Tadpoles in the classroom teach students environmental lessons
Tadpoles are transforming into frogs in classrooms across Canberra, much to the delight of students and teachers alike.
"First they grow legs, then they grow arms, and then their tail starts to disappear and they turn into frogs," year two student Archie said.
The biological process of metamorphosis is one of nature's wonders but usually occurs out of sight.
"Most adults think that the tadpoles lose their tail but they actually grow into their tail," eight-year-old Caitlin said.
"It stays the same length but they just grow into it."
Weetangera Primary School's year two classroom is one of 120 across the ACT and surrounding New South Wales to receive a Frogwatch tadpole kit.
The kits include everything the students need to look after the spotted grass frog tadpoles as they transform over 10 weeks.
"It's quite amazing even for me as an adult to watch how much they change," learning assistance teacher Leone Jansen said.
"The students just love them, they're always checking in on them and observing their behaviour."
Literacy, numeracy and environmental lessons
Teachers have been incorporating the tadpoles into all areas of the curriculum.
"Our literacy focus has been on persuasive writing and it's been fantastic having something tangible and real to write about," Ms Jansen said.
Each student has become a budding scientist, measuring and monitoring the tadpoles each week.
"You see their eyes light up when they realise they're doing work that real scientists do out in the real world," Ms Jansen said.
"It's amazing how just having a living creature in the room just provides that extra sense of vibrancy."
From habitat conservation to protecting water quality, the students have been learning environmental lessons.
"Try not to litter and destroy their habitats," eight-year-old Wren said.
"To save frogs you should keep your cat and your dog inside at night time," Archie said.
Illegal to catch tadpoles, frogs
It is illegal to catch tadpoles and frogs unless you have a licence, so ACT Frogwatch started putting together the kits in 2010 after receiving requests from teachers eager to have tadpoles in their classrooms.
"Frogs are in dire straits worldwide, so it's illegal in the ACT and in most other states in Australia to catch tadpoles or to catch any frog in any stage of life and displace them," ACT Frogwatch coordinator Anke Maria Hoefer said.
The program began with just five kits and has now grown to 120 kits, thanks to support from Rotary.
"Every child should be exposed to these wonders of nature," Ms Hoefer said.
"To do this pseudo-science at a very young age — just by observing things and noticing changes in this little animal, it wakes up this appreciation for nature and an appreciation for frogs."