© The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska on behalf of Nebraska 4-H. All rights reserved.6

Survivor Animal

Amphibians 101

Woodhouse’s toad

chapter 1

National and State Standards

National Standards: NS: 5-8.3, 5-8.6; NL-ENG: K-12.1, K-12.3, K-12.4, K-12.5, K-12.7, K-12.8, K-12.11, K-12.12; NM: N&O 1, 2, 3; DA&P 1, 4; CN 3; CM 1, 2; NA-VA: 5-8.6

Nebraska Standards: S: 8.1.1, 8.4.1, 8.4.3, 8.4.4, 8.4.5; LA: 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4; M: 7.1.3, 8.4; VPA: K-12.6.1

ObjectivesStudents will:• understand the terms “adaptation” and “survival of the fittest.”• discover amphibian adaptations.

DurationOne to several class periodsStudents can do some or all of the Build-an-Animal activity in class, or at home to save time.

BackgroundAmphibians are amazing creatures! They

include frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians, which are limbless, mostly tropical amphibians that burrow in the ground. These

animals can be found on every continent except for Antarctica and cover a wide variety of habitats. This makes amphibians so interesting, because each species has developed special adaptations that allow them to thrive in their habitat. Adaptations are behaviors or features that an animal or plant develops to help them survive in a specific habitat.

ProcedureAsk the students: What is an animal adaptation?

An adaptation is a feature or behavior certain animals develop that helps them to survive in their environment. Ask the students to think of different adaptations in animals (example – the hard shell of some turtles into which they can tuck their head and legs if they are threatened by a predator).

Follow this discussion with the following activities.

© The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska on behalf of Nebraska 4-H. All rights reserved.© The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska on behalf of Nebraska 4-H. All rights reserved.7

Activity 1 –

Turn into a Frog

Materials• Goofy glasses• Mesh shirt• Ear muffs• Empty over-the-counter pain medication bottle• Tube of antibiotic cream• Bottle of lotion• Poison bottle (Make a poison label and tape it to an empty bottle.)• Diving fins (You can make some out of construction paper or poster board if none are available.)• Thermometer• Birthday noisemakers (the type that unrolls)• Fake plastic teeth• Antifreeze (Make a label for antifreeze and tape it to an empty bottle.)

Procedure1. Tell the students that they will be learning about

adaptations of different frogs. Lay the items on the materials list on a table. Give the students a minute to look at the different objects.

2. Ask for a volunteer to come to the front of the class.

3. Have the students infer which adaptation each of the objects represents. Students most likely know a few different adaptations that frogs possess already. As they guess, you will gradually turn your volunteer into a frog! Discuss each of the adaptations as you go.

4. Adaptations:• Eyes (goofy glasses) – Frogs actually use their eyeballs to help them swallow. They push their eyes into their head, which helps move food down their throat. Frogs also have transparent nictitating membranes over their eyes, which protect their eyes.

• Permeable skin (mesh shirt) – Amphibians have permeable skin, which means that it has small pores or holes. These pores allow molecules such as water and oxygen to pass through. This also makes amphibians more susceptible to pollution in their environment.

• Tympanic membrane (ear muffs) – This is the membrane that allows frogs to hear.

• Medicine (over-the-counter pain reliever and antibiotic cream) – Many amphibians have properties that are beneficial in medicine. The skin of some amphibians has chemicals that act as a painkillers or antibiotics.

• Mucous glands (lotion) – Amphibians have mucous glands in their skin to keep it moist.

• Poison glands (poison bottle) – Some amphibians have poison glands in their skin. Other amphibians (like dart frogs) get their poison from the food they eat.

• Webbed feet (diving fins) – Frogs and salamanders have webbed feet that help them swim.

• Cold-blooded (thermometer) – Amphibians are cold-blooded, meaning they cannot generate their own heat like we do. They rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature. This also means that they save a lot of energy. When it is cold out, they are less active.

• Tongue (birthday noisemakers) – Frog’s tongues are attached at the front of the mouth (opposite from us) so the tip of the tongue points toward the back of the throat. This allows them to quickly flip their tongue out to catch an insect. Frogs also have a sticky mucous in their mouth that helps them grab prey.

• Teeth (fake plastic teeth) – Amphibians have cone-shaped teeth in their upper jaw. Some amphibians have special teeth on the roof of their mouth that allow them to hold prey.

• Glucose (antifreeze) – Some frogs generate glucose in their liver, which circulates through their bodies, acting like antifreeze. This adaptation allows frogs that live in areas with frigid winters to survive the cold without their organs freezing.