Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Prince Ribbit

The first Literature Study that I have created is based on the SSYRA Jr. Book Prince Ribbit by Jonathan Emmett and illustrated by Poly Bernatene. I absolutely love this book! 😍 It takes the idea of the well known fairytale, The Frog Prince by Wilhelm Grimm, and it adds the elements of nonfiction. Three sisters debate over the credibility of the talking frog they encounter. Two of the sisters, Lucinda and Arabella, believe he must be an enchanted prince since they are very familiar with The Frog Prince fairytale. They decide to treat him like royalty in the hopes that they can break his curse. The third sister, Martha, turns to the library and nonfiction texts to try and convince her sisters that the frog is no enchanted prince. In the end, the debate is more or less settled when they all realize that "Just because it's in a book doesn't mean it's true."  What I love most about this story is that the ending is open in a way to promote critical thinking and judgement valuing with even the youngest students.

 You can find the Prince Ribbit Literature Study at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Author: Jonathan Emmett
Illustrator: Poly Bernatene
ISBN: 978-1-56145-761-8
Appeals to Ages: 3-7
Lexile Level: AD760L
F&P: Level M/Grade 2

Besides the language arts opportunities, which is what my literature study focuses on, there is a wonderful cross curricular connection to biology and the life cycle of a frog. Martha references a nonfiction text in the story to try and convince her sisters that turning into a prince is not part of the life cycle of a frog. This point is so crucial to the story line that the illustrations even show the life cycle of a frog.

Since there are so many wonderful resources already available about the life cycle of a frog, I have listed some of my favorites for you to explore. I am sure you will find a few things of interest to you and your students.

Paired Readings

A quick search of your local library should provide you with a variety of nonfiction books that focus on the life cycle of a frog. Some of the titles I am familiar with are linked below.

Growing Frogs by Vivian French and Fabulous Frogs by Martin Jenkins are both great choices for discussing the traits of fiction and nonfiction. They are both illustrated so the pictures only won't give away which category they fall under.



And if your looking for a collection of frog images for your students to color to help develop their fine motor skills, for an art center, or as an earlier finisher, check out the following frog coloring books.



And for those of you who enjoy picture books that are based on songs, From Tadpole to Frog by Steven Anderson part of the My First Science Songs series will be of interest.




Manipulatives

  • If you are looking for a set of manipulatives to help your students explore the life cycle of a frog, then the Safari Ltd Life Cycle of a Frog set is perfect. What I like about this set is that it includes five (5) pieces: a cluster of eggs, the three stages of a tadpole, and an adult frog. These can easily be used to match up and discuss the life cycle of a frog.
  • And for your younger students, this Wooden 5 Layers Frog Life Cycle Puzzle is perfect. Each layer is a picture of a different stage in the life cycle of a frog. You could even have the students match the layers of the puzzle with the manipulatives.
  • Do you use a Flannel Board in your classroom? If so, you will want to check out the Playtime Felts Frog Life Cycle Story Set. This set includes the five stages of the life cycle of a frog, and it looks at the differences between an adult frog, froglet, and a tadpole with both front and back legs. A script has already been prepared for your use.
  • Who doesn't love a good puppet show? If your looking for a way to incorporate puppets into your unit, consider this Frog Life Cycle Hand Puppet by Folkmanis. It goes through three of the stages of the life cycle of a frog: an egg, a tadpole and an adult.
  • Games are a great way to motivate your students, and Frog Pond, a game about the life cycle of a frog created by Life Over C's, would make an awesome addition to your frog unit.
  • Perfect for any Math center, these Mini Vinyl Frogs by Fun Express come in a pack of 72. There are six each of 12 different designs, so they are great for sorting activities as well as counting manipulatives. They would also work well for game pieces, like the Frog Pond Game (mentioned above) as they are small enough to easily maneuver across a space on a file folder game board.
  • Perfect for use on any dry erase board, this Giant Magnetic Frog Life Cycle details the life cycle of a frog into nine stages. The pieces are large, realistic, and can be written on with a dry erase marker. The set includes an activity guide for even more ideas.
  • Looking for a classroom pet? Then check out this Grow-A-Frog Kit by Olympia Sports. 





Other Media

Through Amazon Music Unlimited, you can enjoy one of my favorite children's singers. Jack Hartmann's song, Frog's Life Cycle, is from his album Science Songs All Day long.

Amazon Video has several related titles to engage your class. If your looking for something short and sweet there is the animated Frog Life Cycle video by Professor Ladybug. If you are looking for something around 20-30 minutes, then consider the Season 6 Episode 3 of Wild Kratts entitled Aqua Frog, or the Show Me Science Biology series related video entitled Understanding Frogs & Toads. But if you are looking for a full length video, you will want to check out Fabulous Frogs by Nature and starring Sir David Attenborough.

And if you don't have an Amazon Prime account, You Tube can get the job done as well. Here are my top choices:
  • Metamorphosis by Lucas Miller the Singing Zoologist

  • Froggy, Froggy! by Harry Kindergaten Music

  • Metamorphosis by Jack Hartmann

  • How to Make a Life Cycle of a Frog Spinner by Crafty Kids-Video


  • Another full length Documentary by Nature, Frogs--The Thin Green Line, focuses on the dire situation that amphibians, specifically frogs, now find themselves.
A membership to Netflix will give you access to a the following video of interest.
  • The Magic School Bus Hops to It, Season 1 Episode 5, where the bus turns into a frog, and the students learn about habitat from a frog's perspective while looking for their missing pet frog.

Student Activities

The Frog Life Cycle:
General Frog Themed Activities:


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