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Frogs
Year level: 3–6
L418 Environmental evaluation project: frog pond habitat. Copyright Education Services Australia Ltd.
About the unit
Unit description
This unit of work focuses on the important role frogs play in their terrestrial ecosystems and why
they are considered ‘environmental indicators’. Students will investigate factors threatening frog
populations and develop an action plan to increase the diversity of frog species in their local
area.
Knowledge, understandings, skills, values

Frogs are amphibians requiring certain environment conditions for survival.

Frogs are sensitive to environmental changes.

Human impact on habitats affects the survival of frogs.

Frogs are environmental bio-indicators.

Global frog populations are under threat of endangerment or extinction.
Focus questions

What are the physical features and characteristics of frogs?

What requirements do frogs need for survival?

What are some threats leading to the decline in frog numbers?

What is an environmental bio-indicator?

How are frog populations under threat?

What can we do to protect our frog species?
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
Frogs
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Resources
Digital curriculum resources
L418 Environmental evaluation project: frog pond habitat
L6358 Make it alive: spotted tree frogs (habitat decline)
L67 Human impact (Old Bernie’s Pond)
L1144 Food chains: the wetlands
R6755 'Lift Off' – Upwardly mobile frogs
Internet sites

Frogs Australia network: http://www.frogsaustralia.net.au/

What can be done to save our frogs: http://allaboutfrogs.org/

Creating a frog-friendly habitat in the suburbs: http://www.lifeinthesuburbs.net.au (look in
‘Habitat guidelines’)

The Amphibian Research Centre (tadpole kits for the classroom): http://frogs.org.au/

The somewhat amusing world of frogs: http://www.latham.dropbear.id.au/ (look in ‘frogs’)

A thousand friends of frogs: http://cgee.hamline.edu/ (type ‘frogs’ in search engine)

Threats to frogs: http://www.savethefrogs.com/

Images of amphibians in the Murray-Darling Basin: http://images.mdba.gov.au/ (search in
‘Animals’ category)

Plants that attract frogs to gardens: http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/ (type ‘frogs’ in search
engine)

The Rainbow Serpent: http://www.youtube.com/

Wordle: http://wordle.net

VoiceThread: http://voicethread.com/

Froggy Frenzy Teacher Resource Pack, available at http://waterwatchadelaide.net.au/
under 'A frog’s life'
Print

Tiddalick the frog, Susan Nunes and Ju-Hong Chen, Simon and Schuster, 1991

Lester and Clyde, James H Reece, Ashton Scholastic, 1976

Spotted grass frog, Greg Pyers, Echidna Books, 2004

Frogs and tadpoles of Australia, Marion Anstis, Young Reed, 2007

Amazing frogs and toads, Barry Clarke and Jerry Young, Random House, 1990

Tale of a tadpole, Karen Wallace, D K Publishing, 1998

First field guide to Australian frog and reptiles, Steve Parish, Steve Parish Publishing, 1997

Amazing facts about Australian frogs and reptiles, Steve Parish, Steve Parish Publishing,
1997

Australian frogs, C MacLulich, Scholastic Australia, 1996
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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Other resources

Blue paint or food colouring

Bubble fluid

Dried grass and leaves

Paper and fineliner pens
Attached printable resources
The following teacher-created learning resources referred to in the unit of work are
available for you to modify, print and use in your own teaching and learning context:

What I know about frogs

Frog decline factor diagram

Threats-solutions chart

Frog debate map
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
Frogs
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Teaching the unit
Setting the scene
Resources

What I know about frogs (page 10)

The Rainbow Serpent: http://www.youtube.com/

Wordle: http://wordle.net

Non-fiction texts listed in the Resources section above
Teaching and learning activities
Pre-test using What I know about frogs (page 10) or students list all known facts that could be
used for a frog quiz.
Read Tiddalick the frog by Susan Nunes and Ju-Hong Chen. Watch the Rainbow Serpent (on
YouTube).
What messages are presented about the relationship between humans and the environment?
Draw each message and present as a collage or present ideas as a word cloud on Wordle
(http://wordle.net).
~
Review characteristics of frogs. Investigate the species of frogs in your local area. Record and
display these species.
What makes them unique?
Listen to their mating calls.
~
Present non-fiction books and poster to students to explore and investigate. List some common
characteristics that frogs have.
Introduce the term ‘environmental bio-indicator’. Explore the concept.
~
Explore frog habitats.
Where are frogs found? What conditions do they require for survival?
Extension activities
What do you call a group of frogs? A group of toads?
What human activities might affect the survival of frogs?
Assessment
Assess students’ responses to the pre-test, What I know about frogs (page 10).
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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Investigating
Resources

R6755 ‘Lift Off’ – Upwardly mobile frogs

L1144 Food chains: the wetlands

L67 Human impact

L418 Environmental evaluation project: frog pond habitat

L1144 Food chains: the wetlands

Frog decline factor diagram (page 13)

Threats-solutions chart (page 12)

Froggy Frenzy Teacher Resource Pack available at http://waterwatchadelaide.net.au/ under
'A frog's life'

VoiceThread: http://voicethread.com/

Amazing facts about Australian frogs and reptiles, Steve Parish and P Slater, Steve Parish
Publishing, 1997

Lester and Clyde, James H Reece, Ashton Scholastic, 1976
Teaching and learning activities
What are the leading causes of decline in frog populations?
Investigate factors. Detail the causes using the attached Frog decline factor diagram (page 13).
Invite a field expert (eg a Frog Watch environmental education officer) to discuss important
habitat requirements for frogs.
~
Visit a local waterway. Take photos and report on its suitability as a frog habitat.
Is it polluted? What human impacts can be seen?
Test water quality. Record results for water temperature, turbidity, pH. Dip net to survey water
bugs living in this waterway.
Are they tolerant of or sensitive to pollution?
Discuss frogs’ reliance on unpolluted waterways.
~
Read Lester and Clyde to investigate how a frog’s habitat can change. Discuss the habitat and
compare the frogs’ pond to the ones Lester visited. Discuss and list the changes made to the
different habitats in the story – litter, pollution and human impact.
~
Download the Froggy Frenzy Teacher Resource Pack to explore the ways human have
impacted upon frogs.
How does climate change impact on frog communities?
View R6755, ‘Lift Off’ – Upwardly mobile frogs. List all the things that pose a threat to the frogs
mentioned. Have students discuss whether Australian frogs face the same threats.
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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Can changes in the environment be harmful or helpful to frogs?
Research the current threats to frog populations.
Which species are extinct and why? How can these threats be reduced or prevented?
Organise threats and possible solutions to threats using the attached Threats-solutions
chart (page 12).
Cut a coloured frog image in half and have students recreate the missing half using various
drawing media such as oil pastels, chalk or coloured pencils.
~
Investigate how frogs are important to our environment. Introduce a simple food chain by
viewing L1144 Food chains: the wetlands. Have students create their own food chains. Discuss
what happens if frogs disappear from the food chain.
What makes frogs good bio-indicators?
Extension activities
View L418 Environmental evaluation project: frog pond habitat and explore why a particular frog
population is declining. Investigate water quality, habitat loss and predation by introduced
species. Build a food web for the pond.
~
Present a news broadcast on the current plight of frogs. Students script their broadcast and
record using VoiceThread. Broadcast to a younger grade.
Contact your local council to enquire about their policies on healthy waterways.
Research if there are any factors affecting the survival of frogs in your local area.
Assessment
Complete the learning object L67 Human impact. Write a journal entry on why you think it is
important for humans to care for the environment.
Design the perfect environment for frog survival. Label your design, justifying the features you
have included.
~
Imagine you are a frog. Write a letter to humans outlining the hazards they present to your
environment.
Use L418 Environmental evaluation project: frog pond habitat to determine which species has
the greatest impact on frog populations. Build a report using collected evidence to support your
conclusions.
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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Bringing it all together
Resources

Threats to frogs: http://www.savethefrogs.com/

Frog debate map (page 11)

Blue paint or food colouring

Bubble fluid

Paper and fineliner pens

Dried grass and leaves
Teaching and learning activities
Design a frog pond for your school to provide a habitat for local frog species.
Become a journalist and script an interview with a frog about their habitat and how it affects their
life.
~
Create a frog mural fact board using blue paint or food colouring and bubble fluid. Blow bubbles
onto a marbled mural background then create coloured frogs (by drawing frogs onto dry
marbled paper) to place onto the background. Make lily pad shapes or dragonflies on which to
write the facts to be added to the mural. Write the facts using a fineline marker. Include natural
dried vegetation to complete the frog habitat mural.
Extension activities
Debate the statement: ‘Students should be allowed to keep frogs as pets’. Use the
attached Frog debate map (page 11) to organise your list of arguments.
List all the positive and negative environmental factors affecting frogs. Use these factors to
create a Snakes and ladders’ type board game to teach younger students about human
activities that impact on frogs’ lives.
Assessment
Read this following quote from the Save the frogs website, http://www.savethefrogs.com/:
‘Amphibians are without a doubt the most endangered group of animals on the planet: nearly
one third of the world’s 6,485 species are on the brink of extinction. There are six major factors
negatively affecting amphibians, and all are due to human activity ...’ Explain in detail what this
means.
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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Drawing conclusions
Teaching and learning activities
Investigate the school grounds for a possible habitat to attract frogs and propose the
construction of a pond. Approach local businesses or the local council for assistance in building
the frog pond. Your proposal must include an action plan, including diagrams to show the steps
in construction, the plants, materials and management required, and the positive difference you
will make to the frog population in your area.
Assessment
Justify the features needed for the creation of the frog habitat.
Draw or write about how frogs are important in our environment.
Communicating
Teaching and learning activities
Design posters displaying how we can all help frog communities. Include ways humans can
change their habits to lessen their impact on frog habitats.
Conduct a meeting with the community to share knowledge and ideas about how everyone can
help.
Enlist the support of the community to construct a frog habitat (eg through a local council grant;
local hardware store or nursery; school families or community members).
Invite students to become members of the Frogs Australia Network:
http://www.frogsaustralia.net.au
Investigate the shape of frog footpads and recreate some. Print these onto marbled
backgrounds or create a frog path leading to your frog mural fact board.
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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Writer: Antonina Fieni
The material in this unit of work may contain links to internet sites maintained by entities not
connected to Education Services Australia Ltd and which it does not control (‘Sites’).
Education Services Australia Ltd:

provides the links for ease of reference only and it does not sponsor, sanction or approve of
any material contained on the Sites; and

does not make any warranties or representations as to, and will not be liable for, the
accuracy or any other aspect of the material on the Sites or any other matter connected to
the use of the Sites.
While the material in this unit of work is not remunerable under Part VB of the Copyright Act
1968, material on the Sites may be remunerable under Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968. It is
your responsibility to read and comply with any copyright information, notices or conditions of
use which apply to a Site.
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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What I know about frogs
Name
Class
Date
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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Frog debate map
Name
Class
Date
Consider the question ‘Should students be allowed to keep frogs as pets?’ Do you
agree? Circle your response then in the ‘Reason’ boxes give three reasons for your
decision. Give facts and examples to support your reasons in the next set of boxes.
Reason 1
Fact/example
Fact/example
Fact/example
Students
should be
allowed to
keep frogs
as pets.
Reason 2
Fact/example
Fact/example
YES/NO
Fact/example
Reason 3
Fact/example
Fact/example
Fact/example
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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Threats-solutions chart
Name
Class
Date
Research the current threats to frog populations. How can these threats be
reduced or prevented?
List threats and propose possible solutions to threats.
Threats to frog populations
Possible solutions
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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Frog decline factor diagram
Name
Class
Date
What are the leading causes of decline in frog populations? List four key
factors.
Leading causes of decline in frog populations
Key
factors
Select one key factor to investigate in detail.
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
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