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  • Toad-ally Awesome! Investigating the Relationship Between Flooding and Toad Reproduction Along the Rio Grande
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Toad-ally Awesome! Investigating the Relationship Between Flooding and Toad Reproduction Along the Rio Grande

  • Article
  • Middle School
  • 1 Classroom Period
  • Water
  • Wildlife
  • Amphibian
  • Bosque
  • Dams
  • Environment
  • Floodplains
  • Floods
  • Habitat
  • Rainfall
  • Rio Grande
  • Rivers
  • Toads
green text reading "Toad-ally Awesome!" over an illustrated background of rain
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Most rivers in the United States are now regulated. A regulated river is one whose flow is controlled by dams. The regulation of rivers, however, alters the relationship between rivers and their floodplains. The scientists in this study were interested in studying how toads reproduce in the floodplains along the Rio Grande.

Toad-ally Awesome! Investigating the Relationship Between Flooding and Toad Reproduction Along the Rio Grande

Part Of

Ecosystem Services - Vol. 12 No. 1

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  • You learned in this article that flooding can provide a service to the toads living along the Rio Grande in New Mexico. When flooding occurs in the spring, wet areas...

    FACTivity – Toad-ally Awesome

    • Activity
    • Middle School
    • 2-3 Classroom Periods
    • Water
    • Compare and Contrast
    • Ecosystem Services
    • Flooding
    • Freshwater
    • Graphic Organizer
    • Toads
    You learned in this article that flooding can provide a service to the toads living along the Rio Grande in New Mexico. When flooding occurs in the spring, wet areas...
    • Explore Activity
    • Download FACTivity (PDF)
    • Explore Activity
    • Download FACTivity (PDF)

    Part Of

    Toad-ally Awesome! Investigating the Relationship Between Flooding and Toad Reproduction Along the Rio Grande

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Glossary

View All Glossary
  • bosque

    (bäsk): A wooded area near water or wetland areas.

  • flood plain

    (fləd plān): Low flat land along a stream or river that may flood.

  • headwaters

    (hed wȯ tərz): The beginning and upper part of a stream.

  • metamorphosis

    (me tǝ mȯr fǝ sǝs): The process of basic and usually rather sudden change in the form and habits of some animals during transformation from an immature stage (as a tadpole or a caterpillar) to an adult stage (as a frog or a butterfly).

  • migratory

    (mī grǝ tȯr ē): Of, relating to, or characterized by moving, usually periodically, from one region or climate to another for feeding or breeding.

  • regulation

    (re gyǝ lā shǝn): The act or state of bringing order, method, or uniformity to something.

  • semi-arid

    (se mē er əd): Characterized by light rainfall, especially having from about 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 centimeters) of annual precipitation.

  • Dr. Heather Bateman on a bike by the water

    Heather Bateman

    Ecologist | Herpetologist | Ornithologist | Wildlife Biologist

    My favorite science experience has always been working with wildlife. I enjoyed placing leg bands on long-eared owls in the United States Great Basin. I also enjoyed tagging lava lizards...
    View Profile
  • Dr. Alice Chung-MacCourbrey holding a bat

    Alice Chung-MacCourbrey

    Wildlife Biologist

    My favorite science experience was a research project that allowed me to combine two of my biggest interests, dogs and bats. Dogs have a superb sense of smell that can...
    View Profile
  • Dr. Mary Harner holding up a vine by the water

    Mary Harner

    Wetland Ecologist

    My favorite science experiences are conducting field research along rivers and in the tropics. Recently, I have had the fortune to study the ecology of bats on the island of...
    View Profile

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  • Education Standards
  • Educator Guide
  • Lesson Plans
  • Education Files

Standards addressed in this Article:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • People, Places, and Environments
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Time, Continuity, and Change

Note To Educators

The Forest Service's Mission

The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.

USDA and Forest Service Logos

What Is the Natural Inquirer?

Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.

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  • Meet the Scientists

    Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.

  • What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?

    Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.

  • Thinking About Science

    Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.

  • Thinking About the Environment

    Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.

  • Introduction

    Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.

  • Method

    Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.

  • Findings & Discussion

    Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.

  • Reflection Section

    Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.

  • Number Crunches

    Presents an easy math problem related to the research.

  • Glossary

    Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.

  • Citation

    Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.

  • FACTivity

    Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.


Science Education Standards

You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.


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    Jessica Nickelsen
    Director, Natural Inquirer program

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Lessons

  • This lesson plan has students analyze how an article fits into the broader theme of the journal, specifically the Ecosystem Services edition of Natural Inquirer. Also included is a bonus...

    Lesson Plan – Ecosystem Services

    • Lesson Plan
    • Middle School
    • 2-3 Classroom Periods
    This lesson plan has students analyze how an article fits into the broader theme of the journal, specifically the Ecosystem Services edition of Natural Inquirer. Also included is a bonus...
    • Explore Lesson Plan
    • Download Lesson Plan (PDF)
    • Explore Lesson Plan
    • Download Lesson Plan (PDF)

    Part Of

    Ecosystem Services - Vol. 12 No. 1

Education Files

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  • Additional Resources

Additional Resources

  • U.S. Geological Survey: Woodhouse's Toad

    This dataset represents a species known range extent for Anaxyrus woodhousii (Woodhouse’s Toad). These range maps are created by attributing sub-watershed polygons with information of a species presence, origin, seasonal and reproductive use.

    View Website
  • National Park Service: Rio Grande

    For 196 miles, this free-flowing stretch of the Rio Grande winds its way through desert expanses and stunning canyons of stratified rock. For the well prepared, an extended float trip provides opportunities to explore the most remote corner of Texas and experience the ultimate in solitude, self-reliance, and immersion in natural soundscapes.

    Visit Website
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The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. Natural Inquirer products are produced by the USDA Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, and other cooperators and partners.

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