This lesson plan focuses on the recovery of two threatened frog species: the closely-related growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis) and the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea). An understanding of the biology and ecology of these frogs provides insights into how populations of these frogs should be managed to enhance their recovery.
Frogs provide a very useful context to teach ecological concepts. They play a key role in many aquatic ecosystems and the status of frog populations can be used as an indicator of the relative health of an ecosystem.
These activities can be used individually or in sequence.
Download the lesson plan
This lesson plan contains modules explicitly linked to the Victorian Curriculum, as well as meaningful and effective extension activities for frog conservation. To receive free hard copy classroom resources and additional support, email [email protected].
Activities
Activity 1: Why are the frogs disappearing?
Students work through the Environmental evaluation project: frog pond habitat learning object to learn about the ecology, threats and feeding relationships of green and golden bell frogs.
Activity 2: Conducting a frog census in our local area – excursion or at-home activity
Students participate as citizen scientists in the Frog Census by recording frog calls in a local frog habitat.
Activity 3: Growling grass frog feeding relationships and energy flow
Students create a food web using historical data from a growling grass frog habitat on the outskirts of Melbourne and explore matter and energy flow through this ecosystem.
Activity 4: Managing frog habitat in urban areas
Students use a scenario about the development of a residential area to make recommendations—as consultant ecologists—to government agencies about how impacts on a local growling grass frog population can be mitigated.
Victorian curriculum links
- VCSSU121: Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems
Science > Science understanding > Biological sciences
Resources
Frog Census app
Get involved in our community frog monitoring program, and collect data to help us manage frog populations and raise awareness of waterway health issues with our Frog Census app.