Editors:
Brian A. Jerome Ph.D.
Stephanie Zak Jerome
Assistant Editors:
Lyndsey Tomasi
What is an
Amphibian?
Graphics:
Fred Thodal
Teacher’s Guide
Visual Learning Company
1-800-453-8481
www.visuallearningco.com
A Message from our Company . . .
Visual Learning is a Vermont-based, family owned company specializing in the
creation of science programs. As former classroom science teachers, we have
designed our programs to meet the needs and interests of both students and
teachers. Our mission is to help educators and students meet educational goals
while experiencing the thrill of science!
Viewing Clearances
The video and accompanying teacher’s guide are for instructional use only. In showing
these programs, no admission charges are to be incurred. The programs are to be
utilized in face-to-face classroom instructional settings, library settings, or similar
instructional settings.
Duplication Rights are available, but must be negotiated with the Visual Learning
Company.
Television, cable, or satellite rights are also available, but must be negotiated with
the Visual Learning Company.
Closed circuit rights are available, and are defined as the use of the program
beyond a single classroom but within a single campus. Institutions wishing to utilize
the program in multiple campuses must purchase the multiple campus version of the
program, available at a slightly higher fee.
Video streaming rights are available and must be negotiated with the Visual Learning
Company.
Discounts may be granted to institutions interested in purchasing programs in large
quantities. These discounts may be negotiated with the Visual Learning Company.
Use and Copyright:
The purchase of this video program entitles the user the right to reproduce or
duplicate, in whole or in part, this teacher’s guide and the black line master handouts
for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video, What is an Amphibian?.
The right is restricted only for use with this video program. Any reproduction or
duplication, in whole or in part, of this guide and student masters for any purpose
other than for use with this video program is prohibited.
The video and this teacher’s guide are the exclusive property of the copyright
holder. Copying, transmitting, or reproducing in any form, or by any means,
without prior written permission from the copyright holder is prohibited (Title 17,
U.S. Code Sections 501 and 506).
Copyright © 2011
ISBN 1-59234-681-3
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
2
3
A Message from our Company
2
Viewing Clearances
2
Use and Copyright
2
Student Learning Objectives
4
Assessment
4
Introducing the Program
5
Key Vocabulary
5
Program Viewing Suggestions
5
Video Script
6
Literature Connections
8
Answer Key to Student Assessments
9
Answer Key to Student Activities
9
What Do You Know Now?
10
What Have You Learned?
11
Video Review
12
Video Quiz
12
Word Find
13
Salamanders vs. Frogs
14
Metamorphosis
15
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
Student Learning Objectives
Upon viewing the video and completing the enclosed student activities,
students will be able to do the following:
• Understand that amphibians such as frogs have the ability to live on land and swim in the water.
• Explain that camouflage is the ability of an animal to blend in with its surroundings. This often prevents dangerous predators from seeing them.
• Differentiate between a frog, toad and salamander.
• Explain that amphibians possess the following characteristics: backbone, cold-blooded, ability to breathe through moist skin, a life that begins when eggs hatch in water, ability to go through metamorphosis and then live on land later in life.
• Define metamorphosis as the process of an animal changing form during its life.
• State that most amphibians spend the first part of their lives in water and have the ability to live on land later in life.
• Describe the main stages in the metamorphosis of a frog.
Assessment
What Do You Know Now? (p. 10):
This preliminary assessment is an assessment tool designed to gain an
understanding of students’ preexisting knowledge. It can also be used as a
benchmark upon which to assess student progress based on the objectives
stated on the previous pages.
What Have You Learned? (p. 11):
This post assessment can be utilized as an assessment tool following
student completion of the program and student activities. The results of
this assessment can be compared against the results of the preliminary
assessment to assess student progress.
Video Review (p. 12):
The Video Review can be used as an assessment tool or as a student
activity. There are two sections. The first part contains questions displayed
during the program. The second part consists of a five-question video quiz
to be answered at the end of the video.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
4
Introducing the Program
Before having your students view the video obtain an image of a tadpole and
show it to your students. Ask them what this animal is commonly called. Write
the word “tadpole” on the board. Then ask students what type of vertebrate
animal it is. In other words is it a fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, insect, or
mammal? Surprisingly, tell them it is not a fish but an amphibian. Write the
term “amphibian” on the board.
Next, show students an image of an adult frog. Explain to students that the
adult frog was once a tadpole. Explain that most amphibians begin the early
part of their lives in water, but then go through physical changes that enable
them to live on land. Metamorphosis is the process by which animals go
through physical changes as they grow older. Write the term “metamorphosis”
on the board. Tell students to pay close attention to the video to learn more
about the process of metamorphosis and amphibians.
Key Vocabulary
Amphibian
Backbone
Camouflage
Gills
Metamorphosis
Tadpole
Cold-blooded
Frog
Toad
Salamander
Program Viewing Suggestions
The student master “Video Review” is provided (p. 12) for distribution to
students. You may choose to have your students complete this Master while
viewing the program or do so upon its conclusion.
The program is approximately 10 to 12 minutes in length and includes a
five-question video quiz. Answers are not provided to the Video Quiz in the
video, but are included in this guide on page 9. You may choose to grade
student quizzes as an assessment tool or to review the answers in class.
The video is content-rich with numerous vocabulary words. For this reason
you may want to periodically stop the video to review and discuss new
terminology and concepts.
5
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
Video Script
1. If you’ve ever been startled by a frog jumping into a pond,
2. ... seen a bright orange newt while walking in the woods,
3. ...or seen a toad hopping in the garden, then you’ve had first hand experience with a group of animals called amphibians.
4. What exactly are amphibians?
5. What do they look like?
6. What are some of the different types of amphibians?
7. How do they change throughout their lives?
8. And what makes an amphibian an amphibian?
9. During the next few minutes we’re going to answer these questions as we explore the fascinating features of amphibians.
10. Graphic Transition – Amphibians Around Us
11. If you’ve ever walked along the edge of a wetland, a stream, or a pond you may have seen animals like these called frogs.
12. Frogs are examples of amphibians. They have the ability to live on land,
13. ...and they can swim in the water.
14. Brown colored toads, which are also amphibians, look similar to frogs but they live mostly on land.
15. Toads have drier, bumpy skin.
16. Notice how well this toad blends in with its surroundings.
17. Camouflage is the ability of an animal to blend in with its surroundings. This often prevents dangerous predators from seeing them.
18. In the moist tropics there are thousands of different kinds of frogs and toads.
19. Some even have poisonous skin. In some cultures people rub arrow tips on the poisonous skin. These arrow tips are used to paralyze prey when hunting.
20. This amphibian is a salamander.
21. You Observe! Describe the body of this salamander.
22. This salamander has a long, slender body with a tail.
23. Some salamanders live most of their lives in water,
24. ...while others such as this colorful, adult newt live mostly on land.
25. Graphic Transition – What are Amphibians?
26. What makes an amphibian an amphibian?
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
6
Video Script
27. First, amphibians are animals that have backbones. Their backbone consists of many smaller connected bones that contain nerves that control movement and other body activities.
28. Amphibians are also cold-blooded, but their blood isn’t really cold all the time. Their blood temperature goes go up and down with the surrounding temperature.
29. This is why amphibians that live in cold climates must hibernate in winter.
30. You Observe! Describe the skin of this frog.
31. The skin of this frog is smooth and moist.
32. Most amphibians have the ability to breathe through their smooth, moist, thin skin.
33. Another amazing characteristic of amphibians is that they live part of their
life in the water…
34. … and part of their life on land.
35. In order to do this amazing thing their bodies change form.
36. Graphic Transition – Metamorphosis in Amphibians
37. Have you ever seen an animal like this swimming in a pond?
38. Believe it or not, it’s not a fish but an amphibian.
39. It’s the larval form of a frog commonly called a tadpole.
40. Most amphibians go through dramatic changes in form throughout their lives.
41. In fact, the word “amphibian” means double life.
42. You Decide! Where do amphibians begin their lives?
43. Amphibians spend the first part of their lives in water. They often spend the second part of their lives on land.
44. As amphibians grow older they go through metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is the process of an animal changing its form as it gets older.
45. The life of amphibians begins with eggs developing in water.
46. From each egg emerges a legless tadpole.
47. To breathe in water tadpoles have special structures called gills.
48. As the tadpole matures it forms legs, and the tail begins to disappear.
49. Eventually sac-like lungs start to develop inside the tadpole, and gills begin to disappear.
7
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
Video Script
50. When the legs and lungs are fully developed the frog can live on land.
51. Graphic Transition – Video Review
52. During the past few minutes we’ve explored some of the interesting features of amphibians.
53. We began by investigating some of the different kinds of amphibians.
54. Then we discussed some basic characteristics common to amphibians, answering the question – what makes an amphibian an amphibian.
55. Last, we explored the fascinating process of metamorphosis by looking at a common amphibian, a frog,…
56. …rounding out our discussion of the fascinating features of amphibians.
57. Graphic Transition – Video Quiz
58. Fill in the correct word to complete the sentence.
1. This is an amphibian called a ______.
2. Most amphibians can breathe through their thin ______.
3. Most amphibians begin their lives in _______.
4. This is an amphibian called a ______.
5. _________ is the process of an animal changing form as it grows older.
Literature Connections
Pfeffer, Wendy. From Tadpole to Frog. New York: Collins, 1994.
Sill, Cathryn P. About Amphibians: A Guide for Children. New York:
Peachtree Publishers, 2004.
Anderson, Judith. Once There Was a Tadpole. New York: Barron’s
Educational Series, 2010.
Himmelman, John. A Salamander’s Life. Connecticut: Children’s
Press, 1998.
Lamstein, Sarah Marwil. Big Night for Salamanders. New York: Boyds
Mills Press, 2010.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
8
Answer Key to Student Assessments
What Do You Know Now? (p. 10)
What Have You Learned? (p. 11)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
water
camouflage
salamanders
cold-blooded
skin
legs
metamorphosis
tadpole
breathe underwater
lungs
Video Review (p. 12)
1. This salamander has a long, slender body
with a tail.
2. The skin of this frog is smooth and moist.
3. Amphibians spend the first part of their lives
in water. They often spend the second part of
their lives on land.
skin
breathe underwater
legs
camouflage
lungs
cold-blooded
water
metamorphosis
tadpole
salamanders
Video Quiz (p. 12)
1. salamander
2. skin
3. water
4. toad
5. metamorphosis
Answer Key to Student Activities
Word Find (p. 13)
Metamorphosis (p. 15)
Eggs are small round structures,
often with a dark spot in the center.
The tadpole with legs should
appear similar to the larval tadpole
but with two small legs appearing
before the base of the tail.
Salamanders vs. Frogs (p. 14)
1. Salamanders and frogs both begin their lives in water. As they grow they go through a
process called metamorphosis. As adults they have lungs and can live on land. They both
are vertebrates and are cold-blooded.
2. Salamanders have long, slim bodies unlike frogs. Salamanders also have tails. Frogs
only have tails during early development. As adults, frogs have very strong hind legs
allowing them to jump.
9
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
What Do You
Know Now?
Name:
Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
1.
Most amphibians spend the first
part of their lives in:
air
water
grass
trees
6. An adult frog has the ability to
jump with its powerful:
legs
fins
gills
tail
2. The ability of an animal to blend 7. Most amphibians go through
in with its surroundings is
called:
camouflage
hiding
adaptation
hibernation
dramatic changes in their lives
referred to as the process of:
change
metamorphosis
alteration
growth
The larval form of a frog is
commonly called a(n):
fish
reptile
egg
tadpole
3. Amphibians with long, slender
8.
4. Amphibians have a backbone
9. What is the job of gills in
bodies and tails are:
frogs
toads
snakes
salamanders
and are:
warm-blooded
mammals
cold-blooded
invertebrates
5. Most adult amphibians have
the ability to breathe through
their thin, moist:
skin
gills
nose
lungs
Visual Learning Company
tadpoles?
breathe underwater
breathe on land
digest food
pump blood
10. Adult amphibians can breathe
through their skin or with
sac-like structures called:
gills
stomachs
lungs
noses
What is an Amphibian?
10
What Have
You Learned?
Name:
Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Most adult amphibians have
the ability to breathe through
their thin, moist:
skin
gills
nose
lungs
What is the job of gills in
tadpoles?
breathe underwater
breathe on land
digest food
pump blood
An adult frog has the ability to
jump with its powerful:
legs
fins
gills
tail
The ability of an animal to
blend in with its surroundings
is called:
camouflage
hiding
adaptation
hibernation
Adult amphibians can breathe
through their skin or with
sac-like structures called:
gills
stomachs
lungs
noses
Visual Learning Company
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Amphibians have a backbone and
are:
warm-blooded
mammals
cold-blooded
invertebrates
Most amphibians spend the first
part of their lives in:
air
water
grass
trees
Most amphibians go through
dramatic changes in their lives
referred to as the process of:
change
metamorphosis
alteration
growth
The larval form of a frog is
commonly called a(n):
fish
reptile
egg
tadpole
Amphibians with long, slender
bodies and tails are:
frogs
toads
snakes
salamanders
What is an Amphibian?
11
Video Review
Name:
While you watch the video, answer these questions:
Observe!
1. You
Describe the body of this salamander.
You Observe!
2. Describe
the skin of this frog.
You Decide!
3. Where
do amphibians begin their lives?
Video Quiz
Fill in the correct word to complete the sentence:
1. This is an amphibian called a _____________________.
2. Most amphibians can breathe through their thin _________.
3. Most amphibians begin their lives in ___________.
4. This is an amphibian called a _________.
is the process of an animal changing form as it
5. _______________
grows older.
Visual Learning Company
What is an Amphibian?
12
Word Find
Name:
Find the following vocabulary words in the puzzle below.
AMPHIBIAN
METAMORPHOSIS
CAMOUFLAGE
TADPOLE
FROG
TOAD
GILLS
SALAMANDER
In the space provided below write three sentences about
amphibians using the vocabulary words listed above.
Visual Learning Company
What is an Amphibian?
13
Salamanders
vs. Frogs
Name:
Using complete sentences, answer the questions below about
salamanders and frogs.
1. Write three sentences describing how the salamander and the frog
are similar.
2. Write three sentences describing how the salamander and the frog
are different.
Visual Learning Company
What is an Amphibian?
14
Metamorphosis
Name:
Most amphibians go through dramatic changes in form throughout
their lives. In fact, the word “amphibian” means double life.
Amphibians spend the first part of their lives in water. They often
spend the second part of their lives on land. As amphibians grow
older they go through metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is the
process of an animal changing its form as it gets older. The life
of amphibians begins with eggs developing in water. From each
egg emerges a legless tadpole. To breathe in water tadpoles have
special structures called gills. As the tadpole matures it forms legs,
and the tail begins to disappear. Eventually sac-like lungs start to
develop inside the tadpole, and gills begin to disappear. It then
develops the ability to live on land.
Below are pictures of two of the stages frogs go through in
metamorphosis. Draw the two missing stages.
Tadpole with legs
Tadpole
Adult frog
Eggs
Visual Learning Company
What is an Amphibian?
15