs as powerful jumpers and have alot of fun making paper frogs that really jump!

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONFrogs are very powerful jumpers. Some scientists believe that frogsdeveloped their jumping abilities as a means of escaping predatorydinosaurs. When put this way, it's easy to see how much timefrogs have had to hone this aptitude. Many frogs can jump at leasttwice their body length; an adult Bullfrog is really amazing in thisregard and can jump up to 20 times its body length!

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Using the diagrams on pages 71-73, practice making an

Origami jumping frog.2. For the younger grades, discuss how powerful frogs' legs are

and tell them that some frogs can jump up to 20 times theirbody length. If possible, pace out 20 times a students bodylength to really illustrate the concept.

3. Demonstrate the origami techniques to your students by making a frog step-by-step along with the class.

4. For the younger students, it would be a good idea to do thisactivity on a day when you have student helpers.

5. Encourage them that they CAN do this! It may seem difficult,but the results are well worth it.

6. When their frogs are completed, encourage them to colour anddecorate their frogs. Have them look at the FrogWatch posterfor some ideas of how they could colour their frog like a "realCanadian" one.

7. There is a follow up worksheet on page 75 that works with estimating and measuring. This is appropriate for grades 2-4.

8. Hold a showdown! Whose frog can jump the furthest in a single leap? Measure the jump in centimetres and present thewinner with the Certificate of Athletic Excellence on page 74.

SOURCEThe origami instructions were borrowed fromwww.seagrant.wisc.edu/frogs/origami_instr.html

GRADES K-6 (Care partners for K-2)

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Origami craft and measuring

MATERIALS• Letter sized paper (green

coloured would be ideal)• Pencil crayons, crayons, or

markers• Depending on target

audience (Grades 2-4),copies of page 75

• One copy of page 74 • Rulers

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade KS 201-1, 404Grade 1S 201-1, 404Grade 2S 201-1, 404M SS 2, 3Grade 3S 201-1, 201-6, 404M SS 1, 3Grade 4S 205-3, 205-4, 416M SS 2, 4Grade 5S 205-3, 416Grade 6S 205-3, 416

Activity 3.2


THE Frog FILES 71

12

34a

4b

4c5a

5b6a

6b

Start with a letter sized

piece of paper. Fold thepage diagonally so thatside “a” m

eets side“b”.

Cut or tear along the

dark line. You should now

have asquare piece of paper.Fold diagonally and inhalf until your paperm

atches the diagram.

Start pushing in on pointsC

and D at the sam

e time

until a triangle forms.

Press the edges down. Be

patient! This is a trickystep but once you get it, itw

ill be very easy to repeat.

Take point “a”, which is

only the top layer of thetriangle, and fold it upto m

eet point “b”.

This is what it should

look like. Repeat Step5a on the other corner.Be sure to press yourcreases dow

n firmly.

Fold the right-handedpoint of the diam

ond intow

ards the middle so

that the “southeast” edgeof the diam

ond parallelsthe m

iddle line.

Your paper should looklike this. Repeat Step 6aon the other side.

72 THE Frog FILES


6c7a

7b8

9

10 a10b

1112a

12b

If your paper looks likethis, you are doinggreat!

Now

, fold the top cor-ner “e” outw

ard so thatthe center edge nowparallels the “south-east” edge. You w

illneed to press really hardto keep the crease. Youm

ay also find the paperw

ants to unfold fromthis fold, but push hard!

Repeat Step 6b on the leftside. You have just form

edthe frog’s front legs.

Now

turn your paperover so the other sidefaces you.

Fold inward along the

red line.This is w

hat you papershould look like.

Repeat Step 10a on theleft side.

Now

fold outward along

the gray line.Your paper should looklike this.


THE Frog FILES 73

1314a

14b14c

15

16 a16b

1718

Repeat Step 12a on theleft side so your paperlooks like this. You havejust form

ed the “dorso-lateral lines” dow

n thefrog’s back and his backlegs.

All you frog needs now

isa little “spring in hisstep” to m

ake him jum

p!The next steps w

ill dojust that. Fold your frogin half along the dottedline so that his back legstuck under his belly.

Flip the frog over so thathis bum

is facing youand it looks like this.

Now

fold the frog’s backlegs dow

n along thedotted line.

Congratulations! Your

completed frog looks

like this. And now

…

to make him

jump. Lay your frog on a hard surface

and push down on the very end of his back (the spot

marked w

ith an “X”). Be sure the legs are folded

underneath the frog before you push!

PRESENTED ON THIS DAY, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,(today’s date)

TO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,(name of frog)

FOR THE ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF JUMPING A WORLD RECORD

DISTANCE OF . . . . . . . . . . . cm

PRELIMINARIES

Look at your frog. How long do you thinkyour frog is from nose to toes?

Estimated length: .......................................

Now measure your frog. How long is it really?

Actual length: ............................................

Which frogs on the FrogWatch poster areabout the same length as your frog?

.....................................................................

How far do you think your frog can go in one jump?

.....................................................................

WARM-UPS

5. Make your frog jump once and measurehow far it jumped. How far did it actually jump?

.....................................................................

6. How far do you think your frog can go in ten jumps?

.....................................................................

Make your frog jump ten times. Now measure the total distance it went. How far did your frog jump in ten jumps?

.....................................................................

Was your estimate closer this time? Why or why not?

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

How many jumps do you think it will take yourfrog to jump 20 times the length of its body?

.....................................................................

Make your frog jump until it jumps 20 timesits own length like the Bullfrog. How many jumps did your frog make?

.....................................................................

FINAL COMPETITION

You have three attempts to set a world record.Measure and record each attempt. What is yourfrog’s personal best?

.............................................................................

The Frog OlympicsTrainer’s (your) Name: ........................................................................................................................

FROG STATS

NAME: .................................................................................................................................................

BIRTHDAY: ...........................................................................................................................................

SPECIALTY EVENTS: ............................................................................................................................

OLYMPIC HOPES: ................................................................................................................................

REIGNING CHAMPION: Bruce the Bullfrog who last year set a world record by jumping 20 times his length!

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

3.2

76 THE Frog FILES


Sir Toadleby’s Authentic Anuran CuisineOBJECTIVE To get students to think about the variety of prey that frogs eat andhow nutritional requirements change with stages of the life cycle

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONIf it has a pulse, some frog somewhere will probably try to eat it.This is a phrase that stands true for our anuran friends. Frogsaround the world eat a variety of other organisms. Tadpoles starttheir life with a first meal of the jelly around their egg. They thenmove on to a vegetarian diet and eat algae in their nursery pond.Once they metamorphose into frogs, their digestive system changesentirely and they become carnivorous. What's on the menu for acarnivorous frog you ask? Anything from a mosquito to a fly, to acentipede, to a mouse an even a snake is fair game as prey.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Begin by reviewing the physical changes a frog goes through

from tadpole to frog and how their diet changes. 2. Brainstorm the wide variety of organisms frogs eat and write

these prey items on the blackboard sorting by life stages. eg:• Hatching Tadpole: Jelly surrounding egg• Free Swimming Tadpole: Tips of plants; algae growing on

rocks, logs, and plants• Froglet/ Toadlet: Same as frog/ toad• Frog/ Toad: Centipedes; millipedes; earthworms; snails; slugs;

spiders; bees; flies; mosquitoes; grasshoppers; ants; beetles;snakes and many more…

3. Hand out copies of the blank menu on page 77 and read the following directions to the class :The hottest new restaurant has just hired you as the Head Chefbut there is a catch! This special restaurant caters to the Frogand Toad community. It is your job to redesign the menu. Thepast menu included such tasty features as Egg Jelly Ice Cream(for the brand new tadpole), Centipede Soup, and EarthwormTartar, and of course dessert. Decorate your menu and don'tforget to set your prices too!

4. Remind them they are free to use the prey items listed on theblackboard.

5. Share as a class some of the recipes they came up with.

GRADES 3-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Brainstorming

MATERIALS• Copies of page 77• Blackboard or easel

and paper• Pencils• Pencil crayons, crayons,

or markers

VOCABULARY algae, anuran, carnivorous,prey

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 200-1, 200-3, 203-2, 401,402, 403Grade 4S 104-6, 204-3, 206-1, 207-1, 300-1, 301-1, 302-1, 302-2, 302-3, 413Grade 5S 104-7, 206-1, 207-1, 413Grade 6S 104-8, 108-8, 206-1, 300-17, 413

Activity 3.3

Appetizers

●

●

Soups and Salads

●

●

Specialties

●

●

Kids Menu (for the tadpole in your family)

●

●

Desserts

●

●

78 THE Frog FILES


Soak it UpOBJECTIVETo introduce the concept of selective permeability relative to afrog's skin and to allow students to think creatively and designsome features on frogs that could live in the future

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONFor the past decade, scientists have been alarmed by a dramaticdecline in amphibian populations. Amphibians have a two-phasedlife cycle-terrestrial and aquatic-and permeable skin, both of whichmake them highly vulnerable to habitat changes and pollutants,both on land and in water.

This selective permeability is critical to frogs and toads. Living inmoist areas, toads are able to draw moisture out of the soil andinto their bodies through their skin. Just like the root hairs of aplant, water moves from the soil into the body of a toad. Frogs canlive underwater during the winter because they are able to drawoxygen from the water through their permeable skin.

ACTIVITY 1: PLUMP IT UP MATERIALS• hardboiled egg or raw potato • jar of water • ruler

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONSIn order to maintain class interest, it would be a good idea to dothe following activities in pairs or groups of three. The next threeactivities will demonstrate features of permeable skin of frogs.

1. Have students peel a hardboiled egg or raw potato. 2. Measure and record its circumference and then place it in a jar

of water for 24 hours. 3. After observing the egg or potato, describe what has happened. 4. Again, measure the circumference. Explain any changes in size.

GRADES 4-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Experiments and Discussion


VOCABULARY habitat, permeability

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 4S 104-6, 204-1, 204-3, 204-8, 205-1, 205-3, 205-4, 205-5, 205-7, 206-9, 207-1, 207-2, 207-6, 300-1, 302-2, 413,415, 416, 418, 420E 1.1, 1.2, 2.3, 5.1Grade 5S 204-1, 204-3, 204-5, 204-8, 205-1, 205-3, 205-4, 205-5, 205-7, 206-5, 206-9, 207-3, 413, 415, 416, 418, 420E 1.1, 1.2, 2.3, 5.1Grade 6S 204-1, 204-8, 205-3, 205-5, 205-7, 206-5, 206-9, 207-2, 300-17, 301-15, 413, 415,416, 418, 420E 1.1, 1.2, 2.3, 5.1

Activity 3.4


THE Frog FILES 79

ACTIVITY 2: SELECTIVE PERMEABILITY MATERIALS• orange juice with pulp • sieve or strainer • funnel

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Pour orange juice with pulp through a funnel and describe what happens. 2. Then, pour the orange juice through a sieve or strainer. Now what happens? 3. How does this demonstrate selective permeability? (a permeable membrane allows smaller particles

to pass through it but it excludes larger ones. In this way, toxins and other dangerous contaminantscan pass through a frog's permeable skin.)

ACTIVITY 3: WHAT IS IMPERMEABLE MATERIALS• water • paper towel • plastic wrap • selection of items including napkins, sponges, glass, paper, cardboard, cheesecloth, aluminum foil

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Pour a spoonful of water on a paper towel and a spoonful on plastic wrap. Which one of these

items is impermeable to the water? 2. Choose some other materials and experiment with them. Suggestions include napkins, sponges,

glass, paper, cardboard, cheesecloth, aluminum foil, etc. 3. Rank these materials from least to most permeable. (These other materials are imitating other types

of membranes). Does everyone agree? For primary grades it may be a good idea to provide rankings(such as 1=permeable, 2=somewhat permeable and 3=very permeable), and give a demonstration.

ACTIVITY 4: FUTURE FROGS OF THE WORLD

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONSHave students imagine that they have the power to control how creatures develop in the future. Getthem to design a frog that will be better adapted to conditions in the environment 100 years fromnow. Have them consider that the world may be warmer and drier and more polluted. What featurewill be important to frogs? Have them design and draw their modern frog and describe it.

SUMMARY QUESTIONSDiscuss as a class1. How is a frog or toad like an egg or potato? (their outer membrane allows water to be absorbed)2. Which materials are most permeable?3. Why is permeability important to frogs and toads? How does it put them at risk?4. Where do you normally find frogs and toads? Why do you think this is the case?5. Do humans have the same skin as frogs? Why not?

SOURCEThis activity was borrowed from Let's Hear it for Herps page 88

80 THE Frog FILES


Dressed for Success: Camouflage in the ClassroomOBJECTIVETo introduce the concept of camouflage to young students

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONMany frogs use camouflage to keep them safely hidden frompredators. Frogs will have different types of colouring and patternsdepending on their surroundings. Frogs that live in ponds mayhave a pattern on their back and usually pale bellies. The brokenpattern on their back helps hide them from predators on theshore. Their light coloured bellies helps to hide them from fishlooking up at them from below by blending them with the overhead sky. Some frogs that live trees, like the Gray Treefrog, canhide extremely well on tree bark. In fact, the Gray Treefrog has theability to change its colour (something like a chameleon) depending on the background.

Poisonous frogs, like the Poison Dart Frogs, are so toxic that theycan actually afford to advertise themselves with bright colours towarn predators to "stay away!" Still, other frogs, like the Fire-bellied toads use a combination of the above strategies. Thecolours on their back help hide them but if they are startled, theyraise their head to show their brightly coloured bellies and throatwhich signals to the predator that they are toxic. The colours mayalso act as a big surprise and startle the predator. The same mayhold true for Canada's Gray Treefrog with their bright yellow markings under their legs and the Red-legged frog with their redwash.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Introduce students to the concept of camouflage. Ask them if

they know what camouflage is and how it helps protect frogsin the wild.

2. Give students some examples of camouflage in the animalkingdom (ie. a leopard's spots, a tiger's stripes, the white fur ofrabbits in winter, etc.) and ask them if they can think of otherexamples.

3. Tell them that frogs use camouflage to protect them by helping

GRADES K-2

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Conscious Colouring

MATERIALS• Copies of page 82 (cut in

half so that there is onefrog per sheet)

• Pencil crayons, crayons, or markers

• tape

VOCABULARY camouflage, predators

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade KS 200-1, 201-4, 401, 402,403E 1.1Grade 1S 100-5, 202-9, 401, 402,403E 1.1Grade 2S 202-9, 401, 402, 403E 1.1

Activity 3.5


THE Frog FILES 81

them hide from other animals that want to eat them. Looking at the FrogWatch poster, you may want to ask them if they can imagine good places forCanadian frogs to hide, given their colour pattern.

4. Tell them they are going to develop special camouflage for a shy frog that would want to hide inthe classroom.

5. Hand them out copies of the next page and have them colour their frog in a way that they thinkwould help it hide somewhere in the classroom. For example, if there was an orange cupboard inthe class, a student may choose to colour their frog orange. Older students may want to try tocolour their frog similar to a Canadian frog and see if they can blend in anywhere in the class.

6. When they are finished colouring, cut out the frog from the rest of the page and have the studentfix their frog in its "hiding place".

7. Once all the frogs are hidden, have the students take their seats and look for all the frogs as agroup and decide which frog is the best camouflaged. You may choose to give a prize to the "bestdressed" frog.

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM EXTENSIONHave your students try colouring frogs to hide outside. How will the colours they choose differ?

STORY SUGGESTIONA Color of His Own by Leo LionniA look at colours through the experience of a resourceful chameleon that tries to find his own colour.

SOURCEFrog pattern and idea borrowed from Amphibians and Reptiles (Grades 1-3) by Jennifer Overend

82 THE Frog FILES


THE Frog FILES 83

Frogs and Their Environment

Frogs play a very important role in their ecosystems. They are seen as "conveyor belts" of energy, whichconnect invertebrate life to the higher vertebrates on the food chain. It would take a raccoon all day toeat enough insects to meet its food needs. But, by eating a frog, the raccoon can get all of its nutritionin just a few seconds. Tadpoles also have a role in controlling the abundance of aquatic plants in theirnursery ponds.

Amphibian biomass (total weight of living amphibians) often exceeds that of the mammals in some ofthe more froggy areas of the world. To visualize this concept, imaging putting all the mammals andbirds in an ecosystem on one side of a gigantic balance scale and all the amphibians on the other side.The result would be that the amphibians would out weigh the mammals and birds! This is a phenomenal fact when you consider how much one little frog weighs compares to an elk or jaguar.

84 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & THEIR ENVIRONMENT

Walking in a Wetland WonderlandOBJECTIVE To introduce students to some of the different organisms that arepart of a frog’s food web

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONEcosystems are very complex and delicate systems in our naturalworld. The following word search will stimulate students to thinkof all the organisms that share their habitat with frogs. If frogs arein trouble and are disappearing, then the balance of the wholeecosystem is at stake.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Hand out copies of page 85.2. Review the instructions with the students. They are to circle

each LETTER of the words they find in the word search. Forexample,

3. Starting in the top left hand corner, write the remaining lettersin the square boxes provided below (until the boxes are full—the first 12 letters) to solve the secret message.

4. Good luck to everyone!

WALKING IN A WETLAND WONDERLAND ANSWER KEYN E N T U R T L E M S E A T SG O K O O R B E E I A W T E DR E R A O N + + + N S + A + RA + A E N C + + + K R + + N IS + P G H S C + + + E + + + BS + F L L E R A + + D + S + GH + + + A A U E R S I + L + NO + + + + N S L T + P + I + OP + + + + K T C B R S + A + SP L E E C H E S + T A + N + SE + + U S S + S E + A G S E +R + D K N + L + + E + E I + FS + U I H U M A N S B L R I ++ N + + G + + + + + F + S G +K + + S + + + + + + + H + + +

Secret message:EAT OR BE EATEN!

GRADES 3-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Word search


VOCABULARY ecosystem, food web, habitat

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3E 4.3Grade 4S 302-1E 4.3Grade 5E 4.3Grade 6E 4.3

Activity 4.1

F R O G

N E N T U R T L E M S E A T S

G O K O O R B E E I A W T E D

R E R A O N T H R N S E A A R

A D A E N C S I N K R T H N I

S E P G H S C F A B E R I C B

S O F L L E R A A F D R S O G

H G S F A A U E R S I O L O N

O D W E B N S L T X P F I U O

P T P X Q K T C B R S T A F S

P L E E C H E S F T A I N F S

E P A U S S F S E U A G S E J

R U D K N A L I J E G E I Q F

S T U I H U M A N S B L R I K

F N S A G H S C J V F M S G T

K V N S N A A Z M E H H K S H

AlgaeBeesDucksFishFliesGarter snakeGrasshoppersGreat Blue HeronHumansInsectsLeechesMinkPlantsRaccoonSkunkSlugsSnailsSongbirdsSpidersSwanTurtle

Secret Message:

Walking in a Wetland WonderlandCircle each individual letter of the words in the word search.Then, starting in the top left hand corner, enter any unusedletters into the boxes below to spell out a secret message.Good luck!

4.1

!

86 THE Frog FILES


Working on a Chain GangOBJECTIVETo illustrate the difference between a food chain and a food weband show students an awareness of how energy moves an ecosystem containing frogs

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONFood chains are a series of living things that depend on eachother for food energy. The chain starts with a plant (or producer)which is eaten by an animal (a herbivore) and that animal is eatenby another animal (a carnivore) and so on. Each organism getsenergy by eating the organism that comes before it in the chainand gives energy when eaten by the organism that comes after it.When things die, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms, collec-tively called decomposers break down their bodies, and growingplants recycle the nutrients.

Food webs, on the other hand, are a linked series of food chainsgoing off in all directions. Organisms may feed on more than oneorganism and in turn may be eaten by many other animals. Allthese food chains are linked to form a complex food web.Energy is lost as it moves along food chains. Therefore it takes ahuge number of producers to feed one herbivore and a large number of herbivores to feed one carnivore. Frogs act as conveyorbelts of energy to organisms higher up on the food chain. As tad-poles, they transport energy from the producers into the ecosys-tem; then as froglets and frogs, they capture massive amounts ofinvertebrate energy (usually in the form of insects) that is ofteninaccessible to higher vertebrates. Without frogs in a naturalecosystem, the delicate balance in the food web is compromised.

GRADES 3-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Construction of food chainsand food webs

MATERIALS• Copies of pages 88-92• Stapler or tape• Pencil crayons, crayons,

or markers• scissors• Blackboard or easel • Long strips of paper

decorated and connectedtogether in a ring to represent the SUN and theDECOMPOSERS

VOCABULARY carnivore, decomposers,ecosystem, food chain, foodweb, herbivore, producer

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 200-1, 202-9, 203-2, 203-5, 400, 406E 5.1Grade 4S 104-6, 206-1, 206-9, 301-1, 302-2, 302-2, 302-3, 413,415, 417, 418, 419E 5.1

cont’d on next page...

Activity 4.2

ALGAE

TADPOLE

SKUNK

ALGAE

FLY SPIDER FROG RACCOON

TADPOLE

FROGLET

OWL

DECOMPOSERS

SUN


THE Frog FILES 87

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Begin by explaining the terms herbivore and carnivore. Write

the two terms on the board and have students brainstorm someherbivores and carnivores. (Be prepared to make a line chart-write"herbivore" to the left of "carnivore" and leave room for "producers" to the left of herbivore, and a space to draw the sunto the left of that. Leave room for "decomposers" to the right ofcarnivore. Therefore, your headings will eventually form a lineconnected with arrows: Sun ➜ Producers ➜ Herbivores ➜ Carnivores ➜ Decomposers

2. Tell them that plants are also called producers. Add an area onthe board for producers and have them brainstorm some types ofplants.

3. Now tell them there are also something called decomposers.These are represented mainly by fungi (mushrooms) and bacteria.They have a very important role in food chains and food webs.Without them we would be drowning in dead material. Thedecomposers could also be called the "recyclers."

4. Ask them if they know where all the energy originated. Tell them thatthe sun is the original source of ALL the energy in all ecosystems.

5. Now explain the difference between a food chain and a food web.6. See if you can connect some of the brainstormed organisms into

food chains and food webs.7. Now tell the students that they are going work as a group to

assemble food chains that include frogs.8. Hand out copies of pages 88-92 to pairs of students.9. Tell them to choose the organisms they want in their food chain

and to cut out the strips and colour them. There are also someblank strips. On these, encourage them to draw their own animals or plants that would also belong in the frog's foodchain. If they have received the Walking in a WetlandWonderland Word Search, they may want to look at the organisms listed there for ideas.

10.Have them tape the strips into rings or "chain links" and interlock their animals in the order of who-eats-whom to form afood chain.

11.When everyone has made a chain, bring the groups to attention.Ahead of time, you will have prepared the main chain links thatrepresent the SUN and the DECOMPOSERS. Ask some of the students with producer ends to come forward to be connected tothe sun. Connect the carnivore links to the decomposers. See ifthere are any "interlinks" that can be formed. Explain that youhave created a food web.

12.Now carefully undo some of the frog links. Tell them frogs are disappearing from many parts of the world, Canada included.

13.Discuss what happens to a food web when one of the links isremoved. Are frogs an important part of this ecosystem?

CURRICULUM LINKS(CONT’D)Grade 5S 104-7, 206-1, 206-9, 207-3, 413, 415, 417, 418, 419E 5.1Grade 6S 104-8, 206-1, 206-9, 413,415, 417, 418, 419E 5.1

SOURCEPictures were borrowed fromAlberta's Threatened WildlifeTeacher's Guide Grades K 1 2 3 Leopard Frog

88 THE Frog FILES


Eggs

Eggs

Eggs

Eggs

Frog

Frog

Frog

Frog

Frog

let

Frog

let

Frog

let

Frog

let

Tadp

ole

Tadp

ole

Tadp

ole

Tadp

ole


THE Frog FILES 89

Snai

lSn

ail

Snai

lSn

ail

Fly

Fly

Fly

Fly

Wor

mW

orm

Wor

mW

orm

Alg

aeA

lgae

Alg

aeA

lgae

90 THE Frog FILES


Fish

Fish

Fish

Fish

Gre

at B

lue

H

eron

Gre

at B

lue

H

eron

Gre

at B

lue

H

eron

Gre

at B

lue

H

eron

Song

bird

Song

bird

Song

bird

Song

bird

Spid

erSp

ider

Spid

erSp

ider


THE Frog FILES 91

Stri

ped

Skun

kSt

ripe

d Sk

unk

Stri

ped

Skun

kSt

ripe

d Sk

unk

Coy

ote

Coy

ote

Coy

ote

Coy

ote

Gre

at H

orne

t O

wl

Gre

at H

orne

t O

wl

Gre

at H

orne

t O

wl

Gre

at H

orne

t O

wl

Gar

ter

Snak

eG

arte

r Sn

ake

Gar

ter

Snak

eG

arte

r Sn

ake

Rac

coon

Rac

coon

Rac

coon

Rac

coon

92 THE Frog FILES


THE Frog FILES 93

Frogs and Humans

The only reason that environmental concern exists about frogs (or any species for that matter), isbecause, as humans, we have the ability to reason and to measure, record, and communicate history.Given the superlative track record of amphibian adaptation to millions of years of ecological change, itis probable that some species of frog will continue to jump and croak around the planet long after ourdeparture.

HABITAT DESTRUCTIONUnlike any other species, humans have implemented a path of resource exploitation and consumptionto the extent that every major ecosystem on earth has been effected. This is most noticeable in areaswhere humans are populous and have used the land for production of agricultural commodities. Inthese areas natural habitats have been dramatically altered. On the prairies approximately 70% of historic wetlands have been drained, most were turned into farmland. In southern Ontario, the situation is even more dire: 90% of wetlands have been drained. If you think about that it means thatonly one in ten ponds still remain. Grasslands have been cultivated, forestlands cleared, wetlandsdrained and filled and drainage patterns altered. The loss of forest and grasslands essentially degradesthe habitats for all species of frogs in Canada.

CHEMICAL POLLUTIONUnfortunately frogs are directly in the path of many environmental impacts. Wetland drainage eliminates critical habitat and several herbicides and pesticides are widely used to control plant and animal species considered to be pests. This impacts on the capacity of the wetland to support theaquatic plants and algae on which tadpoles depend, or the insect life that is essential to mature frogs.

ROAD MORTALITY"Why did the frog cross the road?" "To get to the other half of her habitat!"

Another problem faced by frogs is road mortality. Every year, frogs need to embark on a migration. Inthe spring, many species travel from their breeding pond to a grassy, summer feeding area. In the fall,

94 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANS

they travel from their feeding area to a pond where they can safely hibernate over the winter. Oftenfrogs must cross dangerous sections of highway to get from one habitat to the other. Along one stretchof road (less than 4 km long) at Long Point, in southern Ontario, over 10 000 Leopard Frogs were killedin just one year. It is easy to see how deaths like this year after year could have a major negative effecton amphibian populations.

GLOBAL WARMINGAverage annual temperatures recorded around the earth over the past two decades have changed inways that have alerted numerous science and public interest groups to the need for careful ecologicalmonitoring. The possibility that this 'warming trend' may be a direct result of the increased burning offossil fuels to support industrial activities on the planet. The theory is that these gases escape to theupper atmosphere of our planet, where they form an invisible blanket around the earth that in turnthat traps heat within the atmosphere. There is little debate respecting the increase in average annualtemperatures, but there is considerable dialogue as to whether man-induced or natural cycles are thecause of this warming. The problem is that it is almost impossible to prove whether or not the trendcould be part of natural long-term cycles. Active research in this area will likely provide more definitiveanswers in coming decades, but in the interim, humans are well advised to proceed with caution and tocarefully monitor various environments for the predicted effects. Frogs and toads are particularly sensitive species for monitoring ecological change.

OZONE LAYER DEPLETIONConcern has also been expressed about the health of the ozone layer that protects the earth from theharmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. The most popular theory is that some chemicals producedon earth have the capacity to combine with ozone molecules in the upper atmosphere. The historicalrecord of the behaviour of the ozone layer is relatively recent and scientists are unsure whether alarming variations in the size of holes in the ozone layer over the poles of the earth are caused byhuman activities or natural variation. The resulting excessive UV radiation is harmful to a wide variety oflife forms, including humans and frogs; hatching success of frogs' eggs has been demonstrated to beextremely sensitive to variation in UV levels. As is the case with global warming, the scientific community is in debate respecting the cause and effect relationships that exist between human activities on earth and the variations in ozone layer hole size. To err on the side of conservation is recommended, as humans have not yet found an effective way to counter the effects of chemical contamination on the ozone layer. By monitoring frog populations through programs such asFrogWatch, non-scientists can help provide important continuous information on frog abundance anddistribution, which may be valuable in understanding the environmental effects of ozone layer depletion.

ACID RAINThe third global-level impact of our industrial society is the increased acidification of lakes associatedwith the fallout of nitrogen oxides. These by-products combine with water vapour in the atmosphere toform nitric acid, and over time this collects in water systems and increases the acidity of aquatic ecosystems. The impacts have been particularly severe in northern Europe and eastern North Americaclose to sources of heavy industrial pollution. Frogs are impacted because they have little tolerance towetlands with a water pH below 5.5. The wetlands in the prairie region of western Canada increase inacidity from east to west, but most tend to be more basic rather than acidic and would not likely benegatively impacted by the low level of industry in the region. Northern wetlands across Canada tendto be more acidic than basic and are more vulnerable to significant increases in industrial pollution.

FROGS & HUMANS

THE Frog FILES 95

Monitoring programs are important to provide a long-term baseline of data against which we canmeasure ecological changes over time, and projects such as FrogWatch provide invaluable data.

ECONOMIC VALUE The actual economic value of frogs to humans is extremely limited. Frogs are eaten by some culturesbut they represent either a delicacy or incidental food source rather than a staple part of human diet.Frogs are also used worldwide as a laboratory animal in anatomy and growth and development classes,but the positive economic effect of rearing or collecting frogs from the wild for this purpose wouldtend to be rather localized. Subsistence cultures have found some frogs to be useful sources of poisonfor their hunting darts and some medicinal applications such as pain killers, but the significance of subsistence cultures is relatively minor compared to the variety of impacts on frogs from the developedworld.

96 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANS

The Call of the Wild OBJECTIVETo start students on a FrogWatch monitoring project

MATERIALS• Obtain frog monitoring kit from Nature Canada, 1 Nicholas

Street, Suite. 606, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7B7; telephone (613) 562-3447; fax (613) 562-3371; e-mail [email protected]. A listof Canadian co-ordinators is included in this activity. Most kitsare available free of charge.

• Find a recording of frog calls for your area. You should be ableto obtain them free of charge from co-ordinators, web sites orlibraries. You can also hear frog calls on Nature Canada’s website, www.naturecanada.ca/naturewatch/frogwatch/

• Amphibian Field Guide: There are a number of good amphibianidentification guides for your province or across Canada. Checkwith your local library, local nature groups, new and used bookstores, and nature type stores. Remind students to assemble their Pocket Field Guide to the Frogs and Toads ofCanada.

• A FrogWatching Buddy: Frogs can hop away in a flash! It isalways better to have two pairs of eyes looking for frogs. If youare listening for frogs it is easier to have one person listenclosely for calls and one person to write down the data.

• Commitment: If you are serious about participating in a frogmonitoring program, be sure to plan how much time you haveto set aside for monitoring and how often. Scientists need youto send observations that are collected carefully and on a regular basis.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Almost every province and territory has a herpetologist collectingfrog data as part of an international network of biologists and con-servationists who are trying to save frogs. It takes a lot of work to monitor frogs across an entire country. Herpetologists need all theeyes and ears they can get to gather froggy data. The great newsis that ANYBODY can monitor frogs. The easiest method for stu-dents to monitor frogs is calling surveys. This not only makes animmeasurable contribution to science, but also it is a great way tointroduce students to their froggy neighbours. Frog monitoring is a

GRADES 4-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY FrogWatch junior monitoringactivity


VOCABULARY herpetologist

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 4S 104-6, 105-1, 108-3, 108-6, 205-5, 205-7, 206-2, 206-9, 207-1, 301-2, 302-1, 409,411, 412, 413, 414, 415,416, 417, 418, 419, 420, 421Grade 5S 104-7, 105-5, 107-10, 205-5, 205-7, 206-2, 206-3, 206-9, 207-3, 207-4, 409, 411,412, 413, 414, 415, 416,417, 418, 419, 420, 421Grade 6S 104-8, 108-8, 205-5, 205-7, 206-2, 206-9, 207-4, 409,411, 412, 413, 414, 415,416, 417, 418, 419, 420, 421

Activity 5.1

FROGS & HUMANS

THE Frog FILES 97

fun, educational opportunity that will help develop children's observational and listening skills, andtheir understanding of the importance of frogs and wetlands. Please note: When deciding to participate in a frog monitoring program, you must show commitment to collecting data (rain or shine)and taking part may not be suitable for younger children. If you feel your students are not ready tomonitor frogs in the wild, there are many other great ways to introduce them to frogs that may encourage them to take part in frog monitoring programs in the future. For instance you can have students listen to tapes of frog calls and you can make up an auditory quiz. Have them report any frogsightings and record this on a running chart as a class. Have fun completing the activities in this guide.The following is a step by step suggestion of how you can involve your students in frog monitoring.

Decide if your class is ready to commit the time required to participate in a frog monitoring activity.Take the following into account: Students need continuous adult supervision and support to monitorfrogs. Students should never go out into the wilderness without an adult. SAFETY ALWAYS! Encouragestudents to listen from their backyards and have them report any calls to you.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Get what you need to start monitoring frogs. Each province has different frog monitoring options

available to them. Contact your provincial frog monitoring co-ordinator provided below. Note thatsome provinces are not monitoring on a provincial level and they will refer you directly to NatureCanada.

2. Get to know your froggy neighbours. With the help of your provincial co-ordinator, amphibianguide and you can easily learn what your froggy neighbours look and sound like. Discuss the characteristics of these species with your students. Be sure to explain the scientific importance ofmonitoring frogs.

3. Review the Golden Rules of Frog Monitoring on the second last page of the Pocket Field Guide.4. Hop to it! Go out and monitor frogs. Make sure you record your data carefully on the survey form

provided by your frog monitoring co-ordinator. All the information you collect from surveys will beadded to data from all across Canada. Scientists studying frog populations all over the world canthen use the data to measure environmental changes.

5. Write a letter to be sent home with your students explaining the FrogWatch program. (See a sampleletter on page 102). Parental involvement is necessary for student participation. It is our hope torekindle and nourish a passion for nature in people of all ages-sometimes the hustle bustle of ourbusy lives can get in the way of some quality time in the out-of-doors.

SOURCEThis activity was adapted from frog monitoring material found atwww.ecokidsonline.com/pub/fun_n_games/printables/activities/assets/wildlife/frog_monitoring.pdf

98 THE Frog FILES

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BRITISH COLUMBIALaura FriisBritish Columbia Frogwatch Wildlife BranchMinistry of Environment,Lands and ParksP.O. Box 9374, Stn. Prov. Govt.Victoria, BC V8W 9M4Tel: (250) 387-9755Fax: (250) 356-9145E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/bc/

ALBERTAKris KendellAlberta Amphibian Monitoring ProgramAlberta Environment and Alberta ConservationAssociation7th Floor, O.S. Longman Building6909-116 Street Edmonton, AB T6H 4P2Tel: (780) 422-4764Fax: (780) 422-9685E-mail: [email protected]/srd/fw/amphib/index.html

The Alberta Amphibian Monitoring Program wasinitiated because of a need for information onlong-term population trends and current distri-butions of amphibians in Alberta. Why partici-pate in the monitoring program? The data youcollect is of vital importance to better under-standing the numbers, trends, and distributionof amphibian populations in Alberta. Also, simply put, being a volunteer participant is a funand great way to get outdoors, get in touch

with nature and participate in an activity theentire family can enjoy. How can you getinvolved? The procedure is simple: 1. Contact us for a free monitoring manual

containing information on the identification,ecology and natural history of Alberta'samphibians. Included along with the manualare a cassette tape of amphibian calls, and acopy of our "Croaks and Trills" newsletter.

2. Read the manual and listen to the cassettetape to familiarize yourself with Alberta'samphibians.

3. Choose a site or sites to survey.4. Go out and listen for frogs and toads calling,

and carefully walk the study site (optional)recording evidence of amphibians such asegg masses, tadpoles, and/or adults.

5. Fill out the simple data sheets provided at theback of the manual, and send them to us atyour earliest convenience.

If you would like more information and/or wouldlike to participate in the amphibian monitoringprogram contact Kris Kendell.

SASKATCHEWANAndrew DidiukSaskatchewan Amphibian Monitoring Project &Saskatchewan Herpetological Atlas ProjectP.O. Box 1574 Saskatoon, SK S7K 3R3Tel: (306) 975-4005, Fax: (306) 975-4089E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/sa/

Canadian Frog Monitoring Programs: Co-ordinators ListKeep in mind that the co-ordinators for these programs are often volunteering their own time. Please, give them time to respond to your inquiries.

FROGS & HUMANS

THE Frog FILES 99

If you are interested in participating in ouramphibian monitoring project, which is a funway to spend some spring evenings, contactAndy Didiuk to obtain an observation kit. Sincewe know so little about the distribution of ourreptiles and amphibians (even for what seem tobe the most common species) every observationis important. Andy Didiuk can provide you withobservation cards for the project.

MANITOBAManitoba ConservationP.O. Box 24200 Saulteaux CrescentWinnipeg, MB R3J 3W3Fax: (204) 945-3077www.naturewatch.ca/english/frogwatch/mb/

There is presently no acting provincial co-ordina-tor in Manitoba so it is suggested that individuals in Manitoba interested in monitoringfrogs contact Nature Canada directly for a monitoring kit.

ONTARIOLisa SealockCo-ordinatorc/o Adopt-A-Pond, Toronto Zoo 361 A Old Finch Ave. Scarborough, ON M1B 5K7Tel: (416) 392-5999Fax: (416) 392-4979E-mail: [email protected]/eman-temp/ecowatch/adoptapondwww.naturewatch.ca/english/frogwatch/on/

QUEBECDavid Rodrigue, Co-ordinator Quebec Amphibian PopulationsMonitoring Program Saint Lawrence Valley Natural History Society 21125 ch. Ste-Marie Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3Y7

Tel: (514) 457-9449 Fax: (514) 457-0769 E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/pq/

Listen for frogs in wetlands and ponds. Mr. Rodrigue is a Calling Amphibian Coordinatorfor NAAMP (North American AmphibianMonitoring Program). If you are serious aboutbecoming involved in frog monitoring contact Mr.Rodrigue who will be happy to discuss the timecommitment and other details of the program.

NEW BRUNSWICKBruce Douganc/o Magnetic Hill Zoo100 Worthington Avenue Moncton, NB E1C 9Z3Tel: (506) 877-7718Fax: (506) 853-3569E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/nb/

NOVA SCOTIAStephen ArchibaldFrogwatchc/o Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History1747 Summer St. Halifax, NS B3H 3A6Tel: (902) 424-6514Fax: (902) 424-0560E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/ns/

Completed data forms can be sent to the aboveaddress. If you wish to leave a message byphone use 1.800.354.FROG(3764). If you arejust listening for spring peepers you might wantto register with the Thousand Eyes Project that iscollecting the timing of fifty seasonal eventsincluding peepers. Register and report online atwww.thousandeyes.ca

100 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANS

PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDRosemary CurleyFish and Wildlife DivisionP.E.I. Dept. of Technology and EnvironmentP.O. Box 2000Charlottetown, PEI C1A 7N8Tel: (902) 368-4807Fax: (902) 368-5830E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/pe/

There is no official monitoring program in PEI.Rosemary Curley at the Fish and Wildlife Branch ofthe PEI Dept. of the Environment suggests usingmaterials from other provincial programs such asNova Scotia or contacting NAAMP. There are fourtypes of frogs found in the island, they are: SpringPeeper, Wood Frog, Green Frog, and Leopard Frog.

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADORJoe BrazilDept of Forest Resources and AgriFoodsP.O. Box 8700St John's, NL A1B 4J6Tel: (709) 729-3773Fax: (709) 729-4989E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/nf/

YUKON TERRITORYBrian G. SloughYukon Co-ordinator, Canadian Amphibian andReptile Conservation Network35 Cronkhite RoadWhitehorse, YT Y1A 5S9Tel: (867) 668-3295E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/yt/

There is no formal monitoring program in theYukon but Mr. Slough does want to hear aboutsightings. He recommends that Yukon educatorsobtain the brochure "Frogs, Toads, andSalamanders: Amphibians of the Yukon and

Northern British Columbia" from the YukonDept. of Renewable Resources. If you would liketo establish a monitoring program contact Mr.Slough for assistance. For more info visit theYukon Frog Watch site at: http://eqb-dqe.cciw.ca/emanops/frogwatch/yukon

Teachers interested in classroom presentationscan contact the Innovators Program at YukonCollege to request presentations [email protected], (867) 668-8739.

NORTHWEST TERRITORIESMike FournierCanadian Amphibian and Reptile ConservationNetwork Northwest Territories Co-ordinatorEcology North5093 Finlayson Drive Yellowknife, NT X1A 3G9Tel: (867) 669-4762 (work)

(867) 873-6618 (residence)E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/nt/

NUNAVUTMark Mallory Canadian Wildlife ServiceP.O. Box 1714Qimugjuk Bldg 969Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0Tel: (867) 975 4637 Fax: (867) 975 4645E-mail: [email protected]/english/frogwatch/nu/

There is no formal monitoring program operating in Nunavut. Although Wood Frogs arefound in the territory, they are only in the mostextreme southern portion of the region wherethere are trees and at this time there are nocommunities in this area.

FROGS & HUMANS

PROVINCE YT BC NT AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PE NL NU

TAILED FROGS

Tailed Frog (No call) •SPADEFOOTS

Great Basin Spadefoot •Plains Spadefoot • • •TRUE FROGS

Bullfrog • • • • •Columbia Spotted Frog • • •Oregon Spotted Frog •Green Frog • • • • • • • •Mink Frog • • • • • •Northern Leopard Frog • • • • • • • • • • •Pickerel Frog • • • •Red-legged Frog •Wood Frog • • • • • • • • • • • • •TRUE TOADS

American Toad • • • • • • • •Canadian Toad • • • •Fowler's Toad •Great Plains Toad • • •Western Toad • • •TREEFROGS

Boreal Chorus Frog • • • • • • • •Western (Striped) Chorus Frog • • •Cope's Gray Treefrog •Gray Treefrog • • • •Northern Cricket Frog •Pacific Treefrog •Spring Peeper • • • • • •

THE Frog FILES 101

Checklist of Canadian Frogs & Toads

Dear Parents,We have recently been studying frogs and toads at school with your children. They are quite excitedabout understanding these interesting animals, their lifecycles, and the issues they are facing. We arewriting to encourage you to take part in learning about these fascinating animals with them.

We would like to ask you to take some time to ask your children about what they've learned and whatthey found to be interesting. To stimulate their growing interest in nature, consider taking your child toa local wetland where they can see frogs in the wild and get to know their local amphibians by sightand sound.

What is the best time for frog watching? The ideal frog watching day is WARM, WET, and WINDLESS. Itshould be at least 10 degrees C and remember, if it is windy enough to blow dust, its too windy forfrogs.

We also highly recommend taking part in the FrogWatch program. This program encourages you, whenyou hear or see a frog, to report the event to FrogWatch You will be helping scientists across Canadamonitor changes in frog populations. Frogs are a good species by which scientists can assess the healthof the environment. Your input is important in helping to solve the mystery surrounding the declines infrog populations happening around the world since the late 1980s.

To get started with FrogWatch, contact Nature Canada, 1 Nicholas Street., Suite. 606, Ottawa, ON,K1N 7B7; telephone (613) 562-3447; fax (613) 562-3371; e-mail [email protected]. NatureCanada will mail you out a FrogWatch poster and survey form. You can also hear the variety of frogspecies' calls for your province by logging on to www.naturecanada.ca/naturewatch/frogwatch/.

Please review the Golden Rules of Frog Monitoring with your children before visiting the ponds. Happyfrogging!

THE GOLDEN RULES OF FROG WATCHING1. Wash your hands before you go. Do not put on lotion or bug repellent. Remember that amphibians

breathe through their skin.2. Safety first! Choose a partner or small group and stay together.3. Shhhhhhh…you need to be quiet to hear frogs. Listen for calls for at least 3 minutes.4. Never follow a frog into the water. Frogs are much better swimmers than even the best people!5. Be gentle with the frogs and put them back where you find them. Remember that you are a GIANT

to a little frog.6. Don't kiss frogs. There are no Princes or Princesses out there.7. Wash your hands after touching frogs or toads. They may have some germs that will make you sick.

FROGS & HUMANS

THE Frog FILES 103

I am CANADIAN!OBJECTIVETo familiarize students with Canadian frog species while drawingattention to some defining characteristics or interesting trivia

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONCompared to the rest of the world and in particular Central andSouth America, Canada has very few species of frogs and toads.However, just because we don't have big numbers doesn't meanwe can't still have exciting species! Six of Canada's frogs can survive freezing solid, many of them can change colour--chameleon style-to match their background, bullfrogs are consid-ered a scrumptious meal by some and we have one of only twotypes of frog world wide with a "tail". The following origami flycatchers familiarizes students with our Canadian frog specieswhile providing them with some knowledge on identifying characteristics and some frog trivia.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Hand out copies of each page to pairs of students. A group of

two should have 2 different sheets. 2. Construct the origami frog flycatchers. If the class is not already

familiar with this technique, refer to page 33.

HOW TO PLAY FLYCATCHER Q&AIf you are unfamiliar with how to play, please refer to Activity 1.3on page 33 for instructions.

SOURCE How to make an origami flycatcher diagrams were adapted fromthose at http://www.yasutomo.com/project/fortuneteller.html

GRADES 4-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Origami Frog Flycatcher

MATERIALS• Copies of pages 104-105• Scissors• Familiarity with making

Origami Frog Flycatchers(page 33)

• Mini Field Guide (optional)

VOCABULARY anuran, cranial crests, parotid(poison) glands, tympanum

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 4S 104-6, 205-3, 300-1, 418E 2.1 5.1Grade 5S 104-7, 205-3, 418E 2.1 5.1Grade 6S 104-8, 205-3, 418E 2.1 5.1

Activity 5.2

104 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANS

RED-LEGGEDFrog

WESTERNToad

COLU

MBIA

SPOT

TEDFr

ogPACIFIC

TREEFrog

SPRINGPeeper

WOODFrog

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REAL

CHOR

USFr

ogI am red

on my lower abdomen and hind legs

I may

be

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HOIR

in the

North

ern F

ores

t

I have a black stripe

through my eyes and sticky toes

I amthe ZORRO of

the frog world

I have a light stripe down my bumpy back

Part

of a p

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ce

is in

my na

me

I have a black “X” on my back

I have one but it won’t wag

7

8

2

1

3

4

6

5Pacific Tree Frog Tailed Frog

Western (Striped) Chorus FrogSpring Peeper

FROGS & HUMANS

THE Frog FILES 105

AMERICANToad

NORTHERN CRICKETFrog

CANA

DIAN

Toad GREEN

FrogPICKERELFrog

PLAINSSpadefoot

BULLFrogNO

RTHE

RNLEO

PARD

Frog

I havelong poison

glands that don’t touch my cranial crests

I have

spots

an

d am

name

d for

a big

Afric

an ca

t

Kermit and I have

the same colour

I am theonly one with a

spade in the prairies

I have a dark trianglebetween my eyes

I am n

amed

for a

coun

try

and h

ave a

big

hump

betw

een m

y eye

s

I have dark squares on my back and am a little “fishy”

I am a BULLYwith agreat big tympanum

7

8

2

1

3

4

6

5Bullfrog Green Frog

Plains SpadefootPickerel Frog

106 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANS

The Field of Greens Mini Field GuideOBJECTIVETo familiarize students with the frogs and toads of Canada

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONField guides are essential tools to any naturalist interested in identifying local species. They generally provide information about thedistribution, habitat, distinguishing features, common and scientificnames, and size of species. Exposing students to field guides willshow them to the diversity of amphibians and the colour plates mayspark an interest to "get to know" some of their local anuran friends.

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS1. Make single-sided copies of pages 107-120 for each student.2. Talk to your students about the value of field guides to the

scientist and naturalist. 3. Tell them they are going to make their own field guides and

hand out the copies of pages 107-120.4. The distinguishing features of many of the frogs and toads in this

mini guide have been highlighted. Using a combination of theFrogWatch poster, an assortment of field guides and the textprovided next to the drawings, have the students colour in thedrawings of the Canadian frogs. Remind them of distinguishingfeatures such as the Wood Frog's mask, the Northern CricketFrog's dark triangle and the Spring Peeper's "X".

5. Ask them which frogs are found in their province or territory. Havethem list these species on the page opposite to the title page.

6. After the frogs have been coloured, cut out the pages. Fold the pagein half so that the frog is on one side and the text is on the other.

7. Organize the pages of the guide based on families as outlinedin the "Checklist of Frog and Toad Species". This way the students may begin to recognize similar characteristics.

8. Using a heavy duty stapler, staple the guide together with 2staples on the left hand seam.

9. Some of the information provided in the field guide would be useful to help answer questions raised through activities in the educator's guide and you may wish to encourage your students touse their field guides for this purpose (i.e. I am CANADIAN!)

10.Encourage your students to take the field guides with them ifthey go on a field trip to a wetland area.

GRADES 3-6

TYPE OF ACTIVITY Colouring and Assembly of aMini Field Guide

MATERIALS• Copies of pages 107-120• Scissors• Pencil crayons, crayons or

markers• FrogWatch poster• Assortment of field guides

for reptiles and amphib-ians of North America

• Heavy duty stapler• Checklist of Canadian

Species see page 101

VOCABULARY cranial crests, habitat

CURRICULUM LINKSGrade 3S 201-7, 203-2, 401, 404E 3.2Grade 4S 104-6, 105-4, 205-3, 206-1, 300-1, 416E 3.2Grade 5S 104-7, 205-3, 205-8, 206-1, 416E 3.2Grade 6S 104-8, 205-3, 205-8, 206,300-17, 416E 3.2

Activity 5.3

THE Frog FILES 107

of CA

NADA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Frogs and Toads in my Province

Chec

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g and

Toad

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at I H

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rog

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ink

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ard

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108 THE Frog FILES

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THE Frog FILES 109

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og8.

7-20

.0cm

R

ana

cate

sbei

ana

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e fr

og p

ale

gree

n to

dar

k gr

eeni

sh/b

row

n w

ith a

crea

my

whi

te b

elly

•N

otic

e th

e hu

ge e

ardr

um o

n th

is f

rog

DIS

TRIB

UTI

ON

•

Nat

ive

to O

N, Q

C, N

B an

d N

S; in

trod

uced

to

BCH

ABI

TAT

•Br

eed

in la

rge

perm

anen

t w

ater

bod

ies

CALL

•

A b

ass

soun

ding

, gro

wly

"ju

g-o-

rum

"IN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•H

arve

sted

for

the

ir le

gs a

s hu

man

foo

d; f

or t

his

reas

on t

hey

wer

e in

trod

uced

to

BC w

here

the

y ha

ve d

isru

pted

the

del

icat

eba

lanc

e of

the

aqu

atic

eco

syst

ems

•Th

ey a

re t

he la

rges

t fr

og in

Can

ada

and

cert

ainl

y ca

n be

“b

ullie

s” a

s th

ey e

at s

mal

ler

frog

s

Bullfrog

Mink

Frog

4.8-

7.0c

m

Ran

a se

pte

ntr

ion

alis

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e fr

og o

live

to b

row

n w

ith d

ark

spot

s on

the

sid

esan

d hi

nd le

gs, a

nd c

olou

r th

e be

lly y

ello

wis

hD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•M

N, O

N, Q

C, N

B,N

S, a

nd N

LH

ABI

TAT

•H

ighl

y aq

uatic

, bre

eds

in p

erm

anen

t w

etla

nds

CALL

•

Soun

ds li

ke s

omeo

ne h

amm

erin

g in

the

dis

tanc

e; a

larg

e ch

orus

sou

nds

like

popc

orn

popp

ing

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

Onl

y fr

og s

peci

es t

hat

rele

ases

an

odou

r; it

is n

amed

for

it’s

“min

ky”

smel

l but

som

e pe

ople

thi

nk it

sm

ells

like

rot

ting

onio

ns

Mink Frog

110 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANS

Colum

bia Sp

otted

Frog

4.4-

10.0

cm

Ran

a lu

teiv

entr

isID

ENTI

FYIN

G M

AR

KS/

CO

LOU

RIN

G IN

STR

UCT

ION

S•

Col

our

the

frog

’s up

per

body

bro

wn

with

dar

ker

spot

s an

d th

ebe

lly y

ello

w, o

rang

e or

red

•H

as a

big

ger

head

tha

n th

e O

rego

n Sp

otte

d Fr

ogD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N•

Yuko

n, B

C, a

nd w

este

rn A

lber

taH

ABI

TAT

•Fo

und

in p

erm

anen

t w

ater

bod

ies

CALL

•

A s

erie

s of

sho

rt, r

apid

gru

nts;

the

ent

ire c

all m

ay la

st u

p to

ten

seco

nds

•Po

ssib

ly t

he s

ame

call

as t

he O

rego

n Sp

otte

d Fr

ogIN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•If

you

scar

e th

em, t

hey

will

sw

im t

o th

e bo

ttom

of

the

lake

and

stay

stil

l

Columbia Spotted Frog

Cana

dian T

oad

3.7-

7.5c

m

Bu

fo h

emio

ph

rys

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e to

ad b

row

n, g

ray-

gree

n or

red

dish

with

red

dish

war

ts s

urro

unde

d by

bla

ck s

pots

, the

re is

a li

ght

line

dow

nce

ntre

of

back

•N

otic

e th

at t

he c

rani

al c

rest

s ar

e pa

ralle

l or

fuse

d to

for

m a

rais

ed b

ump

betw

een

the

eyes

D

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N•

Foun

d in

the

pra

irie

prov

ince

s pl

us N

WT

HA

BITA

T •

Foun

d ne

ar p

onds

, lak

es a

nd p

otho

les

CALL

•

Cal

l is

a so

ft, l

ow-p

itche

d tr

ill

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

Burr

ows

unde

rgro

und

to a

void

the

hea

t•

This

is o

ne o

f th

e fe

w a

mph

ibia

ns w

ith m

ost

of it

s ra

nge

inC

anad

a

Canadian Toad

FROGS & HUMANS

THE Frog FILES 111

North

ern C

ricke

t Fro

g1.

6-3.

8cm

A

cris

cre

pit

ans

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e fr

og g

reen

ish-

brow

n, y

ello

w, r

ed o

r bl

ack

•Be

sur

e to

col

our

in t

he d

ark

tria

ngle

bet

wee

n th

e ey

esD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•O

nly

on P

elee

Isla

nd, O

ntar

io b

ut h

as n

ot b

een

hear

d si

nce

1987

HA

BITA

T •

Nat

ural

mar

shes

, dee

p dr

aina

ge d

itche

s an

d ab

ando

ned

quar

ries

CALL

•

Soun

ds li

ke p

ebbl

es s

trik

ing

each

oth

erIN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•Th

ese

are

frog

s w

ith v

ery

shor

t liv

es. T

hey

rare

ly li

ve m

ore

than

one

or t

wo

year

s

Northern Cricket Frog

Weste

rn (S

tripe

d) Ch

orus

Frog

1.9-

3.9c

mPs

eud

acri

s tr

iser

iata

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e fr

og g

reen

-gra

y to

bro

wn

with

a d

ark

strip

eth

roug

h th

e ey

e an

d a

whi

te s

trip

e al

ong

the

uppe

r lip

•

Ther

e ar

e th

ree

dark

str

ipes

dow

n th

e ba

ck w

hich

in s

ome

indi

vidu

als

are

brok

enD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•D

espi

te it

s na

me,

it is

onl

y fo

und

in O

ntar

io a

nd Q

uebe

cH

ABI

TAT

•

Fore

st o

peni

ngs

arou

nd w

oodl

and

pond

sCA

LL

•So

unds

like

a f

inge

r ru

nnin

g do

wn

the

teet

h of

a c

omb

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

One

of

the

“Dee

p Fr

eeze

Six

” fr

ogs

that

can

fre

eze

over

win

ter

•A

lso

one

of t

he f

irst

frog

s to

em

erge

in t

he s

prin

g

Western (Striped) Chorus Frog

112 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANS

Grea

t Plai

ns To

ad4.

5-11

.2cm

B

ufo

co

gn

atu

s ID

ENTI

FYIN

G M

AR

KS/

CO

LOU

RIN

G IN

STR

UCT

ION

S•

Col

our

the

toad

gra

y, b

row

n or

gre

en w

ith a

whi

te b

elly

•N

otic

e th

e cr

ania

l cre

sts

form

an

L-sh

ape

arou

nd e

ach

eye

and

com

e to

geth

er b

etw

een

the

eyes

in a

VD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•Fo

und

in a

ll th

ree

prai

rie p

rovi

nces

HA

BITA

T

•Te

mpo

rary

or

perm

anen

t w

etla

nds

CALL

•

Hig

h pi

tche

d, lo

ng m

echa

nica

l tril

l res

embl

ing

the

burs

t of

am

achi

ne g

unIN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•W

hen

thre

aten

ed it

puf

fs u

p w

ith a

ir, r

aise

s up

on

all f

our

legs

and

low

ers

its h

ead.

•Bu

rrow

s to

esc

ape

the

heat

•C

an la

y up

to

20 0

00 e

ggs

Great Plains Toad

Grea

t Bas

in Sp

adefo

ot3.

7-6.

4cm

Spea

inte

rmo

nta

nu

s

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e sp

adef

oot

gray

-gre

en t

o ol

ive

with

ora

nge

bum

psan

d a

whi

te b

elly

DIS

TRIB

UTI

ON

•

Foun

d on

ly in

BC

HA

BITA

T •

Foun

d in

arid

are

as w

ith lo

ose

soil

near

tem

pora

ry p

ools

CALL

•

Freq

uent

ly r

epea

ted,

sno

ring

"Waa

h"

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

They

avo

id t

he h

eat

and

dryn

ess

of t

he d

ay b

y bu

rrow

ing

unde

rgro

und

with

the

ir sp

ades

•

Onl

y co

me

out

at n

ight

Great Basin Spadefoot

FROGS & HUMANS

THE Frog FILES 113

Gray

Treefr

og3.

2-5.

1cm

H

yla

vers

ico

lor

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e fr

og g

reen

, bro

wn

or g

ray

with

dar

ker

blot

ches

and

yello

w-o

rang

e un

der

the

thig

hsD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•Fo

und

in M

anito

ba, O

ntar

io, Q

uebe

c, a

nd N

ew B

runs

wic

k H

ABI

TAT

•

Foun

d on

tre

es a

nd s

hrub

s ne

ar p

erm

anen

t w

ater

CALL

•

Shor

t, b

ird-li

ke f

lute

y tr

illIN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•O

ne o

f th

e “D

eep

Free

ze S

ix”

frog

s th

at c

an f

reez

e ov

er w

inte

r•

Look

s ex

actly

the

sam

e as

Cop

e’s

Gra

y tr

eefr

og a

nd t

hey

can

only

be

told

apa

rt b

y th

eir

calls

•A

re a

ble

to c

hang

e co

lour

s to

mat

ch t

he b

ackg

roun

d

Gray Treefrog

Cope

’s Gr

ay Tre

efrog

3.2-

5.1c

m

Hyl

a ch

ryso

scel

is

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e fr

og g

reen

, bro

wn

or g

ray

with

dar

ker

blot

ches

and

yello

w-o

rang

e un

der

the

thig

hsD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•Li

ves

only

in s

outh

ern

Man

itoba

HA

BITA

T•

Foun

d on

tre

es a

nd s

hrub

s ne

ar p

erm

anen

t w

ater

CALL

•

Shor

t, b

ird-li

ke f

lute

y tr

ill b

ut h

ighe

r pi

tche

d tr

ill t

han

the

Gra

yTr

eefr

ogIN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•O

ne o

f th

e “D

eep

Free

ze S

ix”

frog

s th

at c

an f

reez

e ov

er w

inte

r•

Look

s ex

actly

the

sam

e as

the

Gra

y Tr

eefr

og a

nd t

hey

can

only

be t

old

apar

t by

the

ir ca

lls•

Are

abl

e to

cha

nge

colo

urs

to m

atch

the

bac

kgro

und

Cope’s Gray Treefrog

114 THE Frog FILES

Plains

Spad

efoot

3.7-

6.2c

m

Spea

bo

mb

ifro

ns

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e sp

adef

oot

brow

n to

dul

l gre

en w

ith o

rang

e bu

mps

and

a w

hite

bel

ly; m

ay h

ave

light

str

ipes

on

back

DIS

TRIB

UTI

ON

•

Foun

d in

all

thre

e pr

airie

pro

vinc

esH

ABI

TAT

•

Foun

d in

sho

rt g

rass

pra

irie

with

loos

e, d

ry s

andy

or

grav

elly

soil;

bre

ed in

tem

pora

ry p

onds

CALL

•

A s

hort

squ

awk,

som

ewha

t lik

e a

duck

IN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•D

urin

g th

e da

y th

ey h

ide

unde

rgro

und

in b

urro

ws

mad

e by

tunn

ellin

g ba

ckw

ards

usi

ng t

heir

spad

es o

n th

eir

feet

•

They

hav

e be

en f

ound

as

deep

as

a m

eter

und

ergr

ound

Plains Spadefoot

Fowler

’s Toa

d5.

1-7.

5cm

Bu

fo f

ow

leri

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e to

ad y

ello

w, g

reen

or

brow

n w

ith a

ligh

t st

ripe

dow

n th

e m

iddl

e of

the

bac

k, la

rge

dark

blo

tche

s, a

nd a

whi

tebe

llyD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•O

nly

foun

d al

ong

the

nort

h sh

ore

of L

ake

Erie

HA

BITA

T •

Foun

d al

ong

sand

y sh

orel

ine

of L

ake

Erie

CALL

•

Soun

ds li

ke a

cry

ing

baby

or

a na

sal "

waa

a"IN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•Fo

wle

r's

Toad

s ar

e pr

eyed

upo

n by

gar

ter

snak

es, w

ater

sna

kes

and

racc

oons

•Th

ese

toad

s w

ill s

crea

m w

hen

thre

aten

ed b

y pr

edat

ors

Fowler’s Toad

THE Frog FILES 115

North

ern L

eopa

rd Fr

og5.

0-11

.1cm

R

ana

pip

ien

sID

ENTI

FYIN

G M

AR

KS/

CO

LOU

RIN

G IN

STR

UCT

ION

S•

Col

our

the

frog

gre

en o

r br

own

with

larg

e, li

ght-

edge

d sp

ots

DIS

TRIB

UTI

ON

•

Foun

d in

eve

ry p

rovi

nce

as w

ell a

s N

WT

HA

BITA

T

•W

ide

rang

e of

hab

itats

fro

m p

rairi

e to

woo

dlan

d to

tun

dra

CALL

•So

unds

like

a f

inge

r ru

bbed

on

a w

et b

allo

onIN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•Th

ese

frog

s ar

e of

ten

used

for

dis

sect

ion

in b

iolo

gy c

lass

es

Northern Leopard Frog

Gree

n Fro

g5.

3-10

.5cm

Ran

a cl

amit

ans

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e fr

og g

reen

, bro

nze

or b

row

n, o

r a

com

bina

tion

•N

otic

e th

e bi

g ea

rdru

mD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•Fo

und

in e

very

eas

tern

pro

vinc

e H

ABI

TAT

•Fo

und

in o

r ne

ar s

hallo

w, p

erm

anen

t w

ater

suc

h as

spr

ings

,sw

amps

, bro

oks

and

pond

and

lake

edg

esCA

LL

•A

tw

ang

like

a lo

ose

banj

o st

ring

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

Gre

en F

rogs

hib

erna

te u

nder

wat

er•

Thes

e fr

ogs

cry

loud

ly t

o tr

y an

d sc

are

and

esca

pe p

reda

tors

Green Frog

116 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANSOr

egon

Spott

ed Fr

og4.

4-10

.0cm

R

ana

pre

tio

saID

ENTI

FYIN

G M

AR

KS/

CO

LOU

RIN

G IN

STR

UCT

ION

S•

Col

our

the

frog

’s up

per

body

bro

wn

with

dar

ker

spot

s an

d th

ebe

lly y

ello

w, o

rang

e or

red

•H

as a

sm

alle

r he

ad t

han

the

Col

umbi

a Sp

otte

d Fr

ogD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•ex

trem

e so

uth-

wes

tern

Brit

ish

Col

umbi

aH

ABI

TAT

•Fo

und

in p

erm

anen

t w

ater

bod

ies

CALL

•

A s

erie

s of

sho

rt, r

apid

gru

nts;

the

ent

ire c

all m

ay la

st u

p to

ten

seco

nds

•Po

ssib

ly s

ame

call

as t

he C

olum

bia

Spot

ted

Frog

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

If yo

u sc

are

them

, the

y w

ill s

wim

to

the

bott

om o

f th

e la

kean

d st

ay s

till

•Th

e sp

ecie

s na

me

"pre

tiosa

" m

eans

"pr

ecio

us"

in L

atin

Oregon Spotted Frog

Picke

rel F

rog

4.4-

7.5c

mR

ana

pal

ust

ris

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e fr

og b

row

n w

ith d

arke

r sq

uaris

h sp

ots

with

yel

low

dors

olat

eral

rid

ges.

•It

also

has

a y

ello

w t

o or

ange

bel

lyD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•Fo

und

in O

ntar

io, Q

uebe

c, N

ova

Scot

ia, a

nd N

ew B

runs

wic

kH

ABI

TAT

•

Pond

s an

d st

ream

s w

ith s

tabl

e w

ater

tem

pera

ture

sCA

LL

•Lo

w s

nore

som

ewha

t lik

e th

e lo

win

g of

a c

owIN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•W

as n

amed

fro

m b

eing

use

d as

fis

h ba

it

Pickerel Frog

FROGS & HUMANS

THE Frog FILES 117

Pacif

ic Tre

efrog

1.9-

5.0c

m

Hyl

a re

gill

aID

ENTI

FYIN

G M

AR

KS/

CO

LOU

RIN

G IN

STR

UCT

ION

S•

Col

our

the

frog

gre

en t

o bl

ack

and

be s

ure

to c

olou

r in

the

blac

k ey

emas

k•

Not

ice

the

big

stic

ky t

oe p

ads

that

hel

p th

is f

rog

stic

k to

leav

esan

d cl

imb

tree

sD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•O

nly

foun

d in

BC

HA

BITA

T

•Li

ves

on t

he g

roun

d am

ong

vine

s, s

hrub

s an

d gr

asse

s, n

ear

wat

erCA

LL

•Re

peat

ed s

erie

s of

tw

o sh

ort,

hig

h-pi

tche

d no

tes

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

Thes

e ar

e an

othe

r “C

anad

ian

cham

eleo

n” f

rog.

Pac

ific

Tree

frog

s ca

n ch

ange

col

our

rapi

dly

to m

ore

clos

ely

mat

chth

eir

back

grou

nd

Pacific Treefrog

Weste

rn To

ad6.

2-12

.5cm

Bu

fo b

ore

as

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e to

ad g

reen

or

brow

n w

ith a

ligh

t st

ripe

dow

n th

eba

ck w

ith r

eddi

sh b

row

n w

arts

•

Unl

ike

othe

r to

ads

it ha

s no

cra

nial

cre

sts

DIS

TRIB

UTI

ON

•

Foun

d in

BC

, Alb

erta

, Yuk

on a

nd N

WT

HA

BITA

T •

Pond

s, s

trea

ms,

riv

ers

and

lake

s bu

t of

ten

shel

ters

in lo

ose,

moi

st s

oil o

r ro

dent

bur

row

sCA

LL

•Q

uiet

pee

ping

like

litt

le c

hick

sIN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•U

nlik

e m

ost

toad

s, w

este

rn t

oads

wal

k ra

ther

tha

n ho

p•

Whe

n di

stur

bed

they

rai

se u

p on

the

ir le

gs a

nd p

uff

up w

ithai

r. Th

is m

akes

it h

arde

r fo

r pr

edat

ors

to s

wal

low

the

m.

Western Toad

118 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANSWo

od Fr

og3.

5-7.

0cm

R

ana

sylv

atic

a ID

ENTI

FYIN

G M

AR

KS/

CO

LOU

RIN

G IN

STR

UCT

ION

S•

Col

our

brow

n to

tan

with

a b

lack

fac

e m

ask

•Th

is m

ask

mak

es t

he W

ood

Frog

the

Zor

ro o

f th

e fr

og w

orld

DIS

TRIB

UTI

ON

•

Onl

y fr

og f

ound

in e

very

pro

vinc

e an

d te

rrito

ry

HA

BITA

T •

Moi

st w

oodl

ands

and

tem

pora

ry w

oodl

and

pool

sCA

LL

•D

uck-

like

quac

k IN

TER

ESTI

NG

FA

CTS

•W

ood

Frog

s ar

e on

e of

the

“D

eep

Free

ze S

ix”

frog

s th

at c

anfr

eeze

ove

r th

e w

inte

r•

They

can

als

o ch

ange

col

our

rapi

dly

from

ver

y da

rk t

o ve

rylig

ht. T

hey

will

dar

ken

whe

n co

ld in

ord

er t

o ab

sorb

mor

e he

at

Wood Frog

Sprin

g Pee

per

1.9-

3.2c

mPs

eud

acri

s cr

uci

fer

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

is f

rog

tan

to g

ray

with

a d

ark

“X”

on it

s ba

ckD

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•Fo

und

in e

very

eas

tern

pro

vinc

e st

artin

g in

Man

itoba

HA

BITA

T •

Wid

e va

riety

of

habi

tats

, fro

m d

itche

s to

sw

amps

CALL

•

Sing

le, l

oud,

hig

h pi

tche

d pe

ep t

hat

is r

epea

ted

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

The

Sprin

g Pe

eper

is o

ne o

f th

e “D

eep

Free

ze S

ix”

frog

s th

atca

n fr

eeze

ove

r th

e w

inte

r

Spring Peeper

FROGS & HUMANS

THE Frog FILES 119

Red-L

egge

d Fro

g4.

4-13

.1cm

R

ana

auro

raID

ENTI

FYIN

G M

AR

KS/

CO

LOU

RIN

G IN

STR

UCT

ION

S•

Col

our

the

frog

gra

y or

red

dish

with

dar

k fle

cks

and

red

on t

heun

ders

ide

of t

he le

gs a

nd b

elly

D

ISTR

IBU

TIO

N

•O

nly

foun

d in

sou

thw

este

rn B

ritis

h C

olum

bia

HA

BITA

T •

Foun

d in

or

near

wel

l veg

etat

ed p

erm

anen

t w

ater

CALL

•

Very

fai

nt a

nd g

uttu

ral "

uh"

and

ofte

n gi

ven

unde

rwat

er

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

The

red

colo

urin

g un

der

the

legs

is s

omet

imes

des

crib

ed a

sbe

ing

tran

sluc

ent

- as

tho

ugh

you

are

look

ing

right

thr

ough

the

skin

to

see

the

red

mus

cle

unde

rnea

th

Red-Legged Frog

Tailed

Frog

2.5-

5.0c

mA

scap

hu

s tr

uei

IDEN

TIFY

ING

MA

RK

S/ C

OLO

UR

ING

INST

RU

CTIO

NS

•C

olou

r th

e fr

og g

reen

-bro

wn

to r

ed.

•N

otic

e th

e “t

ail”

tha

t is

pre

sent

on

the

mal

e fr

ogs

DIS

TRIB

UTI

ON

•

Foun

d in

par

ts o

f so

uthe

rn B

C

HA

BITA

T •

Col

d, c

lear

, roc

ky s

trea

ms

CALL

•

Onl

y C

anad

ian

frog

whi

ch d

oes

not

call

INTE

RES

TIN

G F

ACT

S•

One

of

only

tw

o ty

pes

of f

rogs

in t

he w

orld

with

a t

ail.

•D

urin

g th

e da

y th

ey h

ide

bene

ath

rock

s in

the

str

eam

and

com

e ou

t to

eat

at

nigh

t

Tailed Frog

120 THE Frog FILES

FROGS & HUMANSThe

Golde

n Rule

s of F

rog W

atchin

gFR

OG

AN

D T

OA

D S

PECI

ES T

HA

T I H

AV

ESE

EN:

FRO

G A

ND

TO

AD

SPE

CIES

TH

AT

I HA

VE

HEA

RD

:

Frog and Toad Species That I...

Draw

the h

abita

t whe

re yo

u are

findin

g fro

gs:

1.W

ash

your

han

ds b

efor

e yo

u go

. Do

not

put

on lo

tion

or b

ug

repe

llent

. Rem

embe

r th

at a

mph

ibia

ns b

reat

he t

hrou

gh t

heir

skin

.2.

Safe

ty f

irst!

Cho

ose

a pa

rtne

r or

sm

all g

roup

and

sta

y to

geth

er.

3.Sh

hhhh

hh…

you

need

to

be q

uiet

to

hear

fro

gs. L

iste

n fo

r ca

lls f

or a

tle

ast

3 m

inut

es.

4.N

ever

fol

low

a f

rog

into

the

wat

er. F

rogs

are

muc

h be

tter

sw

imm

ers

than

eve

n th

e be

st p

eopl

e!5.

Be g

entle

with

the

fro

gs a

nd p

ut t

hem

bac

k w

here

you

fin

d th

em.

Rem

embe

r th

at y

ou a

re a

GIA

NT

to a

litt

le f

rog.

6.D

on’t

kis

s fr

ogs.

The

re a

re n

o Pr

ince

s or

Prin

cess

es o

ut t

here

.7.

Was

h yo

ur h

ands

aft

er t

ouch

ing

frog

s or

toa

ds. T

hey

may

hav

eso

me

germ

s th

at w

ill m

ake

you

sick

.

ENVIR

ONME

NTAL

OBSE

RVATI

ONS:

DA

TE(W

hat

is t

he d

ay, m

onth

, and

yea

r?):

LOC

ATI

ON

(Is t

here

a n

ame

for

the

wet

land

you

are

vis

iting

? A

re y

ou in

your

bac

kyar

d? W

hat

tow

n or

city

are

you

nea

r?):

AIR

TEM

PER

ATU

RE

(If y

ou h

ave

a th

erm

omet

er, h

old

it in

the

air

out

ofth

e su

n. W

hat

does

the

the

rmom

eter

say

in d

egre

es C

elsi

us?)

:

WA

TER

TEM

PER

ATU

RE

(Hol

d th

e th

erm

omet

er in

the

wat

er a

nd o

ffth

e bo

ttom

of

the

wat

er b

ody.

Wha

t te

mpe

ratu

re is

the

wat

er?)

:

CO

ND

ITIO

NS

(Is it

sun

ny to

day?

Clo

udy?

Win

dy?

Has

it ra

ined

rece

ntly

?):

THE Frog FILES 121

Adaptation a physical or behavioural feature ofan organism that helps it to survive in itshabitat.

Alga (plural: algae) a simple, flowerless greenplant usually living in water; pond scum isa common term as it grows in mats at thesurface. Tadpoles eat algae.

Amphibian a member of the class Amphibia;refers to two lives; these species begin lifein water and live mainly on land when fullgrown. Frogs, toads, newts and salamanders are amphibians.

Amplexus a posture adopted during mating inmost frogs and many salamanders, inwhich the male clasps the female withone or both pairs of limbs.

Anuran a member of the frog and toad group,which has the scientific name Anura,meaning tail-less.

Bio-Indicator a living organism that tells something, either positive or negative,about the area in which it lives. Frogs are sensitive indicator species because: theylive in two habitats, they have permeableskin (which allows substances to moverelatively freely into its body), and theirtendency to absorb and concentrate toxins in their fatty tissues.

Camouflage an animal's colouring or patterning that helps it to blend in withthe surroundings to help it hide. Thespots on a Leopard frog are a good example of camouflage.

Carnivore an organism that gets nutritionalenergy from eating other animals. Lynxand owls are examples of carnivores.

Cold-blooded the common term used todescribe an animal that does not generateheat inside its body to keep warm. Thetemperature of the surroundings determines its body temperature. Reptilesand amphibians are both cold-blooded.

Courtship the process by which an animalchooses and unites with a partner formating. It involves visual signs, soundsand special smells. The chorusing of frogsis an act of courtship.

Cranial Crest a bony ridge over a toad's eye.Cranial crests are often used as distinguishing features between species oftoads.

Decomposer a fungi, worm or other organismthat breaks down dead or decaying matter. Decomposers are the recyclers ofthe environment.

Dorsolateral Folds/Lines these are lines ofraised glandular skin in an area betweenthe back and the sides; this is a commonfeature of true frogs.

Ecosystem all the living and non-living things ina certain area including air, soil, water,animals, and humans. A lake is an example of an aquatic ecosystem.

Glossary

122 THE Frog FILES

GLOSSARY

Endangered when a population of plants oranimals is so small, it is at risk of becoming extinct.

Estivation a period of dormancy similar tohibernation that frogs can enter duringextensive periods of heat or drought.

Explosive breeder a species in which the breeding season is very short but a greatnumber of offspring are potentially produced.

External fertilization when the fusion of eggand sperm occurs outside the female'sbody.

Extirpated a species that no longer exists in thewild in Canada but is found elsewhere (inanother country, or a zoo, for example). Itis believed that the Northern Cricket Frogis extirpated from Canada.

Fertilizers any of several substances or chemicals that humans apply to encourage plant growth. Fertilizers addedto crops may wash into nearby wetlandsand result in an overproduction of plantlife in the ecosystem.

Food chain a series of living things that dependon each other for food energy. The chainbegins with a plant, which is eaten by ananimal, which in turn is eaten by anotheranimal and so on. Each organism getsenergy by eating the organism that comesbefore it in the chain and gives energy(usually reduced) when eaten by the organism that comes after it. Dead animalsand waste products are broken down bydecomposers and the nutrients are releasedto be used again by growing plants.

Food Web a linked series of food chains.Organisms may feed on more than oneorganism and in turn may be eaten by manyother organisms. All these food chains arelinked to form a complex food web.

Frog any member of the order Anura. Also, ananuran that is smooth-skinned, long-limbed and lives in water.

Froglet a young frog that has changed shapeand is no longer a tadpole but is not yetfull grown.

Global Warming refers to an average increasein the Earth's temperature, which in turncauses changes in climate. A warmerEarth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a widerange of impacts on plants, wildlife, andhumans. When scientists talk about theissue of climate change, they are concerned about global warming causedby human activities.

Habitat the place where an animal usually lives.There are four basic components to habitat: food, space, shelter and water.Frogs generally use two habitats in theirlives-a wetland and a terrestrial environment.

Herpetology the study of reptiles and amphibians. A herpetologist is a scientistwho studies reptiles and amphibians.

Herbivore an organism that gets its energy fromeating plants.

Hibernate to spend the winter in a dormantstate. Toads hibernate in burrows they diginto the soil.

Invertebrate animals without backbones, forexample, insects and worms.

GLOSSARY

THE Frog FILES 123

Larva (plural: larvae) the stage of life betweenthe hatched egg and the adult. It looksdifferent than the adult and has a different habitat than the adult. Tadpolesare frog larvae and their habitat is thewater.

Lifecycle the complete life history of an organism from one stage (e.g.; the egg)to the recurrence of that stage. The lifecycle of a frog is: egg-->tapole-->froglet-->frog-->egg...

Mammal a member of the Class Mammalia; definedby features such as females that suckle theiroffspring and the presence of body hair.

Mating season the time of year when animalscome together to breed; for frogs andtoads, this is typically during spring.

Metamorphosis a physical change or transformation in body shape such aswhen a tadpole changes into an adultfrog.

Mucous a slippery, slimy substance that coatsthe skin of many types of frogs or toads,as well as other creatures such as slugsand worms. It helps to prevent the skinfrom drying out and makes it slippery anddifficult for predators to grasp.

Parotid Gland a body part behind the ear or nearthe jaw. In toads it produces a foul-tasting orpoisonous fluid for protection against enemies. In humans the parotid gland makes saliva and swells up painfully with themumps.

Permeable the word is used to describe something, usually a membrane, whichallows the movement of molecules (gasesand/or liquids) through it. Frogs have permeable skin.

Pesticide chemicals used to kill insects that eatfarmer's crops.

Population a group of organisms from the samespecies living in the same immediate area.

Predator an animal that kills other animals forfood. Skunks, snakes and fish are examples of predators on frogs.

Producer the plants in a food chain/ food web;organisms that derive their energy fromthe sun.

Prey an animal that is killed by another animalfor food. Mosquitoes, slugs and flies areprey for frogs.

Reptile cold-blooded, air breathing animals withscales or plates. Snakes, lizards, crocodilesand turtles are all reptiles.

Spawn the jelly-covered clumps or strings ofeggs laid by a female frog.

Species a variety or type of animal; members ofthe same species look and behave muchthe same and can inter-breed.

Tadpole common name for the fish-shaped larval stage of a frog's lifecycle; alsoknown as a pollywog.

Taxonomy the science of classification; thearrangement of animals and plants intogroups based on their natural features.

Toad any stout-bodied, warty-skinned frog,especially living away from water.

Torpor a state of sluggishness or inactivity. Frogsthat overwinter in the bottom of pondssuch as Bullfrogs and Green Frogs do thiswhile in torpor.

Toxin a poisonous substance. The parotid glandin toads make toxins.

124 THE Frog FILES

GLOSSARY

Tympanum another name for the eardrum. Athin layer of skin located just behind theeye of frogs and toads. Sound bouncesoff the tympanum and the frog can hearby feeling the vibrations.

Vocal sac flexible, balloon-like patches of skin; apair of pouches on each side of the malefrog's throat that swell up with air whenthe male is calling. Howler monkeys alsohave vocal sacs.

Ultraviolet pertains to the range of radiationwavelengths, beyond violet in the visible spectrum. UV rays have been shown to reduce the hatching success of frog eggs.

THE Frog FILES 125

TEACHING AIDS

Alberta’s Threatened Wildlife Teacher’sGuide, Grades K 1 2 3. Edmonton, AlbertaEnvironmental Protection, 1997.

CHANG, Maria L. Lifecycles : Butterflies,Chicks, Frogs and More! Grades K-1.Scholastic, 1998. ISBN 0-590-68572-4

CONKLIN, Wendy. Thematic Unit : Frogs andToads (Primary). Westminster (Calif.), 2001.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION. Let’s Hear Itfor Herps! New York, McGraw-Hill, 1998, ISBN 0-07-047099-5.

OVEREND PRIOR, Jennifer. Amphibians andReptiles (Grades 1-3). The Education Centre,2000, ISBN 1-56234-365-3.

Teacher’s Guide for the Alberta AmphibianMonitoring Program, Grades 5 and 6, 1999.

A Thousand Friends of Frogs EducatorActivity Guide, Student Activities for K-12Classrooms, Second Edition. Hamline University,1998.

GENERAL REFERENCE BOOKS

HALLIDAY, Tim, and Craig ADLER. TheEncyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians.New York, Facts on File Inc., 1986.

FIELD GUIDES

CONANT, STEBBINS et COLLINS. Peterson’s FirstField Guides : Reptiles and Amphibians. 1999.

A good resource for junior naturalists

TYNING, Thomas F. Stokes Guide toAmphibians and Reptiles.

An excellent field guide, and general informationresource

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

CLARKE, Barry. Amazing Frogs and Toads.Photos by Jerry Young. New York, Knopf, distributed by Random House, 1990.

Text and photographs introduce members of thefrog and toad world and describe their uniquecharacteristics

COLE, Joanna. The Magic School Bus HopsHome : A Book about Animal Habitats.Illustrated by Bruce Degen. Toronto, Scholastic,1995, ISBN 05904841133

When a bullfrog hops out of the classrom win-dow, Ms. Frizzle and her students take a wild ridefrom a frog’s eye view to learn about animal habitats.

Suggested Resources and Sources

126 THE Frog FILES

SUGGESTED RESOURCES & SOURCES

HAWES, Judy. Spring Peepers. Illustrated byGraham Booth. New York, Crowell, 1975.

Describes the physical characteristics and habits oftree frogs, particularly the peeper whose song is aharbinger of spring.

LACEY, Elizabeth. The Complete Frog : A Guidefor the Very Young Naturalist. Illustrated byChristopher Santoro. New York, Lothrop, Lee andShepard, 1989 .

Explores the world of the frog, examining its physical characteristics, lifecycle, eating habits,and place in fact and fiction.

LINLEY, Mike. Discovering Frogs and Toads.Illustrated by Wendy Meadway. East Sussex,Wayland, 1986.

Describes the lifecycle, eating habits, habitat, anddefense tactics of different types of frogs andtoads.

FICTION BOOKS

LIONNI, Leo. A Color of His Own. DragonflyBooks. ISBN 0679887857

A look at colours through the experience of aresourceful chameleon that tries to find his owncolour.

MAZER, Anne. The Salamander Room.Illustrated by Steve Johnson. New York, DragonflyBooks, Alfred A. Knopf, 1994.ISBN 069861874.

A boy finds a salamander in the woods and imag-ines the many things he can do to turn his roominto a perfect salamander home.

FUN SITES FOR KIDS

The Case of the Disappearing Frogswww.aquarium.org/education/spotlight/disappearingfrogs/corepage.htm

The Froggy Pagehttp://netro.ajou.ac.kr/~lastfrog/frog/froggy.html

The Somewhat Amusing World of Frogshttp://latham.dropbear.id.au/frogs/

Exploratorium: Frogs: The Amazing,Adaptable Frogwww.exploratorium.edu/frogs/index.html

Eco-Kids Online Link to Frog Activitieswww.ecokidsonline.com/pub/eco_info/browse_topics/wildlife.cfm

GOOD SITES FOR FROG SPECIESRESEARCH

CARCNET-Canadian Reptile and AmphibianConservation Networkhttp://eqb-dqe.cciw.ca/partners/carcnet/amphibianinfo.html

Amphibians of Manitobawww.naturenorth.com/1np/Species/amphibian/1Spec-am.html

Amphibians of Ontariowww.torontozoo.com/adoptapond/aoo/aoo.html

THE Frog FILES 127

GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES | SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES | ACTIVITIES

KNOWLEDGE It is expected students will…

100 investigate objects and eventsin their immediate environment,and use appropriate languageto develop understanding andto communicate results

100-1 develop vocabulary and uselanguage to bring meaning towhat is seen, felt, smelled,heard, tasted, and thought

100-3 detect consistency and patternin objects and events and use lan-guage to describe these patterns

100-4 observe and identify similarities and differences inthe needs of living things

100-5 describe different ways thatplants and animals meet theirneeds

100-7 describe the different waysthat humans and other livingthings move to meet their needs

100-8 identify and describe common characteristics ofhumans and other animals, andidentify variations that makeeach person and animal unique

100-15 compare the life cycles offamiliar animals and classifythem according to the similaritiesand differences of their life cycles

100-16 describe changes in humansas they grow, and contrasthuman growth to that of otherorganisms

100-25 investigate and describe different patterns of movementand identify factors that affectmovement

1.2, 2.1, 2.2

2.1, 2.2

1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2

1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 3.5

1.2

1.2, 1.4

1.4, 2.1, 2.2

1.4

3.1

Pan-Canadian Curriculum LinksSCIENCE K-3SOURCE:Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes.(Pan-Canadian Protocol for Collaboration onSchool Curriculum.) Council of Ministries of Education

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101 demonstrate and describe waysof using materials and tools tohelp answer science questionsand to solve practical problems

101-7 observe and describe changesin the appearance and activity ofan organism as it goes throughits life cycle

2.1, 2.2

102 describe how science and technology affect their lives andthose of people and other livingthings in their community

102-6 identify constant and changing traits in organisms asthey grow and develop

102-7 describe features of naturaland human-made environmentsthat support the health andgrowth of some familiar animals

1.4, 2.1, 2.2

2.1, 2.2

SKILLS It is expected students will…

200 ask questions about objectsand events in their immediateenvironment and develop ideasabout how those questionsmight be answered

200-1 ask questions that lead toexploration and investigation

200-3 make predictions based onan observed pattern

0.1, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 3.5,4.1

2.2, 2.5, 3.1, 3.3

201 observe and explore materialsand events in their immediateenvironment and record theresults

201-1 follow a simple procedurewhere instructions are given onestep at a time

201-4 observe, using one or a combination of the senses

201-5 make and record relevantobservations and measurements,using written language, pictures,and charts

201-6 estimate measurements

201-7 identify and use a variety ofsources of science informationand ideas

201-8 follow given safety procedures and rules andexplain why they are needed

2.1, 3.1, 3.2

3.5

1.4, 3.1

3.2

3.1, 5.3

3.1

202 identify patterns and order inobjects and events studied

202-2 place materials and objects ina sequence or in groups accord-ing to one or more attributes

202-9 identify new questions thatarise from what was learned

1.2, 2.2

1.5, 3.5, 4.2

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203 work with others and share andcommunicate ideas about theirexplorations

203-1 communicate questions,ideas, and intentions while conducting their explorations

203-2 identify common objects andevents, using terminology andlanguage that others understand

203-3 communicate procedures andresults, using drawings, demonstrations, and written andoral descriptions

203-5 respond to the ideas andactions of others and acknowledge their ideas andcontributions

3.1

0.2, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4,2.5, 3.3, 4.2, 5.3

2.1, 2.2

0.2, 1.8, 2.4, 4.2

ATTITUDES It is expected students will be encouraged to…

400 recognize the role and contribution of science in their understandingof the world

0.2

401 show interest in and curiosity about objects and events within theirimmediate environment

1.1, 3.1, 3.3, 3.5

402 willingly observe, question, and explore 1.1, 3.1, 3.3, 3.5

403 consider their observations and their own ideas when drawing a conclusion

2.5, 3.1, 3.3, 3.5

404 appreciate the importance of accuracy 1.1, 3.2

405 be open-minded in their explorations 2.5

406 work with others in exploring and investigating 3.1, 4.2

407 be sensitive to the needs of other people, other living things, and thelocal environment

0.2

408 show concern for their safety and that of others in carrying out activities and using materials

3.1

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SCIENCE 4-6SOURCE:Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes, K-12, Pan-Canadian Protocol for Collaboration on School Curriculum, 1997.


STSE/KNOWLEDGE It is expected students will…

104 demonstrate that science andtechnology use specificprocesses to investigate thenatural and constructed worldor to seek solutions to practical problems

104-1 demonstrate processes forinvestigating scientific questionsand solving technological problems

104-6 demonstrate that specific terminology is used in science andtechnology contexts

104-7 demonstrate the importance ofusing the languages of scienceand technology to communicateideas, processes, and results

104-8 demonstrate the importance ofusing the languages of scienceand technology to compare andcommunicate ideas, processes,and results

3.3

1.3, 1.7, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3.3, 3.4, 5.1,5.2, 5.3

1.3, 1.7, 2.3, 2.5, 3.3, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2,5.3

1.3, 1.7, 2.3, 2.5, 3.3, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2,5.3

105 demonstrate that science andtechnology develop over time

105-1 identify examples of scientificquestions and technological prob-lems that are currently being studied

105-5 identify examples of scientificknowledge that have developed asa result of the gradual accumulation of evidence

0.2, 5.1

5.1

107 describe applications of scienceand technology that have devel-oped in response to human andenvironmental needs

107-10 identify women and men intheir community who work in science- and technology-relatedareas

5.1

108 describe positive and negative effects that resultfrom applications of scienceand technology in their ownlives, the lives of others, andthe environment

108-1 identify positive and negativeeffects of familiar technologies

108-3 describe how personal actionshelp conserve natural resourcesand care for living things and theirhabitats

108-5 describe how personal actionshelp conserve natural resourcesand protect the environment intheir region

0.2

0.2, 2.4, 5.1

0.2, 2.4

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108-6 identify their own and theirfamily's impact on naturalresources

108-7 describe the impact of schooland community on naturalresources

108-8 describe the potential impactof the use by humans of regional natural resources

2.4, 5.1

0.2, 2.4

0.2, 3.3, 5.1

SKILLS It is expected students will…

204 ask questions about objectsand events in the local environment and develop plansto investigate those questions

204-1 propose questions to investigateand practical problems to solve

204-2 rephrase questions in atestable form

204-3 state a prediction and ahypothesis based on anobserved pattern of events

204-4 define objects and events intheir investigations

204-5 identify and control majorvariables in their investigations

204-8 identify appropriate tools,instruments, and materials tocomplete their investigations

0.1, 3.1, 3.4

3.1

3.1, 3.3, 3.4

3.4

3.4

3.4

205 observe and investigate theirenvironment and record theresults

205-1 carry out procedures toexplore a given problem and toensure a fair test of a proposedidea, controlling major variables

205-3 follow a given set of procedures

205-4 select and use tools for measuring

205-5 make observations and col-lect information that is relevantto a given question or problem

205-7 record observations using asingle word, notes in point form,sentences, and simple diagramsand charts

205-8 identify and use a variety ofsources and technologies togather pertinent information

3.1, 3.4

1.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 5.2, 5.3

3.2

3.1, 3.4, 5.1

3.4, 5.1

3.1, 5.3

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206 interpret findings from investigations using appropriatemethods

206-1 classify according to severalattributes and create a chart ordiagram that shows the methodof classifying

206-2 compile and display data, byhand or by computer, in a varietyof formats including frequencytallies, tables, and bar graphs

206-3 identify and suggest explanations for patterns anddiscrepancies in data

206-4 evaluate the usefulness ofdifferent information sources inanswering a given question

206-5 draw a conclusion, based onevidence gathered throughresearch and observation, thatanswers an initial question

206-9 identify new questions orproblems that arise from whatwas learned

3.1, 3.3, 4.2, 5.3

5.1

5.1

2.5

3.1, 3.4

3.1, 3.4, 4.2, 5.1

207 work collaboratively to carryout science- related activitiesand communicate ideas, procedures, and results

207-1 communicate questions,ideas, and intentions, and listento others while conductinginvestigations

207-2 communicate procedures andresults, using lists, notes in pointform, sentences, charts, graphs,drawings, and oral language

207-3 work with team members todevelop and carry out a plan

207-4 ask others for advice or opinions

207-6 work with group members toevaluate the processes used insolving a problem

3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 5.1

2.2, 3.4

0.2, 1.8, 2.4, 3.1, 3.4, 4.2, 5.1

5.1

3.4

KNOWLEDGE It is expected students will…

300 describe and compare characteristics and properties ofliving things, objects, and mate-rials

300-1 compare the external features and behavioural pat-terns of animals that help themthrive in different kinds of places

300-15 describe the role of a common classification systemfor living things

300-17 compare the characteristicsof mammals, birds, reptiles,amphibians, and fishes

1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 1.8, 2.4, 2.5, 3.1, 3.3,3.5, 5.2, 5.3

1.7

1.1, 1.3, 1.8, 2.5, 3.1, 3.4, 5.3

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301 describe and predict causes,effects, and patterns related tochange in living and non-livingthings

301-1 predict how the removal of aplant or animal populationaffects the rest of the community

301-2 relate habitat loss to theendangerment or extinction ofplants and animals

301-15 compare the adaptations ofclosely related animals living indifferent parts of the world anddiscuss reasons for any differences

3.3, 4.2, 5.1

0.1, 2.2, 2.4, 4.2,

1.8, 3.1, 3.4

302 describe interactions withinnatural systems and the elements required to maintainthese systems

302-1 identify a variety of local andregional habitats and their associat-ed populations of plants and animals

302-2 describe how a variety of animals are able to meet theirbasic needs in their habitat

302-3 classify organisms accordingto their role in a food chain

2.4, 3.3, 4.1, 5.2

2.4, 3.3, 3.4, 4.2

3.3, 4.2

ATTITUDES It is expected students will be encouraged to…

409 appreciate the role and contribution of science and technology in theirunderstanding of the world

0.1, 0.2, 5.1

410 realize that the applications of science and technology can have both intended and unintended effects

0.2

411 recognize that women and men of any cultural background can contribute equally to science

5.1

412 show interest and curiosity about objects and events within differentenvironments

1.1, 1.8, 2.5, 5.1

413 willingly observe, question, explore, and investigate 1.1, 2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 4.2, 5.1

414 show interest in the activities of individuals working in scientific andtechnological fields

5.1

415 consider their own observations and ideas as well as those of othersduring investigations and before drawing conclusions

3.1, 3.4, 4.2, 5.1

416 appreciate the importance of accuracy and honesty 1.1, 3.2, 3.4, 5.1, 5.3

417 demonstrate perseverance and a desire to understand 4.2, 5.1

418 work collaboratively while exploring and investigating 0.2, 1.8, 2.4, 3.1, 3.4, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2

419 be sensitive to and develop a sense of responsibility for the welfare ofother people, other living things, and the environment

0.2, 4.1, 5.1

420 show concern for their safety and that of others in planning and car-rying out activities and in choosing and using materials

3.1, 3.4, 5.1

421 become aware of potential dangers 5.1

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LANGUAGE ARTS KindergartenSOURCE:The Common Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts Kindergarten to Grade 12; Western Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Basic Education; 1998


1 Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings,and experiences.

1.1 DISCOVER AND EXPLORE Express Ideastalk about personal experiences

3.5

2 Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print, and other media texts.

2.1 USE STRATEGIES AND CUES Prior Knowledgemake connections between orallanguage, texts, and personalexperiences

0.1

2.2 RESPOND TO TEXTS Experience Various Textsparticipate in shared listening,reading, and viewing experiences,using texts from a variety of genres [such as picture books, fairy tales, rhymes, stories, photographs, illustrations, videoprograms] and cultural traditions

0.1

2.3 UNDERSTAND FORMS ANDTECHNIQUES

Forms and Genresdistinguish between what is realistic and imaginary in a varietyof texts

Experiment with Languageappreciate the sounds andrhythms of language [such asnursery rhymes, personal songs...]

2.1

2.1

3 Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to manage ideas and information.

3.1 PLAN AND FOCUS Use Personal Knowledgediscuss personal knowledge of a topic

Ask Questionsask questions to satisfy personalcuriosity and information needs

Participate in Group Inquiryask and answer questions tohelp satisfy group curiosity andinformation needs

0.1

0.1

0.1

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3.2 SELECT AND PROCESS Identify Personal and PeerKnowledgeidentify self and others assources of information

Identify Sources seek information from others[such as people at school, athome, in the community]

Evaluate Sourcescompare gathered ideas andinformation to personal knowledge

0.1

0.1

0.1

4 Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.

4.4 PRESENT AND SHARE Attentive Listening and Viewingdemonstrate active listening andviewing behaviours [such asshowing attentive facial expres-sion, keeping respectful silence]

0.1

5 Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to celebrate and build community.

5.1 ENCOURAGE, SUPPORT, ANDWORK WITH OTHERS

Cooperate with Others participate in group activities

Work in Groups demonstrate attentiveness ingroup activities

1.2

1.2

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LANGUAGE ARTS Grade 1SOURCE:The Common Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts Kindergarten to Grade 12; Western Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Basic Education; 1998



1.1 DISCOVER AND EXPLORE Express Ideastalk about personal experiencesand familiar events

Consider Others Ideas listen to and acknowledge experiences and feelings sharedby others

1.2, 1.5, 3.5

1.2


2.1 USE STRATEGIES AND CUES Prior Knowledge make connections betweentexts, prior knowledge, and personal experiences

Textual Cues use textual cues [such as pic-tures, patterns, rhymes] to con-struct and confirm meaning

0.1

1.5

2.2 RESPOND TO TEXTS Experience Various Texts participate in shared listening,reading, and viewing experi-ences, using texts from a varietyof genres [such as poems, bookswith recurring language patterns,cartoons] and cultural traditions

0.1


Forms and Genres recognize a variety of forms oftexts [such as poetry, plays, storytelling by elders, video programs, cartoons]

Experiment with Language appreciate repetition, rhyme, and rhythm in shared languageexperiences [such as actionsongs, word play...]

2.1

2.1

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3.1 PLAN AND FOCUS Use Personal Knowledge discuss personal knowledge of atopic to discover informationneeds

Ask Questions ask questions to satisfy personalcuriosity on a topic and discussinformation needs

Participate in Group Inquiry ask and answer questions to helpsatisfy group curiosity and infor-mation needs on a specific topic

0.1, 1.4

0.1

0.1

3.2 SELECT AND PROCESS Identify Personal and PeerKnowledge identify and share personalknowledge related to experiences

Evaluate Sources recognize when informationanswers the questions asked

0.1

0.1


4.3 ATTEND TO CONVENTIONS Spellinguse sound-symbol relationshipsand visual memory to spellfamiliar words according toCanadian spelling conventions

1.5

4.4 PRESENT AND SHARE Attentive Listening and Viewingdemonstrate active listening andviewing behaviours [such as giving non-verbal encourage-ment, asking questions...]

0.1



Cooperate with Otherswork in partnerships and groups

Work in Groupstake turns sharing informationand ideas

1.2, 1.4

1.4

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1.1 DISCOVER AND EXPLORE Express Ideas make and talk about personalobservations

1.4, 1.5, 3.5


2.1 USE STRATEGIES AND CUES Prior Knowledge make connections betweentexts, prior knowledge, and personal experiences

Textual Cues use textual cues [such as storypatterns, titles] to construct andconfirm meaning

0.1

1.5, 2.3

2.2 RESPOND TO TEXTS Experience Various Texts engage in a variety of shared andindependent listening, reading,and viewing experiences, choosing texts from a variety ofgenres [such as legends, videoprograms, fables, riddles] andcultural traditions

0.1


Forms and Genres recognize that information andideas can be expressed in a variety of forms of texts [such aspoetry, articles, stories, songs,films]

Experiment with Language demonstrate interest in thesounds of words and word combinations in pattern books,poems, songs, and oral and visual presentations

2.1

2.1

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3.1 PLAN AND FOCUS Use Personal Knowledge record personal knowledge of atopic to identify informationneeds

Ask Questions ask questions to understand atopic and identify informationneeds

0.1, 1.4

0.1

3.2 SELECT AND PROCESS Identify Personal and PeerKnowledge participate in group talk to generate information on a topicand to identify sources of additional information

Evaluate Sources match information to inquiry orresearch needs

0.1

0.1


4.3 ATTEND TO CONVENTIONS Spellingspell familiar words according toCanadian spelling conventionsusing a variety of strategies andresources [such as visual memo-ry, personal dictionaries, class-room charts, help from others]

1.5, 2.3

4.4 PRESENT AND SHARE Attentive Listening and Viewingdemonstrate attentive audiencebehaviours [such as asking relevant questions]

0.1



Cooperate with Others work in a variety of partnershipand group structures

Work in Groups contribute related ideas andinformation in whole-class andsmall-group activities

1.2, 1.4

1.4

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1.1 DISCOVER AND EXPLORE Express Ideas describe personal observations, experi-ences, and feelings

1.4, 1.5


2.1 USE STRATEGIES AND CUES Prior Knowledge make connections between texts, priorknowledge, and personal experiences

Comprehension Strategies set a purpose for listening, reading, andviewing; make and confirm predictions,inferences, and conclusions; reread tocheck meaning

Textual Cues use syntactic, semantic, graphophonic,and pragmatic cues [such as word orderand punctuation period, question mark,exclamation mark, apostrophe, and quotation marks; highfrequency sightwords; structural analysis to identify pre-fixes, suffixes, compound words, contractions, singular and plural words,context ] to construct and confirm wordmeaning in context

0.1

0.1

1.5, 1.6

2.2 RESPOND TO TEXTS Experience Various Texts choose a variety of oral, print, and othermedia texts from a variety of genres [suchas non-fiction, chapter books, novels,short stories] and cultural traditions forshared and independent listening, reading,and viewing experiences

0.2


Create Original Texts create original texts [such as puppet plays,dramatizations, tableaux, visual art, personal narratives] to communicate anddemonstrate understanding of forms andtechniques

0.2

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3.1 PLAN AND FOCUS Use Personal Knowledge use self-questioning to determine personal knowledge of a topic and identify information needs

Ask Questions ask topic-appropriate questions to identify information needs

0.1, 1.4

0.1

3.2 SELECT AND PROCESS Identify Personal and Peer Knowledge record and share personal knowledge of a topic

Evaluate Sources review information to determine its usefulness to inquiry or research needs

0.1

0.1


4.3 ATTEND TO CONVENTIONS Spelling know and apply conventional Canadianspelling patterns using a variety of strategiesand resources [such as phonics, structuralanalysis, junior dictionaries, electronic spell-check functions, visual memory] whenediting and proofreading

1.5

4.4 PRESENT AND SHARE Effective Oral and Visual Communicationselect and use appropriate volume, expression, and non-verbal cues in presentations; use physical stance and ges-tures to enhance communication

Attentive Listening and Viewing demonstrate appropriate audience behaviours[such as showing enjoyment and appreciation]

0.2

0.1, 0.2



Cooperate with Others cooperate in small groups

Work in Groups ask others for their ideas and express interestin their contributions

Use Language to Show Respect show consideration for those whose ideas,abilities, and language use differ from own

Evaluate Group Process understand how class members help eachother

0.2, 1.3, 1.4

0.2, 1.4

0.2

0.2


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1.1 DISCOVER AND EXPLORE Express Ideas describe and reflect upon personal observations and experiences to reachtentative conclusions

Consider Others Ideas explore connections between a variety ofinsights, ideas, and responses

3.4

3.4

1.2 CLARIFY AND EXTEND Develop Understanding connect new information and experiences with prior knowledge to construct meaning in different contexts

Explain Opinions express new concepts and understandingin own words and explain their importance

Extend Understanding reflect on ideas and experiences to clarifyand extend understanding

3.4

3.4

3.4


2.1 USE STRATEGIES AND CUES Prior Knowledge make and record connections betweenpersonal experiences, prior knowledge,and a variety of texts

Comprehension Strategies confirm or reject inferences, predictions, orconclusions based on textual information;check and confirm understanding by rereading

Textual Cues use textual cues [such as headings and sub-headings, story elements, key ideas in expo-sition] to construct and confirm meaning

0.1

0.1, 5.2

1.7, 2.3

2.2 RESPOND TO TEXTS Experience Various Texts experience texts from a variety of genres[such as personal narratives, plays, adven-ture stories, mysteries] and cultural tradi-tions; share responses to a variety of texts

0.2

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Vocabularyexpand knowledge of words and wordrelationships [including homonyms,antonyms, and synonyms] using a varietyof sources [such as print and electronicdictionaries, thesauri, people...]

Create Original Texts create original texts [such as murals,scripts for short plays, descriptive stories,charts] to communicate and demonstrateunderstanding of forms and techniques

1.7, 2.3

0.2, 3.4


3.1 PLAN AND FOCUS Use Personal Knowledge categorize personal knowledge of a topicto determine information needs

Ask Questions ask general and specific questions ontopics using predetermined categories

0.1

0.1

3.2 SELECT AND PROCESS Identify Personal and Peer Knowledgerecord, select, and share personal knowl-edge of a topic to focus inquiry or research

Evaluate Sources assess the usefulness of information forinquiry or research needs using pre-established criteria

Access Information use a variety of tools [such as indices,maps, atlases, charts, glossaries, typo-graphical features, card or electronic catalogues, dictionaries] to access infor-mation and ideas; use visual and auditorycues to identify important information

0.1

0.1

5.3

3.3 ORGANIZE, RECORD, ANDEVALUATE

Develop New Understanding use gathered information and questionsto review and add to knowledge; consider new questions regarding theinquiry or research process and content

0.1


4.3 ATTEND TO CONVENTIONS Spellingknow and apply Canadian spelling conventions using a variety of strategiesand resources [such as structural analysis,syllabication, dictionaries...] and spellingpatterns when editing and proofreading

2.3, 4.1


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4.4 PRESENT AND SHARE Share Ideas and Information prepare and share information on a topicusing print and non-print aids to engageand inform a familiar audience

Effective Oral and Visual Communication describe and explain information andideas to a particular audience; select anduse appropriate volume, intonation, andnon-verbal cues

Attentive Listening and Viewing demonstrate appropriate audiencebehaviours [such as listening to opposingopinions, disagreeing respectfully,expressing opinions]

2.4

0.2, 2.4

0.1, 0.2, 2.4, 2.5


5.1 ENCOURAGE, SUPPORT, AND WORK WITH OTHERS

Cooperate with Others appreciate that everyone in a group hasto work together to achieve group tasks,and act accordingly

Work in Groups take roles and share responsibilities as agroup member

Use Language to Show Respect appreciate variations in language use in avariety of contexts in the immediatecommunity

Evaluate Group Process show appreciation and offer constructivefeedback to peers and seek support fromgroup members

0.2, 1.3, 2.4, 3.4, 4.2, 5.2

0.2, 2.4, 3.4, 4.2

0.2

0.2


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1.1 DISCOVER AND EXPLORE Express Ideas use personal experiences as a basis forexploring and expressing opinions andunderstanding

Consider Others Ideas seek others viewpoints to build on personal responses and understanding

3.4

3.4

1.2 CLARIFY AND EXTEND Develop Understanding use prior knowledge and experiencesselectively to make sense of new information in a variety of contexts

Extend Understanding appraise ideas for clarity and ask extending questions

3.4

3.4


2.1 USE STRATEGIES AND CUES Prior Knowledge describe and build upon connectionsbetween previous experiences, priorknowledge, and a variety of texts

Comprehension Strategies use a variety of comprehension strategies[such as setting a purpose, asking ques-tions, inferring, confirming or rejecting pre-dictions and conclusions]; confirm under-standing and self-correct when necessary

Textual Cues use textual cues [such as key ideas,sequence of major events, table of contents, glossaries] to construct andconfirm meaning

0.1

5.2

1.7, 2.3

2.2 RESPOND TO TEXTS Experience Various Texts experience texts from a variety of genres[such as historical fiction, myths, biographies] and cultural traditions;explain preferences for particular types ofa variety of texts

0.2

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Create Original Texts create original texts [such as journals,posters combining print and art, dioramas, travelogues] to communicateand demonstrate understanding offorms and techniques

0.2,3.4


3.1 PLAN AND FOCUS Use Personal Knowledge summarize personal knowledge of atopic in categories to determine information needs

Ask Questions formulate general and specific questionsto identify information needs

0.1

0.1

3.2 SELECT AND PROCESS Identify Personal and Peer Knowledgerecord personal knowledge of a topicand collaborate to generate informationfor inquiry or research

Access Information use a variety of tools [such as chapterheadings, encyclopedia guide words] toaccess information and ideas; use visualand auditory cues [such as graphics,voice-overs, scene changes, body lan-guage, background music...] to identifykey ideas

0.1

5.3


Develop New Understanding assess knowledge gained through theinquiry or research process; form personal conclusions and generate newquestions for further inquiry or research

0.1


4.3 ATTEND TO CONVENTIONS Spelling know and apply Canadian spelling conventions using a variety of strategies[such as structural analysis, syllabication...] and spelling patternswhen editing and proofreading; predictthe spelling of unfamiliar words using avariety of resources to confirm correctness

2.3, 4.1


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4.4 PRESENT AND SHARE Share Ideas and Information prepare and share information on a topicusing print, audio-visual, and dramaticforms to engage the audience

Effective Oral and Visual Communication use gestures and facial expression toenhance oral presentations; use emphasis and appropriate pacing;arrange presentation space to focusaudience attention

Attentive Listening and Viewing show respect for the presenter throughactive listening and viewing behaviours[such as giving polite feedback, responding to the speakers gestures,showing attentive body language]

2.4

2.4

0.1, 0.2, 2.4, 2.5



Cooperate with Others distinguish between on-task and off-taskideas and behaviours in a group, andstay on task

Work in Groups assume the responsibilities for variousgroup roles

Use Language to Show Respect demonstrate sensitivity to appropriatelanguage use when communicating orally

Evaluate Group Process assess group process using checklists,and determine areas for development

0.2, 1.3, 1.8, 2.4, 3.4, 4.2,5.2

0.2, 2.4, 3.4, 4.2

0.2

0.2


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1.1 DISCOVER AND EXPLORE Express Ideas engage in exploratory communication toshare personal responses and discoverown interpretations

Consider Others Ideas select from others ideas and observations to develop thinking andunderstanding

3.4

3.4

1.2 CLARIFY AND EXTEND Develop Understandingreflect on prior knowledge and experi-ences to arrive at new understanding

Extend Understanding appraise ideas for clarity and ask extend-ing questions; select from others experiences and ideas to extend ways ofknowing the world

3.4

3.4


2.1 USE STRATEGIES AND CUES Prior Knowledge seek connections between previousexperiences, prior knowledge, and a variety of texts

Comprehension Strategies use comprehension strategies [such as asking questions, making notes, adjustingreading rate] appropriate to the type oftext and purpose [such as summarizing,outlining, remembering ideas, respondingpersonally]

Textual Cues use textual cues [such as organizationalstructures of narrative and expositorytexts, headings, glossaries] to constructand confirm meaning

0.1

5.2

1.7, 2.3

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2.2 RESPOND TO TEXTS Experience Various Texts seek opportunities to experience texts from a variety of genres [such as autobiographies,travelogues, comics] and cultural traditions;explain preferences for a variety of texts

0.2


Create Original Texts create original texts [such as short stories, news broadcasts, poems, videopresentations, readers theatre] to communicate and demonstrate understanding of forms and techniques

0.2, 3.4


3.1 PLAN AND FOCUS Use Personal Knowledge summarize and focus personal knowledge of a topic to determine infor-mation needs

Ask Questions formulate relevant questions to focusinformation needs

0.1

0.1

3.2 SELECT AND PROCESS Identify Personal and Peer Knowledge recall, record, and organize personal andpeer knowledge of a topic for inquiry orresearch

Access Information use a variety of tools [such as bibliographies, thesauri, technology...] toaccess information and ideas; use visual andauditory cues [such as captions, intonation,staging] to identify relevant information

0.1

5.3


Develop New Understanding relate gathered information to priorknowledge to reach conclusions or develop points of view; establish goalsfor developing further inquiry or researchskills

0.1


4.3 ATTEND TO CONVENTIONS Spellingknow and apply Canadian spelling conventions using appropriate strategies[including structural analysis and syllabica-tion] and spelling patterns when editingand proofreading; use a variety of resourcesto determine the spelling of commonexceptions to conventional spelling patterns

2.3, 4.1


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4.4 PRESENT AND SHARE Share Ideas and Information share information on a topic with classmembers in a planned and focusedgroup session using a variety of strategies [such as interactive dialogues,demonstrations, dramatizations, audio-visual and artistic representations]

Effective Oral and Visual Communication use appropriate volume, phrasing, intonation, non-verbal cues [such asbody language, facial expression...], andpresentation space to enhance communication

Attentive Listening and Viewing demonstrate critical listening and viewing behaviours [such as recognizingmain idea and details, identifying inference...] and show respect for thepresenter [such as giving nonverbalencouragement, responding to emotional aspects of the presentation...]

2.4

2.4

0.1, 0.2, 2.4, 2.5



Cooperate with Others assist group members to maintain focusand complete tasks

Work in Groups select and assume roles to assist in theachievement of group goals

Use Language to Show Respect demonstrate sensitivity to appropriatelanguage use and tone when communicating orally

Evaluate Group Process assess own contributions to groupprocess, set personal goals for enhancingwork with others, and monitor groupprocess using checklists

0.2, 1.3, 1.8, 2.4, 3.4, 4.2,5.2

0.2, 2.4, 3.4, 4.2

0.2

0.2


CURRICULUM LINKS

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MATHEMATICS K-6SOURCE:The Common Curriculum Framework for K-12 Mathematics; Western Canadian Protocol forCollaboration in Basic Education; 1995

GENERAL OUTCOMES | SPECIFIC OUTCOMES | ACTIVITIES

STRAND: Statistics and Probability (Data Analysis)Students will collect, display and analyze data to make predictions about a population.

Collect, organize and describe, withguidance, data based on first-handinformation.

1. Collect, with guidance, first-hand information by counting objects, conducting surveys, measuring and performing simple experiments.

1.4

Grade 1


STRAND: Shape and Space (Measurement)Students will describe and compare everyday phenomena, using either direct or indirect measurement..

Estimate, measure and compare,using standard units for length andprimarily nonstandard units forother measures.

2. Select the most appropriate standardunit (cm, dm, m) to measure a length.

3. Estimate, measure, record, compare andorder objects by length, height and distancearound, using standard units (cm, dm, m).

1.4, 3.2

1.4, 3.2

Grade 2

KindergartenNo activities applicable.



Estimate, measure and compare,using whole numbers and primarilystandard units of measure.

1. Select the most appropriate standardunit, including km, to measure length.

3. Estimate, measure, record, compare andorder objects by length, height andperimeter, using standard units.

9. Estimate, measure, record, compare andorder the mass (weight) of objects, usingstandard units (g, kg).

1.4, 3.2

1.4, 3.2

1.4

Grade 3

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Grade 5 & 6No activities applicable.



Estimate, measure and compare,using decimal numbers and stan-dard units of measure.

2. Select the most appropriate standard unitto measure length.

4. Estimate, measure, record, compare andorder objects by length, height, perimeterand circumference, using standard units.

3.2

3.2

Grade 4

k-6 - naturewatch · mathematics k-6 ... this section include topics such as the change in a...

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