All lessons › Waiting for rain › Lesson 3
Australian primary science · Year 3 · Lesson 3 of 3
A frog-friendly school
Inquiry question: What does each stage of a frog’s life cycle need, and how could our school help?
Marked no materials needed
Problem solving
What students learn
People use knowledge of life cycles to solve problems. Each stage of a frog’s life cycle needs different things, so a frog-friendly place must provide for eggs, tadpoles, froglets and adults.
Success criteria
- I can list what each stage of a frog’s life cycle needs.
- I can design a frog-friendly place that meets those needs.
- I can explain my design to others, using life cycle words.
Preparation and materials
Before this lesson: Students know the stages of a frog’s life cycle and that frogs breed after rain (lessons 1 and 2).
- One screen or projector to show this lesson’s student view (what frogs need) (or print one student view per pair) — 1
- Workbooks or scrap paper, and pencils — 26
Teacher setup
- Open this lesson’s student view (what frogs need) on your screen, or print the student view if the internet is unreliable.
- No other preparation is needed.
Safety and adaptations
Follow school science and equipment risk assessment procedures for the materials used.
Review your school policies and curriculum requirements before teaching.
How to investigate
The lesson sequence should leave pupils with evidence to interpret, not only an activity to finish.
- Pairs read the source about what frogs need.
- Make a table: for each life cycle stage, write what it needs.
- Draw a plan of a frog-friendly corner of the school (a pond, a wet garden bed or a dish of water among plants).
- Label each feature with the life cycle stage it helps.
- Present your plan to another pair in one minute, using the words egg, tadpole, froglet and adult.
Teacher modelling prompt
Read the tadpole paragraph. Think aloud: “Tadpoles need water without fish, because fish eat them. So the goldfish pond had no surviving tadpoles; that’s why no froglets. In my plan, I’ll write: no fish, for the tadpoles.” Draw a pond and label it.
Record and explain evidence
Recording question: What does each stage of a frog’s life cycle need, and how could our school help?
| Stage | What it needs | Feature in our design | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Example recording headings; record actual observations, including inconclusive results.
Discussion prompt
Which design meets the needs of the whole life cycle?
Check understanding
What should pupils know? Name one thing tadpoles need and one thing adult frogs need.
Explain with evidence: Why should a frog pond have sloping edges or rocks?
Apply the idea: A family wants to help frogs, so they plan to catch tadpoles from a creek and put them in their pond. What would you tell them? Stretch (older students): suggest a better plan using life cycle knowledge.
Teacher answer guidance and saved classroom work are available through the main lesson experience where supported.