A tadpole is a baby frog!

Where do frogs come from?

 

 Children are very curious and want to learn about the world around them. They ask questions that we don't always want to answer like the classic, "Where do babies come from?" Wendy Pfeffer answers the question of "Where do frogs come from?" in her book From Tadpole to Frog. This book describes the amazing metamorphosis of a tadpole into a frog. The setting is at a frog pond and we see how the tadpoles change into frogs throughout the year. On a spring night you hear "Ba-ra-rooooom...ba-ra-roooooom...ba-ra-rooooom...." the male frogs are calling their mates. The female frog lays thousands of soft jelly-covered eggs in the pond. In about ten days the eggs hatch and the pond comes alive with thousands of tiny tadpoles. During the summer and fall the tadpoles are swimming and eating. When winter comes, they burrow under the mud at the bottom of the pond and sleep. Spring comes and wakes up the tadpoles. Tiny hind legs begin to sprout. The legs grow longer and stronger while the tail grows shorter. Tiny front legs begin to grow. All summer the tadpoles constantly change- lungs develop, mouths and eyes grow larger- until they become frogs. Now the tadpoles are frogs that can use their hind legs to swim and hop around on land. All frogs begin their lives as tadpoles but From Tadpole to Frog focuses on bullfrogs.The back of the book describes different kinds of frogs and has a map of where bullfrogs live throughout the United States.

From Tadpole to Frog is a great book to use in your classroom to introduce the frog life cycle. It correlates with the GPS standard S2L1.a Students will investigate the life cycles of different living organisms. Determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area: a mammal such as a cat or dog or classroom pet, a bird such as a chicken, an amphibian such as a frog, and an insect such as a butterfly, because the book explains the frog life cycle. Pfeffer's book introduces the basic science concept of the frog life cycle and builds on it using a step-by-step method.  From Tadpole to Frog explains how frogs begin their life in jelly-covered eggs, tadpoles hatch, tadpoles grow legs and lose its' fishy tail, and lungs develop. The tadpole has become a frog! The colorful illustrations are great for children to see the tadpole to frog process. From Tadpole to Frog is a stage 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book. We guarantee children will enjoy reading this book to learn about where frogs come from!

One for me...one for you!

Can I have a piece of pie?

How Many Ways Can You Cut a Pie? by: Jane Belk Moncure is about a squirrel who bakes an acorn pie for the pie contest. Her two friends, Mouse and Frog, come by wanting to eat the delicious pie. Squirrel tells them "This pie is for the pie contest. If I win, I will share my pie with you." When the three friends go for a walk in the woods, Pig eats the whole acorn pie! When the friends come back Pig presents Squirrel with a ribbon and says "You win my pie contest, your pie was the very best." Mouse and Frog are mad because they wanted to eat some pie,  Pig gathered more acorns so Squirrel could make another acorn pie. She cut it into four pieces, so everyone had a fair share.

How Many Ways Can You Cut a Pie? is a great book to use in your classroom to introduce fractions. Squirrel promises to divide her whole pie equally among all four of them. This book could be used to teach the CCGPS MCC3.NF.1 Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b because it presents many different ways to equally cut a pie. At the beginning of the story, Squirrel promises to "cut the pie in two pieces....one half for her, one half for Mouse if she wins the pie contest." When Frog comes over he wants Squirrel to "cut the pie in three pieces...one piece for you...one for Mouse...and one for me?" At the end of the book, Squirrel cuts the second pie into four equal pieces; one for her, one for Mouse, one for Frog, and one for Pig. The back of the book has more ways you can cut a pie and illustrates how to write a fraction. The illustrations throughout the book show how to equally divide a pie as well. The top number (numerator) tells the whole and the bottom number (denominator) tells you how many parts a whole is broken into. 

1 pie in  (numerator)

   7 pieces (denominator)

Never Judge A Book By It's Cover!

Have you ever judged someone on their appearance before getting to know them? 

In the wide blue sea swims Big Al, a big-hearted fish who is as friendly as he is scary-looking. While other fish swim together in schools, Big Al swims alone. He  wants to swim with the other fish, but his big eyes, his huge size, and his mouthful of sharp teeth scare away all the other fish. Big Al tries different tactics to get the fish to like him but nothing seems to work. Big Al seems destined to swim alone, until a fisherman's net drops silently around all the fish. He bites a hole in the net and allows the fish to escape, but he is caught. Because of his hideous appearance the fishermen throw Big Al back into the ocean. The grateful fish welcome Big Al as their new friend and hero!

Big Al by Andrew Clements is fantasy because it tells a story about fish with human characteristics. The fish talk, laugh, and joke with each other. Big Al cries big salty tears when the other fish are too frightened to be his friend. In this short story, Big Al copes with issues and challenges in his life that offers readers a window into his human-like conditions. Big Al shows contemporary life-the joys of friendship as well as the challenges of making friends-for readers. Big Al's appearance is both his strength and his weakness. His appearance frightens all the other fish but his sharp teeth cut the net to save the little fish. His scary appearance made the fishermen throw him back into the ocean instead of killing him. Big Al has a very original plot that is believable and appropriate for the intended audience. His controversial issues are presented openly and honestly. The conflict in this story is person or fish against society. The ocean is the setting of the story and the author draws the reader in making them feel like they are swimming around in the ocean as well. The illustrations are alive with the magnificent colors of tropical fish. The limited third-person point of view in this story  focuses on the perspective of Big Al. The readers get a good sense of how he thinks and feels. The underlying meaning of the story is being accepted for who you are and the importance of friendship.  Big Al is full of expression, from his longing for friendship to the fierceness of his courage. This realistic fiction book tells us that true friendship is based not on what someone or "some fish" looks like, but on the depth of one friend's devotion to another.