Pass-Ed's Living Textbook
Free Lesson Plans for Teachers
Alpha Stage
Free Lesson Plans for Teachers
Alpha Stage
The Washington Post is reporting that scientists in Central
America have created a safe hostile for frogs plagued by a
deadly fungus. According to the article, this fungus called
chytrid has already wiped out as many as 120 species of
amphibians in Central America.
The article states:
Biologists had been watching the fungus brutally work its way
down Central America for a decade, but (a) discovery (of a
frog killed by the fungus) proved that it had arrived in the
ecological wonderland of Panama -- which means "place of
abundant fish and butterflies" in the indigenous language here --
far faster than anyone expected. The naturally occurring
fungus invades the skin of amphibians, which breathe through
their skin, and effectively suffocates them.
Read the Article!!
Discussion-Starters:
- Ask your child what the following words mean: "endangered
species," "fungus," and "amphibian." This Yahooligan’s
directory of animal sites could prove a lot of fun. Have fun
exploring it with your child.
- Ask your child to recall a time when they saw an animal in the
wild. Encourage them to describe the environment in which
they saw the animal. Share an experience of a time you saw an
animal in the wild. As a family you might consider taking a ride
in the country and looking for wild animals, or simply walking
around your own neighborhood looking for animals.
- Ask your child if he/she has ever seen an animal help a person.
How did the animal help the person? Research demonstrates
that when people are alone, such as after the death of a spouse,
animals can help them avoid loneliness. Have you ever seen an
animal help a person? Share this experience with your child.
- The article explains that some people don’t think that zoologists
and biologists should protect endangered frogs when the cause
of their endangerment is natural. These people argue that
individuals who help these frogs are interfering with the natural
course of evolution or interfering with the norms of the world
that God has created. Ask your child what he/she thinks about
this issue? What do you think?
| A Noah's Ark for Frogs October 26, 2006 |
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