ANSWERS
The Life Cycle of a Frog
Frogs lay thousands of eggs that do not have
shells. They are covered with a jelly-like
substance that helps protect them from being
eaten by creatures in the water. The eggs stick
together to form frog-spawn that floats to the
top of the water. A few days later the tadpoles
hatch out.
Tadpoles have a head, tail and body. They live
under water and breathe through their gills.
They eat algae and other tiny water plants as
they swim. After about a month, a bulge
appears at the base of their tail where their
hind legs will grow. They also begin to grow
lungs for breathing.
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After seven weeks their hind legs begin to
grow. After nine weeks, front lets grow and
their tails are almost gone. After about twelve
weeks the tadpoles can swim to the surface of
the water and breathe in air.
After about three months, the tadpoles have
become young frogs. They can live in or out of
water and eat insects or worms.
Resources: http://gets.gc.k12.va.us/elementary/lifecycles/frogs.htm
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Pre-reading activity:
Find these frog life cycle words in the grid below.
Amphibian
Eggs
Froglet
Frog
Gills
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Tail
Legs
Lungs
Tadpole
Water
While reading Activity:
1- Use a dictionary to find the meaning of the words below:
a- Lifecycle: A series of stages, as childhood and middle age, that
characterize the course of existence of an individual, group.
b- Tadpole:
The aquatic larva or immature form of frogs and toads, especiallyafter the de
velopment of the internal gills and before theappearance of the forelimbs an
d the resorption of the tail.
c- Gills:
The respiratory organ of aquatic animals, as fish, thatbreathe oxygen dissolve
d in water.
d- Frog-spawn:
a mass of fertilized frogs' eggs or developing tadpoles, each egg being
surrounded by a protective nutrient jelly -
e- Algae: Any of various chiefly aquatic, eukaryotic, photosynthetic organisms, ranging in size
from single-celled forms to the giant kelp. Algae were once considered to be plants but are now
classified separately because they lack true roots, stems, leaves, and embryos.
f- Lungs: The organ the allows you to breathe
2- Circle the correct answer of the following questions:
A- Which comes first in the frog’s life cycle?
a. frogs
b. tadpoles
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c. eggs
d. fish
B- Before a tadpole grows lungs it
a. doesn't need to breathe.
b. breathes through its skin.
c. breathes through gills.
d. breathes through its nose.
C - After a frog grows legs
a. its tail disappears.
b. it can go onto land.
c. it is no longer a tadpole.
d. All of the above.
3- Draw the life cycle of a frog in the below spaces:
Frog
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The Life cycle of :
Let students draw the stages of a frog lifecycle
Egg
Frog
Tadpole
Young
frog/
froglet
After reading activity:
You will need:
Materials
• Index cards • string • wire hanger • hole punch
A. Look at question 3.
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B. on different cards, draw each stage of a frog’s life:
• Egg
• Young tadpole with tail
• Tadpole with legs
• Adult frog
C. Punch holes in the top and bottom of each card.
Use the string to hang them from the hanger in their
correct order.
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