AN EDUCATOR’S GUIDE TO FROGS K-6 Author: Terra Brie Stewart Koval, [email protected] Design & Illustrations: Rost Koval, [email protected], www.mangobonz.150m.com Editor: Neala MacDonald Frogwatch 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 Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network Coordination Office. DEAR EDUCATOR, Throughout most of history, people have not regarded reptiles and amphibians with high opinion. In fact 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, cartilaginous skeleton, filthy skin, fierce aspect, calculating eye, offensive smell, harsh voice, squalid habitation, and terrible venom; and so their Creator has not exerted his powers to make more of them." Although this attitude may still be representative of many people’s impressions of snakes, it seems that for the most part, our attitude towards frogs has grown to be a little more civilized—or at least it remains so in our children. Children are fascinated by frogs—and with good reason. They are cute, they are easily caught, they make cool sounds, and they have been found in abundance (although their decline is the whole reason programs like FrogWatch have come into existence). For these reasons, frogs are perfect candidates with which to nourish a growing curiosity in living things and encourage an appreciation for the natural world as a whole. The well-being of the other species we share this earth with depends a great deal on our attitudes towards them; in a world so pressured to fulfill human needs, a species must have value if it is to be conserved 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 for nature will place priority on maintaining biodiversity and the health of our home, the Earth. Frog on, Friends. Acknowledgements Although I am the official author of this educator’s guide, I feel this project is more of a collaborative effort, 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 Science Horizons 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 her time to edit my guide and answer countless questions, but also gave me a great deal of moral support and, having “been there before” as the author of the Grade 7-12 FrogWatch guide, understanding along this journey. Neala’s diligence, commitment, and dedication have transformed this guide from a draft 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 schoolteacher himself for many years, Brian was able to communicate to me his knowledge of students and share his classroom experiences, which served as signals that I was heading in the right direction. At times when I felt I was treading into unknown waters, it was Brian’s unwavering confidence in me that acted as the compass that directed me to the completion of this guide. Margaret Skeel and Paul Dumont at Nature Saskatchewan battled away at many the logistics in this project; 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 Wildlife Research 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 the schools. 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 Saskatoon Catholic Schools, for finding a number of classrooms for me to visit. Tim’s passion for environmental education is an inspiring force to anyone who has had the opportunity of meeting him. THE Frog FILES 3 I received an equally powerful sense of inspiration from Marcia Klein, and environmental educator with the Saskatoon Public School Division. Marcia has reminded me of our responsibility to youth—our duty to share the love of nature with them and thus nourish their budding appreciation for our outdoor world. We pass our world with aging, hopeful hands into the strong, determined hands of upcoming generations. I would like to thank my teacher reviewers Wendy Hyshka, Alandina Laplante, and Greg Bubnick for reviewing my draft and stimulating new ideas for the guide during at a very busy time in the school year. One stage in the writing process of this guide was learning my audience. I spent a few weeks touring schools and meeting the individuals I was really writing for—the students. I initially visited classes to assess the grade level of the students and later returned to some classes to test drive activities. In the Saskatoon Catholic School division, I owe thanks to Wendy Hyshka’s Kindergarten class at St. James School; 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 at St. Paul School; Greg Bubnick’s grade 5 class at St. John School; and Norbert Schidlowsky’s grade 6/7 class at St. Peter School. In the Saskatoon Public School Division, much thanks is extended to Roberta Irinici’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 global home and the interconnectedness of its inhabitants is the key to creating sustainable ecosystems for hundreds of generation to come. Terra Brie Stewart Koval, B.Sc. 4 THE Frog FILES 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