Fellow name: Kris Kaiser
Title of Lesson: Declining Amphibians: Where have all the frogs gone?
School: Culver City High School
Grade Level: 9 (9-12)
Subject(s): Biology
Summary
In this lesson, students learn about global amphibian declines, and how they relate to
human changes to environments. The lesson starts with a lecture on amphibians, which
differentiates amphibians from reptiles and introduces students to very basic amphibian
biology, to help them understand why they may be more likely to decline than other
vertebrate groups, and introduced to the concept of amphibian declines. After that,
students are broken into groups, and given one potential cause for amphibian declines.
They are to act as scientists, read the information given, and determine whether they think
their assigned factor is a significant cause for global amphibians. On the final day, students
hold a debate or town hall meeting, where they present their evidence for or against their
factor.
In what way is your lesson/activity inquiry-based?
Students are given non-biased information with information about the assigned factor, and
it is their job to act as a scientist to interpret it and present it to the class and justify it.
Time Required
Four 50-minute class periods; more or less depending on amount of work assigned outside
of class; short discussion (10-15 minutes) on fifth day; may be fit into debate day if debate
runs short.
Group Size
Approximately 4 students
Cost to implement
$10/class
Learning Objectives
After this lesson, students should be able to:
-Explain the difference between amphibians and reptiles
-List and describe several causes for amphibian declines
-Explain what makes amphibians susceptible to declines than other vertebrates
-Relate the causes of amphibian declines to human changes to the environment, and how
these changes can affect all of biodiversity
-Define terms such as metamorphosis and indicator species.
Introduction / Motivation
Not provided
Procedure
Day 1:
Power Point Lecture on Amphibians and Reptiles / Introduction to Amphibian Declines
Day 2/3:
Students are broken into groups and assigned topic for debate, and given grading rubric.
Students may need more time, and some of ours came in at lunch or after school. If an extra
day is warranted, or if you want to give students time to do extra research online, build it in
here. Students should be warned that they will NOT be given time to work on projects in
class the day of the debate. Each team should also be given a second role to look at and
familiarize themselves with. They will not present this information, but they will “keep the
other team honest.” Let them know they are specifically in charge of asking that particular
team questions, as they have information, though they can ask any team questions. Point
out that this means that each team has some of their information, as well, so they need to
know their material. You can give them the full sheet or the slightly pared-down
“secondary role” version. It helps if students take notes.
Day 4:
Students hold debate. We required each student to speak. Presentations were 2-3
minutes, maximum.
Day 5:
Short discussion on reflections on the debate. Ask students what the main cause of declines
is. Allow several students to answer. If no one says “humans,” see if students can see that
humans are the common thread behind all of the causes. Assign reflection.
Debate: Each group presents their project, and then other students are allowed to ask
questions. Teams are judged partly on their ability to field questions (within reason).
Students are graded on participation, i.e., asking questions during the debate. In addition to
their topic, each group has been given a small amount of information on a secondary topic,
so each group that presents has another team who knows something about their topic and
should be able to ask informed questions even if no one else participates.
Optional: Students expressed an interest in being able to do presentations with visual aids
other than just posters. One option is to allow students to present their work using
different media at your discretion, as long as it meets the grading criteria.
Also optional: focus question/question of the day / warm up each day, if used, can
incorporate the lesson:
Day 1 (lecture) – (warm up for day 2 or focus for that day): List 3-5 new things you learned
during the lecture.
Day 2: Summarize your primary factor for the amphibian decline project.
Day 3: Summarize your secondary factor for the amphibian decline project.
Day 4 (Debate): Do you think there is one major factor causing amphibian declines?
Explain.
Materials List
Each group will need:
1 Poster board
Art supplies
Optional: Printer, computer with internet access; Power Point; other media for students to
create presentations
To share with the entire class:
One classroom set of grading rubrics, Copies of one amphibian decline for each team,
ideally in protective plastic sleeves. If copies are limited, allow students to take handouts
home by request only.
Safety Issues
None
Lesson Closure
Short discussion on the final day closes the lesson, and then the reflection assignment
allows assessment of whether students really grasped the concepts.
Is this lesson based upon or modified from existing materials? If yes, please specify
source(s) and explain how related:
Parts of scenarios are based loosely on the Case of the Missing Anurans.
References
www.hamline.edu/cgee/frogs/teachers/activity/CaseofMA.pdf
http://www.uoregon.edu/~titus/herp/documents/girardeau.html
http://amphibiaweb.org/declines/IntroSp.html
http://www.frogsaustralia.net.au/conservation/cane-toads.cfm
http://www.saracooks.com/articles/20021222_001.html
Attachments
Kaiser where have all the frogs gone.ppt – lecture slides
Amphibian Population Declines Background Info.doc – handout for students
Amphibian Decline Project Written Reflection.doc – Lesson wrap up assignment
amphibian decline town hall rubric.doc – Grading rubric
amphibian decline town hall roles.doc – Team roles
amphibian decline town hall secondary roles.doc
List CA Science Standards addressed:
6. Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects.
As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know biodiversity is the sum total of different kinds of
organisms and is affected by alterations of habitats.
b. Students know how to analyze changes in an ecosystem resulting from changes in
climate, human activity, introduction of nonnative species, or changes in population
size.
Lesson Implementation Comments
The students were overwhelmingly positive in the reflection of the project. They really enjoyed
it, and because it’s something with animals, and something out of the ordinary, they got into it.
The quiet kids, the artistic kids, the girls, they all loved it, surprisingly enough. Kids that
normally don’t really like biology, loved it. One kid called it hands down his favorite project
he’d ever done.