Frog Unit Study: Learning Geometric Shapes
As teachers and homeschoolers we often think of math a subject totally unrelated to the theme we are studying. In this lens I hope to dispel l this myth. Using the frog theme we will explore geometric shapes. From the circular bubbles rising up from the frog pond to making origami frogs, this lens is all about the geometry of frogs.
Create a Frog Pond Bulletin Board using geometric shapes. Put together a triangular frog puzzle. Use pattern blocks, geoboards and many other materials to make frogs, tadpoles and the ponds they live in and around.
Children need plenty of creative hands-on learning to develop the concrete knowledge of concepts that lead to higher level mathematics. These learning center activities extend the Frog Unit Study with frog themed geometric shaped activities.
Choose a Frog Shape:
Photo Credit: Leopard Frog
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
Frog Circles
Frogs make Circles with Bubbles
Spheres are Three Dimentional Circles
Photo Credit: Frog Bubbles by Katie O
Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved
Bubble Solution Recipe
2/3 cup Joy dish washing soap
1 gallon water
2 to 3 tablespoons of glycerin
1. Mix up enough of the bubble solution to fill the sensory table half full.
2. Make bubble wand circles from two straws and a length of string 4 1/2 times as long as the straw threading the string through the straws and tying the ends together.
3. The children dip the bubble wands into the Bubble Solution and form bubbles.
Notice how the shape formed on the surface of the water is a circle. Bubbles in the air are three dimensional spheres.
Glycerin Usp Liquid - 4 Oz
Amazon Price: $2.45 (as of 11/28/2009) 
Procter & Gamble 00614 Joy
Amazon Price: $1.78 (as of 11/28/2009)
SEE-THRU SENSORY TABLE
Amazon Price: $475.72 (as of 11/28/2009)
RSVP 185-Foot Biodegradable Kitchen String
Amazon Price: $4.49 (as of 11/28/2009)
Progressive International Flexible Straws, Set of 50
Amazon Price: $3.95 (as of 11/28/2009)
Frog Triangles
Triangular Frog Puzzle
Mathematics of the Frog Triangular Puzzle:
Note that each triangle has three sides, threes points and three angles. As all of these triangles are equilateral triangles all sides are the same length and all three angles are 45 degrees.
Poison Arrow Frogs The Best of Triazzle Puzzles In-a-box by Toysmith (DaMert) #797320
Amazon Price: (as of 11/28/2009)
Each Triangle has three halves of frogs. If you discover the right combination all of the frogs will be put back together. Logic and deductive reasoning are very helpful in putting together this puzzle but watch out. Sometimes it's the younger children that can think outside the box and see way to get these frogs back in their places.
Frog Squares and Rectangles
Square Frogs
Scramble Squares: Frogs
Easy to Play, but Hard to Solve is the motto for this deceptively simple-looking puzzle. By the time you've become addicted and find yourself unable to solve the thing, you'll realize it's not so much a motto as a warning.
Nine colorfully illustrated cardboard 4-by-4-inch squares depict various unfinished images of Blue Poison Dart frogs, North American bullfrogs, Cranwell's Horned frogs, Golden Mantellas, and Red-eyed tree frogs along their edges.
Amazon Price: $9.98 (as of 11/28/2009)
Seven Squares, Three Frogs and Three Toads
Move the Frogs and Toads to the Opposite sides.
L For Leapfrog
Uptton, Clive
Buy at AllPosters.com
This games could be played online but I find that children often do better with something that they can physically move.
1. You can create this game using a pegboard with green and brown pegs representing the frogs and toads.
2. You could use Frog and Toad Lima Beans on a Checker Board.
3. You could dress up as frogs and toads and play this game Leapfrog Style out in the yard.
- Toads And Frogs puzzle from Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles
- Toads And Frogs Puzzle: complete solution and several curious observations
Pegboard for the Frog and Toad Game
Frog Chess Set for Playing the Frog and Toad Game
Notice how each of the squares has four sides, angles and corners. Notice how they fit together without leaving any spaces.
Lauri Toys Tall-Stacker Pegs and Pegboard Set
Amazon Price: $16.15 (as of 11/28/2009)
Cut and Paste Frog Life Cycle Square
- Hop to It - Irish Frog Survey - Frog Mind Bender
Cut out the five shapes below and put all five of them together to make a
perfect square showing the life cycle of the common frog.
- Irish Peatland Conservation Council
Tic Tac Toe Frogs and Toads
Frog Game
Tic Tac Toe is played on a square board with 9 squares. Manipulating the frogs and toads on this board helps children understand the concept of the area of a square which in this case is 9.
By interacting with the well defined square units making up the area of this square they will come to understand the meaning of 3 X 3 = 9 and understand that that means that there are 3 units of measure on each side of the square which results in 9 area units.
To make this game you could:
1. Use a frog shaped hole punch to punch out green frogs and brown toads.
2. Paint pebbles to resemble frogs and toads.
3. Spray paint Lima beans green on one side and brown on the other and then add features with acrylic paint.
- HowStuffWorks "Frog Crafts and Activities"
- Tic-tac-toads gives a new boost to the traditional kids game. Learn how to create this frog activity in this article.
- Toad Tic Tac Toe Board Game
- Toad Tic Tac Toe Board Game-Mfr Item #: SMT4063009 Height: 7-3/4 in. Length: 7-3/4 in. Width/Depth: 1-1/4 in. Composition: Hand-painted resin Set includes 5 1 tall green toads and 5 1 tall brown toads.
The Geometrical Dicotomy of Frogs
Which shape do you prefer your frogs?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byCircular or Triangular
spirituality says:
I'll go with circle - squares are boring anyhow. I love triangles too though.
Posted May 14, 2009
Rectangular or Square
Wysiwigs says:
Marching to the beat of a different drum over here...I'll take the squares, thank you :o)
Posted May 14, 2009
Combining the Frog Shapes
Origami Frogs
Origami is the art of Japanese paper folding. Often the first shape that a child learns is the shape of a frog.
Star with a square and fold it into a triangle. Soon you have an origami frog that even hops.
Children love making origami frogs. After manipulating the various shapes to make the frogs, they like to have contests to see how far they can jump. They record their measurements and then try adapting their geometric designs to see if they can make their frogs jump longer distances.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Origami Jumping Frog
- How to Make an Origami Jumping Frog (with pictures) - wikiHow
- wikiHow article about How to Make an Origami Jumping Frog.
Pattern Block Frog
PATTERN BLOCKS WOODEN
Amazon Price: $29.91 (as of 11/28/2009)
Hands-on Math
Hands-on Math for Organizing your Frog Unit Study Math
Simple black and white drawings and easy to implement learning activities accompany each chapter.
It is intended for K-1 but is easily adapted to younger and older grades and abilities.
Hands-on Math, Gr. K-1, Second Edition
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 11/28/2009)
Frog Math: Predict, Ponder, Play (Great Explorations in Math & Science)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/28/2009)
Evelyn's Hands-on Learning Blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand by
Responses to the Geometric Frog:
-
Reply
- enslavedbyfaeries enslavedbyfaeries May 23, 2009 @ 9:23 am
- Oh what fun! My daughter has recently taken an interest in origami and I can't wait to share the Origami Jumping Frog link with her. Thanks for all the great ideas!!
-
Reply
- eclecticeducation eclecticeducation May 15, 2009 @ 12:01 pm
- Love the ideas you have here! I really need to spruce up our math program. This looks like a lot of fun! 5*
-
Reply
- Wysiwigs Wysiwigs May 14, 2009 @ 12:46 pm
- I think I would have loved having you as a math teacher growing up (maybe I would actually like it now :o) Another great learning lens!
-
Reply
- drs2biz drs2biz May 13, 2009 @ 10:27 pm
- Great information, Evelyn. I will be able to use some of this in my own classes. 5 *s and a favourite!
-
Reply
- Intuitive Intuitive May 13, 2009 @ 10:01 pm
- I love frogs and hated math. Where were you when I was in grade school? 5*
- Load More
About the author of this Shaply Frog Lens:
Find out what I'm doing after all the frogs are back in shape:-
Evelyn Saenz: Lensography of a Teacher
-
My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning should be integrated and no skills should be taught in isolation. I believe that each topic s...
Help Give Frogs a Square Deal!
The Wild Animal Sanctuary, formerly the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center, near Denver, CO and is a state and federally licensed zoological facility. They have been rescuing exotic wildlife and endangered species since 1980. The residents of our
by Evelyn_Saenz
Explore related pages
Frog Unit Study: Hopping to Learn- Take trips to the frog pond. Become a frog and play games and sing songs, gobble...
Frog Art Center- Art for your Frog Unit Study from how to draw frogs to painting, clay, sculpture...
Hands-on Math Activities- Children learn and truly understand mathematical concepts best when engaged in h...
All About Frogs: Games, Activities and Unit Studies- Children learn best when engaged in hands-on, creative learning projects that ex...
- Frog Unit Study: Hopping to Learn
- Take trips to the frog pond. Become a frog and play games and sing songs, gobble...
Frog Pattern Math- When planning activities for your Frog Unit Study you might think that math woul...
