Teaching overview

Learning points

  • The pebble toad can't hop, and its slow pace makes it vulnerable to predators.
  • The pebble toad rolls itself up into a ball to escape from predators.
  • After bouncing out of danger, the pebble toad unrolls itself and walks away.

Curriculum keywords

  • Habitats
  • Adaptation
  • Food chains

Spark a discussion

  • Why is the pebble toad vulnerable to predators?
  • How do you think tensing its muscles helps the pebble toad bounce away unharmed?
  • Can you think of any other unusual ways animals defend themselves from predators?

Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS

Immersive Investigations with High-Quality Multimedia

  • Investigating, designing, building, and understanding phenomena
  • Hands-on, digital, video, and print investigations
  • Synchronous/asynchronous distance learning