Dwight Sieggreen
Hillside Middle School, Northville

Breeding exotic frogs puts the life in Life Sciences

Project Plan

Goals
The Goal of “Critters: Saving the Environment” began in 2001 and is an ongoing project at Hillside Middle School focused on:
a. Providing a hands-on mindset on field
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b. Teaching students how to conduct research
c. Teaching students how to collect and
analyze data
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d. Provide a service to the environment
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e. Have students develop a love for science
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f. Teaching students how to use new
technologies
g. Create an interest in a science career

We have created a frog nursery in our animal room to raise exotic frogs, give the offspring to zoos around the country, including the National Amphibian Conservation Center at the Detroit Zoo, and thereby reduce the impact on wild populations. We have also given students an up-close and personal view of the natural world through animals.

My Unique Approach
We have attempted to raise specific species of exotic frogs (high-demand species) to fulfill the needs created by some zoos. We designed and constructed an artificial rainforest in an old school semi-greenhouse to replicate an environment supportive of frog reproduction. To date we have successfully raised two species Pipa pipa, Surinam Toads; and Bombina Orientalis, Chinese Fire Bellied Toads in our nursery. This past week, we have had another 100 tadpoles born in our nursery. Frog offspring from Hillside Middle School are currently on display at the National Amphibian Conservation Center at the Detroit Zoo.

We brought scientists from the Detroit Zooįs National Amphibian Conservation Center to Hillside Middle School to teach students about frogs, frog reproduction, how to recreate a healthy environment, how life support equipment/systems work, what they do, how to maintain them, and develop a system of food sources for our critters.

Relevance
We believe that we have put a real-world face on science, achieving meaningful results. We use various technologies to monitor environmental conditions (laser thermometers, sling psychrometers, special lighting, contaminant test kits, misting systems,

filtration systems, parabolic microphones, digital cameras and computers, etc.). We have taken on the responsibility to keep exotic frogs alive and well, constructed misting systems, and served the environment by making frogs available to those who might otherwise impact wild populations. In addition, we want students to experience the interesting scientific marvels going on around them each day.

Measurement
We believe that the measurement of our approach is emphasized by the scores on our Michigan Education Assessment Program in science as one indicator. Additionally, many students sign up to work in our animal room/frog nursery each year. Many who have worked in the nursery/animal room pursue science curriculums and careers after they leave seventh grade. Most of all and less tangible, the level of excitement in a studentįs eye when new tadpoles emerge in our ecosystems is the most significant factor. I teach life science and I need life in my classroom to accomplish this. Challenges Challenges include keeping the nursery healthy, lots of fresh clean water, replacement of equipment that breaks down, power outages that shut down the filtration systems, heat, humidity maintenance, cleaning the misting system, cleaning filters and replacing them, etc.

Funding for breeding stock has always been a challenge, as is the repair and maintenance of our equipment (pumps, filters, filter replacements, etc.). I have 110 students this year and my school classroom budget is $203. Without the additional effort to obtain grant money from many different sources, I would not be able to maintain our marine ecosystem, frog nursery and animal room. In that I have been teaching 37 years, I have been able to accumulate a great deal of material, which has helped me use what funds I do receive, in a unique way. I am constantly requesting donations of old aquariums, equipment, and grant money from the parent community.

I have been very fortunate in that some parents have contributed funds to the program and we have visitations from the elementary schools in our district who give a donation to the food budget. Frogs in the nursery consume 1,000 crickets per week at a cost of $19, and several thousand fruit flies, which we grow at school.

Examples
I have enclosed additional support materials to give you a picture of what we are doing at Hillside Middle School in our animal room and frog nursery.