UNIT TITLE: Wonderful World of Frogs

Author: Kathleen McCarthy                                                               
E-Mail Address: irishiz@aol
School:  Dearborn Heights   Oak Lawn, Illinois

THEME: Frogs

BROAD CONCEPT: Cooperation, Determination, and Friendship

GRADE: 3rd

INTEGRATED SUBJECTS: Technology, Math, Reading, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Art, and Physical Education

UNIT GOALS AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this frog unit is to understand the life cycle of a frog and its individual stages. At the culmination of the unit, students should be able to correctly draw and label the stages. At the same time, Students should demonstrate competency with measuring to the half inch, bar graphs, < >, and area. Math will be evaluated on an ongoing basis throughout the unit as they complete the assignments. The science portion of the frog unit will be a summative evaluation and the rubric is included.

 

4

3

2

1

Illustrations

All stages are included

Most of the stages are included

Some of the stages are included

None of the stages are included

Labels

All are labeled

Most are labeled

Some are labeled

None are labeled

Neatness and color

Great presentation

Good presentation

Fair presentation

Poor presentation

 

TIME FRAME: 2 to 3 weeks 

OBJECTIVES:

In this lesson, students will: 

Science

§         Recognize needs of all animals

§         Identify frog’s survival adaptations

§         Recognize and summarize frogs’ adaptation

§         Infer that a frog’s legs are an adaptation

§         Demonstrate a fair test by controlling variables

Math

§        Correctly complete a Venn diagram

§        Rank numbers from greatest to least

§        Read coordinate points

§        Plot coordinate points

§        Construct math equations using <, >, =

§        Calculate the area of an irregular object

§        Construct objects of a given area

§         Use a measuring tape

§         Measure to the nearest half inch

§         Recognize fractions

§         Construct pictograph for a given fraction

§         Construct a bar graph

Technology

§         Read a brainstorming web from Inspiration

§         Type a web address correctly

§         Construct an advertisement using Printshop

§         Complete a graph using Graph Club

§         Type a short essay in Microsoft Word

§         Edit using Microsoft Word

§         Insert clip art into a Word document

§         Label rows and columns in Microsoft Excel

§         Adjust columns width in Microsoft Excel

§         Construct a simple slideshow using KidPix

§         Compose a short nonfiction story in Storybook Weaver

Character Education

§         Cooperate in a group

§         Cooperate with a partner

§         Work independently

§         Use encouraging words with classmates

§         Work to your ability

§         Avoid personal discouragement/ Think positively

§         Participate appropriately in a variety of activities

 

MATERIALS:

__Desktop Publishing- (Printshop)           

 

 __ Brainstorming (Inspiration)

__Word Processing (Microsoft Word)       

 __ Spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel )

__CD-ROM Encyclopedia (Encarta)  

 __ Multimedia (KidPix & Powerpoint)        

           __  Other software pertaining to unit (Storybook Weaver & American Greetings)

           
 

STATE STANDARDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT:

 

.

1.A.1b Comprehend unfamiliar words using context clues and prior knowledge; verify meanings with resource materials

1.B.1a Establish purposes for reading, make predictions, connect important ideas, and link text to previous experiences and knowledge.

1.B.1d Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy.

1.C.1d Summarize content of reading material using text organization (e.g., story, sequence).

1.C.1f Use information presented in simple tables, maps and charts to form an interpretation.

2.A.1b Classify literary works as fiction or nonfiction.

2.B.1c Relate character, setting and plot to real-life situations

3.A.1 Construct complete sentences which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriate capitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high-frequency words; and appropriate use of the eight parts of speech.

3.B.1a Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas (e.g., focus on one topic; organize writing to include a beginning, middle and end; use descriptive words when writing about people, places, things, events).

3.B.1b Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written compositions (e.g., short stories, letters, essays, reports).

3.C.1a Write for a variety of purposes including description, information, explanation, persuasion and narration.

3.C.1b Create media compositions or productions which convey meaning visually for a variety of purposes.

4.A.1b Ask questions and respond to questions from the teacher and from group members to improve comprehension.

4.A.1c Follow oral instructions accurately.

4.A.1d Use visually oriented and auditorily based media.

4.B.1b Participate in discussions around a common topic.

5.A.1b Locate information using a variety of resources.

5.B.1a Select and organize information from various sources for a specific purpose.

5.C.1a Write letters, reports and stories based on acquired information.

5.C.1b Use print, nonprint, human and technological resources to acquire and use information.

6.A.1a Identify whole numbers and compare them using the symbols <, >, or = and the words "less than", "greater than", or "equal to", applying counting, grouping and place value concepts.

6.D.1 Compare the numbers of objects in groups.

7.A.1a Measure length, volume and weight/mass using rulers, scales and other appropriate measuring instruments in the customary and metric systems.

7.C.1 Determine perimeter and area using concrete materials (e.g., geoboards, square tiles, grids, measurement instruments).

8.B.1 Solve problems involving pattern identification and completion of patterns.

10.A.1a Organize and display data using pictures, tallies, tables, charts or bar graphs.

10.A.1b Answer questions and make predictions based on given data.

10.B.1a Formulate questions of interest and design surveys or experiments to gather data.

10.B.1b Collect, organize and describe data using pictures, tallies, tables, charts or bar graphs.

10.B.1c Analyze data, draw conclusions and communicate the results.

11.A.1a Describe an observed event.

11.A.1c Collect data for investigations using measuring instruments and technologies.

11.A.1f Compare observations of individual and group results.

11.B.1d Test the device and record results using given instruments, techniques and measurement methods.

12.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things (e.g., birds have feathers; people have bones, blood, hair, skin) and their major functions.

12.A.1b Categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features (e.g., size, color, shape, backbone).

12.B.1a Describe and compare characteristics of living things in relationship to their environments.

12.B.1b Describe how living things depend on one another for survival.

17.B.1b Describe physical components of ecosystems.

19.A.1 Demonstrate control when performing fundamental locomotor, non-locomotor and manipulative skills.

19.C.1 Demonstrate safe movement in physical activities.

21.A.1a Follow directions and class procedures while participating in physical activities.

21.B.1 Work cooperatively with another to accomplish an assigned task.

 

 

 

N.C.T.M. STANDARDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT:

 

§         use models, benchmarks, and equivalent forms to judge the size of fractions;

§         use visual models, benchmarks, and equivalent forms to add and subtract commonly used fractions and decimals;

§         model problem situations with objects and use representations such as graphs, tables, and equations to draw conclusions

§         develop strategies for estimating the perimeters, areas, and volumes of irregular shapes;

§         develop strategies to determine the surface areas and volumes of rectangular solids

§         represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs

 

STUDENT ACTIVITIES WHICH WILL PROMOTE ENGAGED LEARNING:

Lesson 1:  Move the class to the computer lab. To introduce the unit, the teacher will read Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Loebel aloud to the class.  Teacher will use Inspiration and construct a web of the students’ prior knowledge of frogs. This web will be projected on the wall using the Multimedia LCD projector. Return to the classroom and view Frog and Toad Are Friends video.

Lesson 2:  Move the class to the computer lab where they will visit the www.zoomschool.com website. Students will look up toads and frogs on the website. Using a Venn diagram, they will record brief notes on how these amphibians are alike and different. To facilitate children with lower level skills, students may be partnered up to complete this activity.

Lesson 3:  With a partner, read Amazing Jumping Machine by Carolyn Duckworth. Teacher then leads the class in a discussion of frog adaptations and records these adaptations on a web using an overhead projector. The students will then construct a flipbook from a folded piece of 12” x 18” paper. After selecting 3 adaptations, the students will write a brief explanation and then illustrate the adaptation.

Lesson 4: Return to the Computer Lab where students will use Printshop to construct a poster. This poster should be an advertisement that seeks contestants for a Frog-Jumping Contest. Students should include: date, time, and frog adaptations required for the frog-jumping contest. Then students will return to the classroom where they will construct frogs from folded tagboard. (Directions for this activity are found on pages 34 & 35 of Science Anytime by Harcourt Brace).

Lesson 5: Move to the gym where the two heats of the Frog-Jumping Contest will occur. Students will have 3 chances to “jump” their frog and select their best jump to be recorded. Students will use inch measuring tapes to measure jumps and teachers will supervise. Students will then compete in a “best of 3” standing broad jump. These results will also be measured by the students as teachers supervise.

Lesson 6: Move to the computer lab where class will graph results from the Frog-Jumping Contest using Graph Club software. Use one color to graph the results of the folded frogs and a second color to graph results of their broad jump. As students complete their graphs, they will work with a partner on American Greetings. These paired students will construct a Congratulations card for the winners of the Frog-Jumping Contest.

Lesson 7: Use Venn diagram notes from Zoomschool.com to write an Expository Essay on Microsoft Word. This essay should be a comparison/contrast of “frogs” and “toads” which includes 3 ways in which they are alike and 3 ways they are different.  Students should edit their Frog and Toad essay with a partner and then insert clip art into the final copy of the expository essay. Students will also manipulate size and placement of the clip art.

Lesson 8: Move to the computer lab where students will open Microsoft Excel. Students should adjust column width so that the spreadsheet resembles 1 cm graph paper. Then students will be paired up with a classmate for Frog and Toad Hunt. Students should independently “hide” 2 brown toads with areas of 6 sq cm and 3 green frogs with areas of 3 sq cm. After pairs of students place their frogs and toads, they will begin searching for their partner’s amphibians by calling out coordinate points. The game continues until one student locates all of their partner’s amphibians. Return to the classroom to view segments from Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders video and Animals in the Rainforest video.

Lesson 9: Students will return to the computer lab where they will again open the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and adjust the column width so that the squares resemble centimeter graph paper. Students will insert a very large, colored toad on to this spreadsheet. They should repeat this process by inserting a tiny, colored frog. This spreadsheet should be printed and students will use it to calculate the areas covered by these two amphibians. The results should be labeled with sq cm.

Lesson 10: After moving to the computer lab, students will use Microsoft Word to construct pictographs for the fractions1/2, 2/3, 3/4, and 2/5. Initially, the teacher will use a multimedia LCD projector and screen to demonstrate a pictograph by inserting pictures of frogs and toads in to a Word document. Students will return to the classroom to view the video See How They Grow: Pond Animals.

 
SHARE YOUR IDEAS:

For the culminating activity, students will be able to choose between two final products. For this product, they will produce a booklet depicting the individual stages of the life cycle of a frog. All stages must be included and each stage must be correctly labeled. This booklet will be made using the software Storybook Weaver. Students may also choose to make a slideshow presentation utilizing the software KidPix. For this slideshow, all of the individual stages of the life cycle of a frog must be depicted and correctly labeled.
 
 

STUDENT AND TEACHER ROLES:

Student roles:

During this unit students will have a number of roles. They will be explorers as they maneuver through new software and websites. They will be teachers as they assist each other with the new learning. They will be producers as they develop products for grading.

Teacher roles:

The teacher will mainly act as a facilitator as the students acquire new skills in the computer lab. She will have the role of a learner and investigator as she acquires new skills along with the class.

 

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE PRINT RESOURCES STUDENTS MAY USE :

*World Book Encyclopedia

*Science Anytime text

*Golden Book Encyclopedia

THE FOLLOWING BOOKS CONTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC:

§         A Frog’s Body                                               Joanna Cole

§         Fibber E. Frog                                               Al Newman

§         Steady Freddie                                             Scott Corbett

§         Show-and-Tell Frog                                      Joanne Oppenheim

§         Jump, Frog, Jump!                                        Robert Kalan

§         The Great Frog Race                                   Kristine O’Connell

§         The Prince of the Pond                                 Donna Jo Napoli

§         The World of Frogs                                       Jennifer Coldry

§         Tuesday                                                         David Wiesner         

§         Frog and Toad Are Friends                         Arnold Loebel

§         An Extraordinary Egg                                   Leo Leonni

§         Days With Frog and Toad                            Arnold Lobel

§         Frogs                                                              Steve Parish

 

FOR ADDITIONAL ONLINE INFORMATION AND MEDIA PERTAINING TO THIS UNIT, TEACHERS MAY WANT TO USE THE FOLLOWING INTERNET ARTICLES: 

Title 1:Columbia Education Center

URL: http://www.col-ed.org/cur/

Description: Mini lesson on animal life cycles. It suggests animals for classroom observation that students can compare/contrast

 

Title 2: Songs of the Frog

URL: http://www.frogsonice.com/froggy/songs.shtml

Description: This website contains every song that you will ever need or want about frogs. Each title is accompanied by the words and music.

 

Title 3: Teacher Views: A Frog Prince

URL 3: http://www.eduplace.com/tview/pages/f/A_Frog_Prince_AlixBerenzy.html

Description 3: This site contains a review and character education activities to be used in the classroom.

 

Title 4: Frog and Toad

URL 4: http://www.ericir.syr.edu/virtual/lessons/interdisciplinary

Description 4: There are activities on this website that foster creativity and affective education. All of the activities center around the story Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel.


 
Title5: The Case of the Disappearing Frogs

URL5: http://www.aquarium.org/education/spotlight/disappearingfrogs/corepage.htm

Description5: This website is an interactive mystery in which frogs have disappeared. Students need to read clues, play detective and solve the mystery. This site could be used as enrichment for gifted students. Students could be place in pairs or small groups that work cooperatively to solve the mystery.
 

Title6: Interactive Websites

URL6: http://www.froguts.com/intro.html

Description6: This is an interactive website which helps students have a better understanding of frogs and their body systems. It also contains a very informative, virtual frog dissection.
 

RELEVANT INFORMATION, STUDENTS WILL VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEB SITES: (minimum 6 sites)

Title 1: Origami Jumping Frog

URL 1: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/origami/frog/

Purpose 1: Students will see easy to follow directions for the origami folded frogs. These folded frogs will compete in a jumping contest.

 

Description 1: This website contains the directions for the folded frogs that will be used for the jumping contest. The same folded frogs are also found in the science text titled Science Anytime by Harcourt Brace.
 

Title 2: Welcome to Frogland

URL 2: http://allaboutfrogs.org/froglnd.shtml

Description 2: The website contains games with frogs as a theme. Some of the games include Frog Memory Check, Tic-Tac-Toe, Lickety-Splat, Shockwave Frog Game, and Madlibs.

Purpose 2: This site can be used as individual students complete their projects in the computer lab.

 

Title 3: Frog Log

URL 3: http://www.cnf.ca/froglog/inclev.html

Description 3: It contains FAQ (frequently asked questions) about frogs. Frog Log also has an interesting section on Frog Folklore.

Purpose 3: This website may be used for enrichment or independently as students complete their projects in the lab.

 

Title: The Somewhat Amusing World of Frogs

URL 4: http://athene.csu.edu.au/%7

Description 4: This site contains an extensive collection of interesting facts and pictures of unique frogs.

Purpose 4: This site may be used as a resource when gathering information for Expository essay or as an enrichment site.

 

Title 5: Froggy Sounds

URL 5: http://www.frogsonice.com/froggy/sounds/frogau

Description 5: This site contains a wide variety of frog sound clips.

Purpose 5: This site can be opened as an anticipatory set so that the students will be focused on the frog topic.

 

Title: Title 6: Freddo Frog

URL 6: http://www.greenweb.com.au

Description 6: This site is connected to the Melbourne, Australia Zoo, which has an extensive frog collection titled World of Frogs. Children will find this website fascinating because it contains still photographs and video footage of various frog species. 

Purpose 6: With this site, they will be able to see and hear these interesting amphibians. There are also games available at the website with frogs as their theme.