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A Plague of Frogs--Study Questions for the Introduction and Chapters 1
INTRODUCTION
- For what two purposes are frogs designed?
- What phenomenon concerning frogs have ecologists and other scientists noticed over recent years?
- List three possible explanations mentioned for the phenomenon mentioned in question 2.
- Give at least three reasons why frogs might be affected by changes in the environment.
- What is a "sentinel species"?
- How does the author describe biology? Do you agree or disagree with this description? Why?
- Go through the introduction and list all the examples of similes (comparisons of things using the words like or as) you can find. Be sure to give the whole simile, as "My love is like a red, red
rose".
CHAPTER 1
- Briefly describe the materials that pollute one section of the Minnesota River. Is this a river in which you would be able to swim?
- Where and when does the story of the "plague of frogs" begin?
- What group made the discovery of the deformed frogs?
- What activity were they engaged in?
- Make a map of the pond on the Ney farm. Label interesting features, and indicate where you think the frogs were first discovered. Be sure to read the text carefully to help you make your map.
- Was the pond a natural or a man-made one? Cite references from the text that lead you to this conclusion.
- Give the common name and the scientific name for the frogs found near the Ney pond. Why do you think the frogs were so small? Quote from the text to back up your response.
- Using the data cited in the book, what percentage of the frogs captured on that first day were deformed, and what percentage were normal?
- Why was Cindy Reinitz worried about reporting the frogs? How did she and her class solve the problem?
- Describe how you think the students felt as they were returning to the van after their discoveries. Back up your description with citations from the book.
- How were the organisms studied by Judy Helgen similar to frogs in their place in the environment?
In the table below, there are the descriptions of people mentioned in this chapter. Write in the names of these individuals next to their descriptions.
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Owned the farm pond where deformed frogs were first found.
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Found the first deformed frog.
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Was asked to go out to the pond to assess the situation for the MPCA.
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Was the teacher whose class first found the deformed frogs.
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Was a research biologist at MPCA.
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Names to choose from: Cindy Reinitz, Joel Chirhart, Judy Helgen, Jeff Fish, Don Ney, William Souder
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