Frog and Toad are Friends is a book of short stories by Arnold Lobel that depict the friendship between Frog and Toad. The document provides a teacher's guide for a unit plan integrating the book across various subjects. Activities include reading comprehension, writing assignments, art projects, math games and more. The overarching theme is friendship, with lessons teaching students what makes a good friend and how Frog and Toad demonstrate kindness toward each other.

1. Frog and Toad are Friends
Jacqui McGuire-Day
Old Dominion University
Integrating Literature
A Teacher’s Guide

2. Summary
Frog and Toad have many different adventures together which include: Frog waking
Toad up for Spring because he wants to play; Toad trying to think of a way to cheer
Frog up; Frog helping Toad find a lost button; and Frog sending Toad a letter
because Toad is sad. Each story depicts Frog and Toad in different situations, and
the theme of friendship is continually developed. Children can see that even
though Frog and Toad are different, they can still be good friends. They care for
one another and demonstrate their feelings through acts of kindness and
unselfishness.
Target grade level: 1st
Interest level: K – 2
Lexile Measure: 400
DRA: 18

3. Art
Before reading the first short story in Frog and Toad are Friends, the teacher will
introduce the theme of friendship through a poem.
Friendship by Risa Jordan
A friend is a person who wishes you well.
And keeps all the secrets that you like to tell.
Friends share toys and their storybooks too.
Friends can be older or younger than you.
Friends can be real or made up in your mind.
But they’re always thoughtful and always kind.
Friends can live nearby or very, very far
But your friends are your friends wherever you are!

4. Art (cont.)
After reading the poem, students will help create a list about what they think
makes a good friend. The teacher will read the first short story entitled Spring.
Students will have a chance to read the story independently as well. Students will
then create a collage about what they feel represents a good friend. The collages
will all be joined together to create a classroom friendship display in an area of the
room.
SOL: Visual Arts 1.4 The student will create works of are inspired by stories, poems, ideas, and themes.

5. Reading and Writing
The teacher will review the characteristics of fictional stories. Those characteristics
are as follows: characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, problem and solution.
The students will read the short story entitled The Story. Students will retell the
story to a partner. Students will then individually complete a graphic organizer
regarding the events in The Story.
SOLs: Reading 1.9 The student will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts.
f) Identify characters, setting, and important events.
g) Retell stories using beginning, middle, and end.
Writing 1.13 The student will write to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes.
Oral Language 1.1 B) The student will tell and retell stories and events in logical order.

6. Math
After reading A Lost Button, the teacher will get out a bag of buttons with different attributes and
we will play “Guess My Button.” The students will take turns secretly choosing one of the displayed
buttons and whispering the identity to the teacher. The teacher will have 7 buttons projected on
the Smartboard for display using the document camera. The student will then give the rest of the
class attribute clues to help them guess the secret button. Once the game is played as a whole
group, put the students in small groups so they can play the game.
After “Guess My Button” is played in small groups, give each group a bag of buttons and have the
groups sort the buttons by their attributes. Have each student individually pick two buttons and
glue them to the chart. Under the two buttons, have the students list the different attributes of the
buttons.
SOL: Math 1.20 The student will sort and classify concrete objects according to one or more attributes, including color, size, and shape.

7. Computer Technology
The teacher will ‘snip’ 3 pictures from A Lost Button and put them in Pixie. Each
student will put the pictures in order chronologically in Pixie. Then, the student will
type what occurred in the beginning, middle, and end of the story as it correlates to
the pictures.
SOL: Computer Technology K – 2.6 A) The student will use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and
presentation activities.

8. Science and Writing
Students will complete an expository writing assignment on either frogs or toads.
Each student will have the opportunity to choose whether he/she will be
researching frogs or toads. The students will go on PebbleGo to learn information
about their chosen animal and fill out a graphic organizer about that animal. The
information the student will find is as follows: body covering (What does the
animal look like?); habitat (Where does it live?); food (What does it eat?); life cycle,
and interesting facts about the animal.
Each student will use the information he/she has collected in the graphic organizer
to write a paragraph about either frogs or toads.
Link to PebbleGo: http://www.pebblego.com/login/index.html
SOLs: Science 1.5 The student will investigate and understand animals have basic needs and certain distinguishing characteristics.
Writing 1.13 The student will write to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes.
Computer Technology: K – 2.4 The student will plan and apply strategies for gathering information, using a variety of tools and resources.

9. Science and Computer Technology
This activity will be done in collaboration with the Library Media Specialist.
After the students have completed their paragraphs on their animal research of either frogs or toads, the
students will pick an image of either a frog or toad from Creative Commons and open it with the Chatterpix
app. The students will record the facts that they have learned about their animal. The final product will be
saved as a video to the camera roll and can be emailed to their parents and added to the classroom website.
Link to Chatterpix: http://ipadapps4school.com/2014/01/06/chatterpix-create-talking-pictures-on-your-ipad/
Link to Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/
SOLs: Science 1.5 The student will investigate and understand animals have basic needs and certain distinguishing characteristics.
Computer Technology K – 2.6 A) The student will use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and
presentation activities.
Oral Language 1.1 The student will continue to demonstrate growth in the use of oral language.

10. Science
The students have completed their research on frogs and toads. Divide the
students into small groups. Give each group a Venn Diagram and have them record
the similarities and differences between frogs and toads. After each group has
discussed this, have each group present their Venn Diagrams to the entire class.
SOLs: Science 1.5 The student will investigate and understand animals have basic needs and certain distinguishing characteristics.
Oral Language 1.1 The student will continue to demonstrate growth in the use of oral language.
Writing 1.13 The student will write to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes.

11. Social Studies
The teacher will ask the students “What does it mean to treat others
with respect?” The teacher will ask the class to give examples of ways
that Frog and Toad treat one another with respect. The class will
brainstorm a list of do’s and don’ts for treating people with respect.
The teacher will ask students how they can make the classroom
environment more respectful. Students will then write down ways they
can make the classroom environment more respectful in their journals.
SOL: History and Social Science 1.10 The student will apply the traits of good citizen by exhibiting good sportsmanship, helping others, and
treating others with respect.

12. Writing a friendly letter
Students will read the short story entitled The Letter from Frog and Toad are Friends. Review parts
of a friendly letter with students using the anchor chart below: heading, greeting, body, closing, and
signature.
Then, each student will pretend to be either Frog or Toad. If they pretend to be Frog, they will write
a letter to Toad and vice versa.
SOLs: Writing 1.13 The student will write to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes.
Heading The date you write the letter.
Greeting Dear and then your friend’s name followed by a
comma
Body Telling or asking your friend something
Closing Sincerely, Love, Your Friend,
signature Sign your name below the closing

13. Reading and Writing
Students will read the short story entitled A swim in Frog and Toad are Friends. Afterwards, the
teacher will pair each student with a partner. Each pair will discuss and record at least 4 different
emotions that Toad feels in this short story. Each pair will also give examples from the text to
support their opinions. We will discuss the findings of each group. Each student will then write
about a time when he/she felt one of Toad’s emotions. Students will be given a chance to share
their writing if they wish to do so.
SOL: Writing 1.13 The student will write to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes.
Oral Language 1.3 B) The student will follow rules for conversation using appropriate voice level in small group settings.
Reading 1.9 C) The student will relate previous experiences to what is read.

14. Kahoot
Kahoot is a student response system for creating and administering game-like questions to
formatively assess the students’ knowledge. The teacher and the librarian will use Kahoot to have
students answer comprehension questions based on their reading of Frog and Toad are Friends.
Each student will have an Ipad. As the questions appear on the Promethean board, the students
use their Ipads to submit their responses.
Link to Kahoot: https://kahoot.it/#/
SOLs: Reading 1.9 The student will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts.
Reading 1.9 E) The student will ask and answer who, what, when, where, why and how questions about what is read.

15. Character Traits
After reading all five short stories, create a Frog and Toad character chart as a whole group activity.
Have the students compare and contrast the character traits of Frog and Toad. Students will find
examples to support the character traits they have described within the text.
SOL: Reading 1.9 The student will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts.

16. Reading: Discussing the theme
At the conclusion of the book, the teacher will review with students how books or stories can have a
theme. There are five short stories in this book. The students will discuss the events that have
occurred in each story. Each group will then discuss what they think is the central message or
theme in each story. The groups should also have supporting evidence to back up why they have
identified this as the theme. Each group will record what they believe the theme or central
message of each story is. We will discuss this whole group after each small group discussion has
concluded.
SOL: Reading 1.9 The student will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts.
Reading 1.9 H) The student will identify the main idea or theme.

17. Writing and Art
The students will use what they have learned about frogs to make a Cinquain poem. A Cinquain is a
five line poem that describes a person, place, or thing. The students will come up with a list of
adjectives, verbs, and phrases that describe frogs. Then, the students will choose the ones that
they want for their Cinquain poem. After the students complete their poems, they can use the
template to draw frog and use watercolors to paint their frogs. The students work can be displayed
on a bulletin board or in an area of the room.
Link to Cinquain poem graphic organizer: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson51/cinqgraphic-frog.pdf
SOLs: Writing 1.13 The student will write to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes.

18. Author Connection
The students will be introduced to some of Arnold Lobel’s other literature such as Frog and Toad
Together, Frog and Toad All Year, and Mouse Soup.
Arnold Lobel died in 1987, but his daughter, Adrianne Lobel, has released some of his archived
material in newer books. She has also added the watercolors herself.
Each student will write a letter to Adrianne Lobel about his/her favorite short story in Frog and Toad
are Friends.
SOLs: Writing 1.13 The student will write to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes.

19. Frog and Toad Festival
At the conclusion of the book, students will produce dramatizations of the short stories in Frog and
Toad are Friends. Small groups of students will choose a short story. They will create posters and
visual aids about their story and turn their story into a skit. The skits will be performed in an activity
entitled The Frog and Toad festival. Parents will be invited to attend the festival.
SOLs: Oral Language 1.1 D ) The student will participate in creative dramatics.
Writing 1.13 The student will write to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes.
Writing 1.12 The student will print legibly.

20. Websites to explore
• Arnold Lobel, author spotlight http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/bullfrog.htm
• Bio Kids: Kids Inquiry of diverse species
http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Bufo_americanus/
• Canadian Museum of Nature, to learn about different types of frogs and toads
http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/bullfrog.htm
• Easy Science for Kids, http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-frogs-and-toads/
• Frog and Toad, clay animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSGFZbQTX28
• San Diego Zoo, to show pictures of frogs and toads
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/frog-toad

21. Resources and Citations
Arnold, Y. (2011, Jan. 10). Oceans of first grade fun. Retrieved from:
http://oceansoffirstgradefun.blogspot.com/2011/01/frog-and-toad-activity-kit.html
Jordan, R. (n.d.). Friendship. Retrieved from:
http://www.kyrene.org/cms/lib2/AZ01001083/Centricity/Domain/925/Friendship%20Poem%20%20s
ept.pdf
Lobel, A. (1970). Frog and toad are friends. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
Readwritethink. (n.d.) Cinquain poem graphic organizer. Retrieved from:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson51/cinqgraphic-frog.pdf
Scholastic. (n.d.) Book wizard: Frog and toad are friends. Retrieved from:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/frog-and-toad-are-friends#cart/cleanup
VDOE Standards of learning. Retrieved from: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/