Get ready for “toad-al” fun with Bill Nye and the “Amphibians” episode. Frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (worm-like animals that have backbones) are all amphibians, animals that spend part of their lives in water and part on land. Amphibians are slimy. Amphibians are cold-blooded that means their body temperature changes with the temperature outside. And as amphibians grow up, they go through metamorphosis.
Metamorphosis is when an animal changes its shape as it grows. Humans don’t go through metamorphosis – a baby human looks pretty much like an adult human, except babies are smaller. Perhaps you’ve noticed…or remember. Baby frogs, however, look way different from adult frogs. They have tails, they don’t have legs, and they have gills, which let them breathe underwater. As the baby frog grows, it forms legs, it loses its tail, and its gills change into lungs – presto, it’s a frog.
So hop to it and watch the “Amphibians” episode.
Use this video to support ELA Grade 3 Module 2A where students need to research characteristics of frogs.