Tad-Tastic+Frog+Cycle+Teachers+Resource

= Where would you like to go? =

Home Student's Pond Resource Centre


 * TEACHERS!** Welcome to the Tad-Tastic Frog Cycle 'Teacher's Corner', where you'll learn everything you need to know about the project we've created for your students. This task uses technology to effectively teach your students about the life cycle of a frog in a hands on way; it will also teach them how to use technology for later projects.

The technology we'll be using in this assignment is Window's Movie Maker, a program designed to help you create movies using footage or pictures from your computer. In addition to this, you'll need to provide your students with a basic digital camera. Nothing too flashy, just something that will take clear pictures and can easily be connected to a computer. Something like this:

(Photo taken from google images)

The idea is that groups of students are provided with a tank of tadpoles, and a picture is taken each day to document their growth as they progress through the various stages of their lives. We have decided that starting with eggs will be too time consuming so the project will begin with tadpoles. Once the tadpoles have become frogs, the students will upload the photographs to Movie Maker and create a short, stop motion video to show the life cycle of the frogs.

= Using Windows Movie Maker: =

Windows Movie Maker is a very simple program to use and therefore will be easy to teach and for the students to use during this project. The link below is the official guide to using Movie Maker as we've included the basic steps under that. We've also included a YouTube tutorial showing you how to make a simple movie. Please note while the creator of this video has used small film clips, you can also easily upload pictures.

Window's Movie Maker- Official webpage.

http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/windows-live/movie-maker-get-started

= Basic Steps for using Movie Maker: =

1) Import your videos or images onto movie maker. 2) Select the photos and clips you want to use and then look to the 'Create' tab. Click 'share' and then 'movie'. 3) You can then edit your movies by trimming, splitting and adjusting the colours and speed of the images. 4) Add audio to your movies and adjust the speed, volume, and the start and end point on the music. 5) Select a theme and various effects. 6) Once the movie is complete, you can share it on various social net working sites. Congratulations, you're now a director!

YouTube tutorial- Learn how to use Window's Movie Maker. media type="youtube" key="MiVyqQmCuw8" width="425" height="350" Taken from Youtube, 12/5/12 []

Below you'll find an example of a basic stop motion video to show your students. Stop motion videos are made by taking pictures and then collating them to make a moving sequence. For example, taking photos of a person at various points of jumping to make them look like they are flying. The video here is a boy flying a broom stick and you can clearly see the points where his feet touch the floor. This is a simple stop motion video and is the type of thing we are looking for in the project with your students.

media type="youtube" key="hhjcz3IK_ms" width="425" height="350" Taken from YouTube []

= What You'll Need: =

For this project, you'll need a few things! If possible, break the class into three or four groups so as not to have too many tadpoles to take of. Tadpoles require constant attention and too many will be difficult to look after.

For information on how to look after tadpoles and guide them into adulthood, see the link on the resource page!

To keep the tadpoles:
 * A container for them to live in, something like a plastic bucket, plastic garbage bin, fish pond or paddling pool.
 * Clean water, de-chlorinated. Chlorine is deadly to tadpoles!
 * De-chlorinating drops

To feed the tadpoles:
 * Lettuce
 * Small insects

Technology:
 * Windows Movie Maker - you can download this free for Windows XP, Windows 7 and Vista. Windows Movie maker is not available for Mac.
 * A digital camera than can be connected to the computer.