LEARNING ACTIVITY
Creating a frog-friendly habitat: research
Category: Biodiversity
Climate Region: Arid | Temperate | Tropical
State or Territory: ACT | NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA
Age Range: 7-13

STORY

Every time Suyin and Tom explored the park next to Suyin’s house, they found themselves hearing some unusual sounds. As the park backs onto a small creek, Suyin is convinced that the sounds are frogs singing to them. Tom was not sure, do frogs live in local parks? Suyin decided that she was going to prove to her friend that there is a colony of frogs in the park. She would ask her grandfather all about frogs during their weekly phone call. He would help direct her to books and online resources that she can read to learn more about frogs and their habitat.

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

The lack of suitable habitat is a real threat to frogs across Australia. With some research and careful preparation, you can take action and create a frog-friendly habitat on your property, at school or at your local community garden. Restoration of habitats increases the land’s ability to support frog populations and helps connect frog communities. Frogs are a valuable part of ecosystems, as both predator and prey species.

This learning activity is the first part of a sequence of 3 individual learning activities focused on creating a frog-friendly habitat. The order of these learning activities are: research, design, and construction.

Outcomes

For children to:

  • understand the role frogs play in your local ecosystem, e.g. food web
  • look at ways they can help restore or create frog-friendly habitat
  • appreciate the role of frogs as environmental indicators
  • undertake research on the needs of local frog species, investigate their aquatic breeding habitat and their foraging habitat
  • value frogs as extraordinary animals who have rights to exist in the land and water we share with them.
SEASONAL NOTES

While this activity can be undertaken any time of year, undertaking this project during times of predictable rainfall may be beneficial. Natural rainfall will fill the pond and enable young learners to observe where the water pools naturally in your area.

Did you know?

Frogs have remarkable skin: Their skin is permeable, which means that water and gases can pass through their skin – allowing them to drink and breathe using their skin!

Did you know?

Frog eggs are called ‘frog spawn’ and are laid in or near water with no hard shell. Australian frogs can produce up to 2,000 eggs a year.

Did you know?

Frog researchers are called herpetologists, who study amphibians (which includes frogs and salamanders) as well as reptiles.

Did you know?

Frogs can be found in almost any Australian landscape: alpine areas, deserts, wetlands, rainforests and in the suburbs. They don’t just live in water, but in trees, on the ground, underground, and even in the desert.

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