Learning about Frogs
suggested grade levels: 4-6
view Idaho achievement standards for this lesson

Procedure:
1. Have students handle and touch a frog (from pet store). Discuss body parts: Head, body, legs, etc. What does animal look like? What are its parts? How does it feel?
2. Introduce developmental cycle of the frog: eggs, tadpoles, young frogs, and adult frogs. How does the frog change? What does it look like as a tadpole? What is growing when it is a young adult? How is the adult frog different?
3. Discuss habitat as a place where an organism lives. What do you think a frog habitat might be like and why? Discuss frog characteristics (webbed feet, moist skin, etc,)
4. Discuss diet of a frog. What do you think it eats? What adaptations does it have for this diet? What eats frogs?

Exercise:
1. Assign each student a particular species of amphibian. Teachers can also have students pick their own species but teacher should guide them in order that they do not all pick the same species. 2. Teacher should encourage each student to use the Digital Atlas of Idaho to do research on his or her species (Length of report should reflect grade level). Follow the links to the amphibian pages and get information on selected species. Report should include species characteristics, species habitat, species diet, and anything else students want to include. To get there: Click on Atlas Home, mouse-over Biology, then click on Amphibians.
3. Each student will give "show and tell" presentation to the class on his/her species.

Handouts/Activities:
These are links to access the handouts and printable materials.
amph3ho.pdf | Amphibians

Handout Sample:
The sample questions below are shown in the printed handout.

1. Frog description:
   a. What does the animal look like?
   b. What are its parts?
   c. How does it feel?
2. Developmental cycle of frogs:
   a. How does the frog change?
   b. What does it look like as a tadpole?
   c. What is growing when it is a young adult?
   d. How is the adult frog different?

Answers may different for each species.

Related Lesson Topics:
Biology: Amphibians