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Raising tadpoles in the classroom

My class are about to start a new Science topic all about moving and growing. I grew up on a farm and used to love watching the tadpoles grow. Thinking of this, I was wondering how possible it would be for me to set up a small container in the classroom where the kids can watch frogs growing. There's lots of advice online about growing them indoors but I was wondering where I might get some frog spawn and how we would go about releasing the frogs back to the wild. Any ideas? Our school is based in Wimbledon.

Posts

  • Please don't do it!  The whole process from spawn to the stage where any young frog could safely be released is probably about 3 months. During the whole of that time you will have to supervise closely and carefully the whole of the tadpoles'/frogs' environment to ensure their survival, and I feel sure you won't be able to do that successfully, however much you want to.  Not only would there be issues over changing the water in the container as well as providing appropriate food during their various stages of development - but also there's every chance you would encourage disease amongst the developing tadpoles by having too many in a relatively small space. 

    The other thing that concerns me is that adult frogs naturally try to make their way back to breed in the pond where they grew up.  I don't think a glass tank in a schoolroom is the right place!

  • marshmellomarshmello Posts: 683

    I totally agree !!

    So not a good idea. I have through naivety and ignorance done this when I was a kid. And nothing good became of it - all died.

    If you want the kids to gain valuable knowledge about our beautiful wildlife, collecting and putting into a container too largely ignore. Is not a very good way of teaching impressionable minds, I feel. No, I personally wouldn't do it.

    Now getting the kids to research and record their findings through books, would in my mind, be an excellent opportunity. Also, perhaps.....get them to work as a team and together create some visual art for their wall - a diagram of the life-cycle.

    Nothing better than seeing your artwork up on the wall. Makes one feel very proud and happy.image

  • finulacfinulac Posts: 2

    Thanks for the replies you two. You've got some very good points. We'll leave the tadpoles to grow in peace outside where they belong!

  • FloBearFloBear Posts: 2,281

    As a retired primary school teacher I  would say that some hands on experience is the best way to get the children enthused. There must be somewhere - the common maybe - where they could go pond dipping under the supervision of a local wildlife volunteer or some such. It may take a bit of organising but the excitement of being out in nature can't be topped in my opinion.

  • burhinusburhinus Posts: 58

    There is also the risk of spreading disease into otherwise clean ponds.

    Arrange to go to a local nature reserve, many now have pond dipping facilites and a warden who would be more than happy to help with ID.

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