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Afterschool Lesson Plan Database

Lesson Plan

This lesson was excerpted from the Afterschool Training Toolkit under the promising practice: Integrating Science Across the Curriculum

Description:

This sample lesson is one example of how you can implement the practice of Integrating Science Across the Curriculum. In this activity, students read The Icky Sticky Frog, practicing literacy skills as they develop an understanding of tadpoles.

Learning Goals:

• Understand the life cycle of frogs and what they need to live
• Practice scientific inquiry through questioning, predicting, observing, recording and interpreting data, and communicating results
• Keep journals or records of scientific investigations
• Use graphic organizers
• Develop group work skills such as working together and listening to others

Materials:

• An aquarium with tadpoles, rocks, and plants for each group (consider purchasing the Carolina Biological Raise-a-Frog Kits or individual aquaria, tadpoles, and plants from your local pet store)
• A magnifying glass for each student
• Drawing paper and colored pencils
• A variety of age-appropriate books on frogs for each group
• KWL Chart (PDF) for recording students' prior knowledge, questions, and what they learned about tadpoles

Preparation:

• Identify a safe place to maintain aquaria with tadpoles.
• Collect materials—tadpoles, aquaria, library books, etc.
• Review instructions on how to set up an aquarium and care for tadpoles. For example, the kind of water you use and general care of the tadpoles is very important for their survival.
• Read the book The Icky Stick Frog, developing questions for discussion.
• Begin a word wall or chart of the new vocabulary words the story introduces.

Safety Considerations:

• Talk with children about how to handle animals and their habitats in a way that demonstrates a respect for life.
• Local pond water and tadpoles may be used, but take precautions to ensure that the water is not polluted. Seek assistance from local environmental resources.
• Identify a safe place within your afterschool facility to maintain the tadpoles.
• Practice good hand-washing techniques to protect the tadpoles and the students (count to 15 while scrubbing hands and fingernails with soap, rinse off thoroughly with water, use a paper towel to turn off the water, and wipe hands dry with a clean paper towel).
• Follow guidelines for raising tadpoles to ensure safety for students and tadpoles.

What to Do:

• Engage students by asking what they know about frogs, tadpoles, and amphibians. You may want to use and record students' answers on a KWL chart and post it on the board or on a wall, adding to the chart as they learn more. Review sounds that frogs make and read aloud the story of The Icky Sticky Frog, with enthusiasm and expression. Use your word wall or word chart to review new vocabulary words.
• Explore tadpoles. Divide students into groups of four or five. Set up aquariums for each group, and ask students to observe the tadpoles and record their observations by writing about what they see and making drawings of tadpoles at various stages. Check in with each group and ask guiding questions such as: How do the tadpoles change as they grow? What do they need to survive?
• Explain observations. Ask students to explain what they learned by sharing their observations and questions about tadpoles. Have students research information about tadpoles and create a story chart to illustrate what they have learned.
• Extend learning if time allows. Continue to read books about frogs, build vocabulary word walls, create frog books or PowerPoint presentations based on what students have learned, and compare/contrast what students know about living things with what they have learned about tadpoles and frogs.

Evaluate (Outcomes to look for):

• Questions and answers that reflect an understanding of what tadpoles need to survive, as well as an understanding of the life cycle of frogs
• An understanding of the story The Icky Sticky Frog
• Students posing questions, hypothesizing, observing, collecting and recording data, and communicating results
• Students working together to gain a better understanding of tadpoles

Standards:
Click this link to see additional learning goals, grade-level benchmarks, and standards covered in this lesson.

Learn More:

Learn more about the 5Es.