Materials Needed:
- Paper
- Pencil
- Crayons or colored pencils
- Optional: A non-fiction book about frogs or tadpoles
Let's Read About Tadpoles!
Hi there! Today, we're going on a reading adventure to learn about some amazing little creatures: tadpoles! Tadpoles are baby frogs or toads. Isn't that cool? Let's read a short story about one.
Timmy the Tadpole
Once upon a time, in a calm, clear pond, lived a tiny tadpole named Timmy. Timmy didn't look much like his mom or dad yet. He had a round body and a long tail, kind of like a little fish! He didn't have any legs at first. Timmy loved to swim by wiggling his strong tail back and forth through the water.
What did Timmy eat? He mostly nibbled on tiny green plants called algae that grew on rocks and logs in the pond. He had tiny刮痧 (guÄ shÄ)ing teeth perfect for scraping algae. Timmy breathed using gills, just like a fish, which let him take oxygen from the water.
Every day, Timmy swam, ate, and grew. He knew that someday, he would change. He would grow legs, lose his tail, and hop out of the pond as a frog! But for now, he was happy being Timmy the tadpole, exploring his watery world.
Reading Check-up!
Let's see what you remember about Timmy! Use your paper and pencil to answer these questions:
- What kind of animal is a tadpole?
- What did Timmy look like at the beginning of the story? (Describe two things)
- What did Timmy eat?
- How did Timmy breathe underwater?
- What changes did Timmy know would happen to him someday?
Fun Activity: Draw Timmy!
Use your crayons or colored pencils to draw Timmy the tadpole swimming in his pond. Remember what the story said he looked like! You can add some algae for him to eat, too. Then, write one sentence below your picture describing Timmy.
Great reading today! You learned all about Timmy the tadpole.