HS Pond Life

Interest Area Changes to Environment

Frogs

Turtles

Dragon Flies

Worms

Fish

Life Cycle of Frog Pictures (tadpoles)

Alligator

Tackle Box

Fisherman Hat

Fisherman Vest

Child size Fishing Pole (can be made from a rhythm stick, fishing line, and magnet)

Butterflies

Butterfly Net

Lily Pads, Turtles, Frogs, & Fish

Play Snake

**Create turtle and frog habitats in sensory and water tables-

Water Table – first, cut green craft foam sheets into lily pad shapes. Pour water in the  table, and add the lily pads. Then add some small plastic animals, such as fish in the water, and turtles and frogs to place on the lily pads. The craft foam lily pads will float even after you put animals on top of them.

Sensory Table – Add different aquarium plastic plants in the table along with turtles, frogs, and bugs.

Teaching Concepts for Large Group

1.  Frogs can jump ten times their length. Lay ten frog cutouts end-to-end to see how far a frog can jump. Then, compare your jumping distance to the frog’s.

2.  Have children count dots on a game card, find the number on a lily pad, and swat the fly. The first team member that slaps the fly swatter on the correct fly earns a point for the team.

3.  Children toss foam fish (numbered 1-9) into the pond (blue felt), and arrange them in numerical order.

4.  Children match a small toy pond animal to it’s beginning letter (which is written on a plastic egg), and place the animal inside the egg. (F for frog and fish, T for turtle, D for duck, S for snake, A for Alligator, etc.)

Teaching Concepts for Small Group

1.  Frogs can jump ten times their length. Lay ten frog cutouts end-to-end to see how far a frog can jump. Then, compare your jumping distance to the frog’s.

2.  Have children count dots on a game card, find the number on a lily pad, and swat the fly. The first team member that slaps the fly swatter on the correct fly earns a point for the team.

3.  Children toss foam fish (numbered 1-9) into the pond (blue felt), and arrange them in numerical order.

4.  Children match a small toy pond animal to it’s beginning letter (which is written on a plastic egg), and place the animal inside the egg. (F for frog and fish, T for turtle, D for duck, S for snake, A for Alligator, etc.)

Teaching Concepts for Music Movement Wellness IMIL

1.  Little Duck

Once there was a little duck who lived down by the lake.

His mother had to quack at him ’cause he was always late!

Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack,

Hurry, don’t be late!

Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack,

Don’t make your mother wait!!

2. Fishy Circle

(Ask the children to form a circle, let one child be the fish in the middle)

1,2,3,4,5,

Once I caught a fish alive

(Have the fish swim around the circle)

6,7,8,9,10,

Then I let it go again.

(Have the fish swim out of the circle and choose another fish)

3. I Have A Little Turtle

I have a little turtle

He lives in a box

He swims in the water

He climbs on the rocks

He snapped at a mosquito

He snapped at a flea

He snapped at a minnow

And he snapped at me

He caught the mosquito

He caught the flea

He caught the minnow

But he didn’t catch me

4.  Froggie Grows Up

(tune: Froggie Went A-Courtin’)

Froggie was a-floatin’ in a big ol’ pond, uh-huh

Froggie was a-floatin’ in a big ol’ pond, uh-huh

He was one black spot in a jelly glob;

One small egg in a great big blob,

uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.

Soon Froggie was a-swimmin’ on his own, uh-huh

Soon Froggie was a-swimmin’ on his own, uh-huh

His fast moving tail helped him get around

And he munched on tiny plants he found,

uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.

And froggie was a-changin’ day by day, uh-huh

And froggie was a-changin’ day by day, uh-huh

First he got back legs and then front ones too

And he lost his tail and his lungs grew,

uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.

Now froggie was a-hoppin’ on the land, uh-huh

Now froggie was a-hoppin’ on the land, uh-huh

His long sticky tongue helps him catch prey

As he feeds on bugs and worms all day,

uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.

5. Three Little Ducks That I Once Knew

Three little ducks that I once knew.

A fat one, a skinny one, a yellow one too.

But the one little duck with a feather on his back

He ruled the others with his quack, quack, quack!

Quack, quack, quack. He ruled the others with his quack, quack, quack.

Down to the meadow they would go.

Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble to and fro.

But the one little duck with the feather on his back.

He led the others with his quack, quack.

Quack, quack, quack.

He led the others with his quack, quack, quack.

Home from the river they would come.

Wibble, wobble, wibble wobble, ho, hum.

But the one little duck with the feather on his back.

He led the others with his quack, quack, quack.

Quack, quack, quack.

He led the others with his quack, quack, quack.

Teaching Concepts for Fingerplays

1. 5 Little Speckled Frogs

Five Little Speckled Frogs

Sat on a speckled log

Eating the most delicious bugs. Yum! Yum!

One jumped into the pool

Where it was nice and cool

Now there were four speckled frogs. Oh No!

Four Little Speckled Frogs

Sat on a speckled log

Eating the most delicious bugs. Yum! Yum!

One jumped into the pool

Where it was nice and cool

Now there were three speckled frogs. Oh No!

Three little speckled frogs

Sat on a speckled log

Eating the most delicious bugs. Yum! Yum!

One jumped into the pool

Where it was nice and cool

Now there were two speckled frogs. Oh No!

Two little speckled frogs

Sat on a speckled log

Eating the most delicious bugs. Yum! Yum!

One jumped into the pool

Where it was nice and cool

Now there was one speckled frog. Oh No!

One little speckled frog

Sat on a speckled log

Eating the most delicious bugs. Yum! Yum!

It jumped into the pool

Where it was nice and cool

Now there are no more speckled frogs. Oh No!

2. Turtle

This is a turtle

(make a fist with one hand)

He lives in a shell

He likes his home

Very, very well

He pokes his head out when he wants something to eat

(stick out your thumb)

And puts it back in when he goes to sleep

(fold the thumb back in)

3. Snap Went the Turtle

(tune: Three Blind Mice)

Snap, snap, snap; snap, snap, snap,

Went the turtle, snap, snap, snap.

He snapped in the morning,

He snapped in the night,

He snapped at the bugs

As he took each bite,

He snapped so much

He was quite a sight.

Snap, snap, snap.

4. Five Little Ducks

Five little ducks went out to play.

Over the pond and far away.

Mother duck called with a quack, quack.

Four little ducks came back, came back.

Four little ducks…. Three little ducks…. Two little ducks…. One little duck …. No little ducks went out to play.

5. Five Little Dragonflies

One little dragonfly with four shiny wings (Hold up one finger, then 4)

Two little dragonflies learning how to sing (Hold up 2 fingers)

Three little dragonflies zipping up and down (Hold up 3 fingers, then move quickly)

Four little dragonflies resting on the ground (Hold up 4 fingers, then rest head on hands)

Five little dragonflies going home for lunch (Hold up 5 fingers, then “fly” fingers away)

Along came a frog and munch, munch, munch! (Clap hands once on each “munch”)

6 .Croak, Said the Frog

Croak said the frog,

(Make croaking sound)

With his golden eyes.

(Fists up to eyes)

Sitting on a lily pad,

Catching flies.

(Grab air with hand)

I have a sticky tongue,

(With index finger make darting motion)

It’s as FAST as can be.

I catch the mosquitoes, 1-2-3.

Teaching Concepts for Outdoor Experiences

1. Children crawl like a turtle with a “shell” (foam mat or carpet) on their backs, trying not to lose the shell.

2.  Children move from one point to another, hopping like a frog.

3.  Hatch Little Egg - Several pond animals come from eggs. In this movement game, children curl up into a ball and pretend to be an egg. One child is tapped on the shoulder, and pretends to hatch and act like an animal they choose. That student taps the next child who hatches, then taps the next child, etc.

CLASS Concepts

Discuss the variety of animals found in a pond ecosystem, many of which are hatched from eggs. Place an assortment of plastic pond animals, such as frogs, snakes, and turtles in plastic eggs. Make a graph on the floor representing the animals you have discussed. Children choose an egg from a basket without knowing what is inside.  At each child’s turn, they open the egg and place it on the floor graph.  Count each group of animals and determine which had the most, least, and same.  Engage the children in analysis and reasoning by asking questions that promote higher order thinking.  “Which animal did we find the most? How can you tell?  Which animal did we find the least?  Tell me how you figured that out.  How many more frogs would we need to find to have the equal or same amount as the snakes? How do you know that?”

Teaching Concepts for Distance Learning

1. Water Painting

Fill a bucket with water. Dip paintbrush in water and "paint" on a wall or sidewalk. Use big arm motions to create large pictures and/or letters.

2. What animals do you see in a pond? Act them out.

3. https://onmykidsplate.com/15-amazing-virtual-field-trips-online-for kids/

15 amazing virtual field trips for kids.