You may see a lot of pumpkins in the fall. But have you ever seen a pumpkin toadlet? This frog is as small as a bee. It has bumpy orange skin. It has black eyes. It even glows in the dark.
Danita Delimont Creative/Alamy Stock Photo (Frog); Nigel Voaden (Thumbnail)
Halloween Frog?
From the October/November 2024 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will get information from text and an image to learn about pumpkin toadlets.
About the Article
English Language Arts Focus
Nonfiction Text Features: Photographs & Labels
Science Focus
Animal adaptations
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Implementation
- Whole group
- Small group
Pairings and Text Connections
- From the Storyworks 1 archive: “Picture This!: Fish Out of Water” (May/June 2024), “Picture This!: Do You Think I’m Creepy?” (October/November 2023), “Picture This!: Grandma Shark” (December 2022/January 2023)
- Suggested book: Just Discovered Amphibians by Danielle Denega
Suggested Reading Focus
Getting information from text and images/labels (20 minutes)
- Begin by reminding children that we get information from pictures. Take a close look at the photo of the pumpkin toadlet. Ask children to share what they notice about it.
- Put your finger on a label, and have children do the same. Ask children what labels do. (Point to a part of the picture and tell us more about it.) Have children follow the arrows with their fingers. Then read the labels together.
- Read the mini article aloud for more information about the pumpkin toadlet. Ask children whether they think pumpkin toadlet is a good name for the animal. Why?
Finally, discuss what children learned from both the picture and the words in the article. What can they recall? What was most interesting?
After-Reading Skills Practice
Skills: Complete sentences; Labeling (15 minutes)
Text-to-Speech