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Amphibian Life Cycles

Supporting

Amphibian Life Cycles

TEKS Objective

The student is expected to investigate and compare how animals and plants undergo a series of orderly changes in their diverse life cycles such as tomato plants, frogs, and ladybugs. 


Essential Understanding

The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environments. 

Science Background

Animals - Amphibians: San Diego Zoo (website) - Learn about the key characteristics of amphibians, such as their life cycle, habitats, etc. Includes links to specific information about several amphibians.

Animals - Amphibians
San Diego Zoo, www.sandiegozoo.org

Frog: Wikipedia (website) - Scroll halfway down the page for detailed information about a frog’s life cycle. The site also includes photos, illustrations and descriptions of frog physiology, evolution and more.

Frog
Wikipedia, wikipedia.org

Signature Lesson

An Integrated Lesson Comparing the Butterfly and Frog Life Cycles: Learn NC (website) - In this three-day activity, students investigate and compare/contrast the similarities and differences in changes that occur during life cycles of butterflies and frogs. Integrates science, mathematics and language arts, and includes assessment and supplemental information.

An Integrated Lesson Comparing the Butterfly and Frog Life Cycles
Learn NC, www.learnnc.org

Supporting Lessons

Leap into the Life Cycle of a Frog: Alabama Learning Exchange (website) - Students observe frogs from tadpoles in the classroom, observe the animals’ changes and development, document/describe each stage of the life cycle, and compare a frog’s life cycle to that of other animals.

Leap into the Life Cycle of a Frog
Alabama Learning Exchange, alex.state.al.us

Elaboration Lessons and Extensions

Life Cycles and Insects: National Core Knowledge Coordinator of Colorado (PDF) - This unit focuses on investigation of insect life cycles, and compares them to the life cycles of other amphibians, plants and birds. Includes student pages.

Life Cycles and Insects
National Core Knowledge Coordinator of Colorado, www.ckcolorado.org

Assessment Ideas

Have students create an illustrated booklet describing care of tadpoles and the life cycle of a frog.

 

Literature Connections

Amphibian. Clarke, Barry (ISBN-13: 978-0756613808)

What is an Amphibian? Kalman, Bobbie (ISBN-13: 978-0865059344)

Toad by the Road. Ryder, Joanne (ISBN-13: 978-0805073546)

About Amphibians: A Guide for Children. Sill, Cathryn (ISBN-13: 978-1561453122)

Amphibians. Stewart, Melissa (ISBN-13: 978-0516259505) 

Related Science TEKS

(3.10A) Adaptations
The student is expected to explore how structures and functions of plants and animals allow them to survive in a particular environment.

(3.10B) Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors
The student is expected to explore that some characteristics of organisms are inherited such as the number of limbs on an animal or flower color and recognize that some behaviors are learned in response to living in a certain environment such as animals using tools to get food.

Related Math TEKS

3.13A  The student is expected to collect, organize, record, and display data in pictographs and bar graphs where each picture or cell might represent more than one piece of data.

3.13B   The student is expected to interpret information from pictographs and bar graphs.

3.13C   The student is expected to use data to describe events as more likely than, less likely than, or equally likely as.

3.14B   The student is expected to solve problems that incorporate understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and evaluating the solution for reasonableness.

3.14C   The student is expected to select or develop an appropriate problem-solving plan or strategy, including drawing a picture, looking for a pattern, systematic guessing and checking, acting it out, making a table, working a simpler problem, or working backwards to solve a problem.

3.14D  The student is expected to use tools such as real objects, manipulatives, and technology to solve problems.

3.15A  The student is expected to explain and record observations using objects, words, pictures, numbers, and technology. 

Additional Resources

Life Cycle of a Frog/Toad: Virtual Teacher Aide (website) - Interactive activity that reinforces students’ understanding of frog life cycles.

Life Cycle of a Frog/Toad
Virtual Teacher Aide, www.vtaide.com

Frog Activities: Kidszone (website) - Downloadable student sheet covering the frog life cycle.

Frog Activities
Kidszone, www.kidzone.ws

Life Cycle Flip Books: Exploring Nature (website) - Students create a flip book that illustrates the growth and changes undergone by a plant or animal as it moves through it life cycle.

Life Cycle Flip Books
Exploring Nature, www.exploringnature.org

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