Posts Tagged writing

STEM Tuesday– Amphibians– In the Classroom

By STEM Tuesday on April 14, 2026 / Amphibians, STEM Tuesday

Studying amphibians is a natural interest for most students. After all, some amphibians hop, they stick out their tongues to catch their meals, and they go back and forth from land to water. Studying amphibians is also a great way to expand students’ critical thinking skills through STEM. Luckily, some great books can help teachers, parents, librarians, and others on this mission.

First of all, what is an amphibian? By definition, they are a cold-blooded vertebrate animal that usually has two different life stages in two different habitats. That is, larval in a water stage, and breathing in a land environment. Amphibians include frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. Caecilians are also included, though they are not as well known. The word amphibian derives from the Greek words “amphi”, which means “both sides”, and “bio”, which means “life”. This refers to the two stages of life in two different environments.

Many engaging books teach and inspire children to learn more about amphibians.

Background knowledge:

A good way to introduce amphibians as a subject is to assess your students’ background knowledge and introduce some key vocabulary words. The following links show the life cycle of frogs. I’ve also included a list of some vocabulary words related to amphibians, gleaned from some of the books in this month’s list. The words are:

Ectothermic, vertebrate, aquatic, metamorphosis, and herpetologist.

Frog Life Cycle: Nat Geo Kids: Video and other information on frogs, including visuals of the life cycle.

Amphibian Vocabulary: a list of amphibian vocabulary from books from the list. Tier 2 and 3, also includes a worksheet to help students use and understand words.

KWL Chart: Can be used to introduce amphibians, and gauge what students already know about them, what questions students have, and what they might want to learn!

Amphibian Acrobats by Leslie Bulion Illustrated by Robert Meganck

This book is a cleverly written and whimsically illustrated book on amphibians that could be used in a classroom in many ways. It is oriented around a variety of poem styles that describe various amphibians (including caecilians!), and each entry also provides factual information on the habitat, lifecycle, and other details on each animal.

Some of the other information in the book is actual notes on the kinds of poems, with specific vocabulary and details on each type of poem. There is also information on the current state of amphibians in the world, and how they need our help; they have included resources on how to help. There is also a great world map that lists where specific native amphibians live, and it also includes their specific threat of extinction.

The language in each poem is engaging, with inventive and colorful words describing each creature and their activities. For example:

The Daredevil Free-Climbers:

We will teethe scummy plants,

Then slurp termites and ants,

When we’re fat burrow frogs, down below!

(Amazing Amphibians, page 39 ebook)

I love the use of “scummy” and “slurp termites and ants”, it’s very visual! And, I’m sure that students would enjoy it also!

Different writing techniques are also used, which could be utilized in class:

The Flag Waver:

A rival hopped up next to him, boi-oing!

A rival hopped up next to him.

Frog’s foot shot out-FLAG! -Take a Swim! Boi-oing!

(Amazing Amphibians, page 31 ebook)

We can always use a new way to introduce onomatopoeia! And this would be great as a read-aloud, to get students interested, and to make them think about word usage, and how to hook their readers.

Activities:

As the book focuses on poetry and the creative use of language, I thought a wonderful way to extend the ideas in this book was to have students write their own creative pieces. This could be adapted to fit many grade levels. One possibility is that students could pick their own choice of amphibian to research, and then write a “mini” research project on it. I have attached a mini book template below. Of course, it could also be done in PowerPoint or Google Slides.

Mini Book Template/PDF

Another idea is to have each student write a poem. Again, they could choose the amphibian of their choice. A haiku would be a great way to start, and a template is attached below. The class could even write a haiku together, and then be released to write their own. I would also focus on the use of creative, imaginative language to specifically describe their amphibian. The teacher/parent could read aloud several of the poems, and have students pick out the language that catches their attention, or can make them visualize their amphibian!

Haiku Pattern Template

Another possible idea is to combine the mini research project with a poem, so that they can produce their own Amphibian Acrobats!

Book cover of Ribbit! The Truth About Frogs

Ribbit! The Truth About Frogs by Annette Whipple

Do you know a student with burning questions about frogs, like how do they jump so high and why do some of them live underground? If so, then Annette Whipple’s Ribbit! The Truth About Frogs is a must for your home or classroom. It would be great for a read-aloud, or for dipping into to answer some of those questions.

Another great feature of this book is that Annette has prepared a textbook example of a Teacher Guide for a nonfiction guide. It is a downloadable package with many treasures inside. It includes activities for writing, reading, and STEM/STEAM activities; altogether, there are 8 ELA and 11 STEAM activities. It also includes 4 printable items, including “Lifecycle of a Frog” and “Frog Facts”. There are also some hands-on activities, such as origami frog math. All in all, it is a great addition to the book itself, and teachers/librarians will enjoy having these ready-made activities available for their use!

Ribbit! The Truth About Frogs Teacher Guide

Amazing Amphibians: 30 Activities and Observations for Exploring Frogs, Toads, Salamanders and More by Lisa J. Amstutz

This is an amazing book, chock full of ideas to increase your knowledge of amphibians. It provides factual information, while also giving students many different ways to explore, including through art, cooking, in nature, games, writing, researching, and other hands-on STEM activities. This would be great for many ages and educational settings, from preschool through at least middle school. I think it would be useful for many settings, including schools, homeschools, and nature centers. I’ve chosen a few to highlight below, with some additional sources. However, there are step-by-step instructions for each activity in the book. It would make an excellent purchase for your personal library, or search for it in your school or town library.

Activity: Making a Frog/Toad Abode (Page 95)

Amphibians in general are at risk for habitat destruction, which can impact their life cycle. One way that humans can help is to provide shelter and a safe habitat. One of the activities in Amazing Amphibians details how to build a “toad abode”, though it can obviously be for frogs as well. It is on page 95, and it lists material requirements, as well as instructions on how to build it. It is a hands-on activity, and would work for many ages, with some adaptations. It could also be artistic, as some builders encourage decorating the “houses” with mosaic tile and other decorations. Listed below are some videos that give examples and further instructions on how to build them.

How to Make a Toad/Frog Abode

Another Video: How to Make Toad Abode

Activity: Making Faux Frog Eggs (Page 56)

A section of this book covers the frog life cycle, and many other books cover it as well. (I’ve provided a link to a Nat Geo Kids section on the Life Cycle of Frogs in the first section). After they’ve gotten a general introduction, this activity of making “faux” frog eggs would be great for many ages.

This activity uses water beads, water, and green food coloring. I did locate another option (more earth-friendly) that used chia seeds, and included creating a whole mini habitat. The video is attached below.

Making Frog Eggs with Chia Seeds

Final Suggestion:

For kids who are truly interested in studying amphibians and reptiles, there is an online program that is coordinated by the Amphibian Foundation. It includes “camps” for younger students and classes for amphibian pet owners. There is a modest cost (see information below).

For older students who are interested in further training, there is a Junior Master Herpeologist Program, which is an 8-week online certification program for kids ages 12-14.

There are other programs available; click on the link below for more information.

Amphibian Foundation: Online Training for Students

Interview with Margaret Gurevich

By Melissa Roske on March 19, 2026 / Articles, Author Interviews

Today, please author Margaret Gurevich to the Mixed-Up Files! Margaret’s latest MG novel, Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah, hailed by Kirkus as: “A loving, carefully delineated portrayal of growth,” is out now from Penguin Workshop. But first…

A Summary

It’s 1986, and 13-year-old Yasha Reznik doesn’t understand why his parents moved from their Russian community in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, to the suburbs of New Jersey. Sure, it may be their American Dream, but it’s not his. Yasha’s dream is to make it through his Bar Mitzvah, watch the New York Mets make it to the playoffs, and fit in at his new school.

But fitting in is harder than he thinks, when he’s one of only two Russian families in town; he even starts going by “Jake” instead of “Yasha.” The only person who seems to really get him is Bernie, his pal from the senior citizen home where Yasha is doing community service for his bar mitzvah project.

When Bernie says his dream is also to see the Mets win the World Series, Yasha knows that somehow, someway, he’s going to get those tickets–even if he doesn’t know his Torah portion yet, or why he feels alone even with his new “friends.”

Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Margaret! Before we dive in, can you tell readers a bit about Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah?

MG: This book means so much to me as it’s based on some of my own experiences growing up as a Russian-Jewish-American in the 1980s. Yasha and his family emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Brighton Beach, New York. Eight years later, they move to the suburbs of New Jersey. While in New York, he lived in a community with many others who were Russian; in New Jersey, he is one of two in his grade. He struggles to fit in while planning for his Bar Mitzvah. He finds a friend in Bernie, a senior citizen he meets for his Bar Mitzvah project. They both love the Mets, and this propels Yasha to try and get tickets to the 1986 World Series.

Memories from Childhood

MR: Like Yasha, you emigrated to the United States from the former Soviet Union as a child. How was your experience similar to Yasha’s? How was it different?

MG: Yasha is a little older than I was. We moved to New Jersey when I was eight, and I was 10 in 1986. Yasha is 13. Also, while we lived in Brooklyn, we did not live in Brighton Beach, so the atmosphere was different. I never had a Bat Mitzvah project or a “Bernie,” but I was very close to my grandfather and based some of Bernie on him.

The discrimination Yasha experiences is very much based on my own experiences. It took a long time for me to accept the Russian part of me. I felt really “othered” because of that. Our love of the Mets is the same, and I remember watching (on TV) the Mets win the World Series in 1986 and all the hype around that. Like Yasha, my father’s brother and mother stayed behind in the former Soviet Union when my parents, sister, and I came to the United States. My mother’s parents came with us. So, there are many similarities.

But I feel Yasha’s story is universal. Anyone coming from another country or culture who is trying to fit in will be able to relate to his experiences and struggles with his parents and peers. Even if one did not come from another culture, everyone has felt left out, and I think that theme will resonate. (For more on Margaret’s emigration experience, check out her first-person Newsweek essay.)

Meet the Mets!

MR: Baseball is a huge part of Yasha’s story, particularly his love for the New York Mets. I know you’re a Mets fan, too. How did your love of baseball originate?

MG: To be honest, I’m not sure! It was not a big thing in my family. My parents were not very familiar with baseball. My dad loved soccer and hockey and then got into American football. Every summer, my sister and I went to the Catskills with my grandparents. There were many kids our age. All those kids were into the Mets, so I think that’s where it started. I learned about the sport and team from them. The Mets won the World Series in the fall of ’86, and when we went back to that same bungalow colony the summer of ‘87, everyone was still talking about the win like it was yesterday. So, it was Mets hype all over again.

Intergenerational Friendships

MR: Another important part of Yasha’s story is his friendship with Bernie, a resident of the Heavenly Skies retirement home whom Yasha met while working on his bar mitzvah project. Can you tell readers more about Yasha’s connection with Bernie? Also, what were you trying to say about intergenerational friendships?

MG: I think it’s so telling that the person Yasha connects with first is not in his own age group. Growing up, I loved hearing my grandparents tell me about their parents and what they went through. Even now, I remember that while their exact experiences differed from mine, there were universal moments–first love, loss of friends, loneliness, sibling connections, academic woes and successes, etc.–that resonated with me.

The school where I teach has many opportunities for students to connect with the town’s more senior residents, and it leaves both the seniors and teens feeling fulfilled. In terms of Bernie and Yasha, they are both lonely and have undergone similar family issues. They find hope and a friend in each other, and each help the other heal.

Margaret’s Amazin’ Bat Mitzvah

MR: Speaking of B’nai Mitzvahs, did you have one? If so, was it anything like Yasha’s?

MG: My Bat Mitzvah was close to Yasha’s date, albeit three years later. When I was that age, we were part of a conservative synagogue and women were not permitted to read from the Torah. So, I did not have a Torah portion like Yasha does. I did have to memorize prayers, though. My party was not in a Russian restaurant, and it had a mix of Jewish and American food. However, we did have a DJ who added some Russian songs into the party mix. The thing I remember most about my Bat Mitzvah was the fun, family, and friends. Two of my friends made a memory glass for me. It was a thing back then. They melted candle wax and put flowers and ribbons and things in it.

(For more books that feature B’nai Mitzvahs, check out this article from the Mixed-Up Files archives.)

The Importance of Jewish Books

MR: As a follow-up, Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah is a quintessentially Jewish book, which showcases Jewish joy. Why are Jewish books so important, especially now in our current political climate?

MG: There has been a big uptick in antisemitism in recent years. That is very sad and scary. I think it is important for everyone to see each other as human beings who have more commonalities than differences. If people who hate read Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah, they will hopefully find room in their heart to see humanity rather than whatever image or story they created in their minds about Jewish people as a whole.

Ain’t It Funny

MR: Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah is your second middle-grade novel. Ain’t it Funny, about an 11-year-old wannabe comic with OCD, came out in 2024. How will your experience as a previously published author affect your approach to launching and marketing Yasha? What will you do differently this time? What will remain the same?

MG: I feel this time I put myself out there more. I have been on various podcasts, did more interviews, scheduled a virtual book tour, and promoted publicly more. I am not the best at self-promotion and a part of me feels it will annoy people. I’m trying to push past that. I feel if it bugs people, they can always mute me or keep scrolling. 🙂

In terms of what’s the same, I had my Ain’t It Funny book launch at the local library and will do the same for the release of Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah. For AIF, I had joke stations and people who attended were able to make up their own jokes or share one of the one already there. This time, the theme is Bar Mitzvah party! I’m excited for the party atmosphere and the activities I have planned: Bar Mitzvah games, photo booth, snacks, etc.

The Juggler

MR: In addition to being a novelist, you are a middle-school teacher, editor, and writing coach. How do you juggle these different facets of your life? What are the biggest challenges? The greatest rewards?

MG: Besides what you mentioned, my friend and I recently started a college consulting business, https://caringcollegeconsulting.com/. We have both worked independently assisting students with college essays and applications and decided to join forces. So, yes, all of these ventures require balance, and sometimes it’s a challenge. However, it has forced me to become more organized, which has been a struggle since elementary school. As I have become older, I have learned what works for me. For the college consulting, my business partner and I make detailed spreadsheets that keep us on track.

Teaching requires daily and weekly planning. And, thanks to deadlines, I can keep up with my writing. The biggest reward of all my ventures is connecting with and helping others. I love encouraging my middle-school students and celebrating their accomplishments. The same holds true for our consulting clients. It’s so rewarding seeing their faces light up when they get into the college or university they want or when they see how far their Common App essay has come.

Finally, I adore connecting with readers as well and hearing their thoughts about my novels. When a student says they saw themselves in my characters, it means a lot.

Writing Routine

MR: What is your writing process like, Margaret? Do you have a specific writing routine? Also, are you a plotter or a pantser?

MG: I write when I can. Usually, that’s on weekends or over school breaks. I used to be a pantser, but I would inevitably get stuck toward the middle of a book. Now I write out all the major plot points and make a chapter-by-chapter outline. I’m lucky my agent is editorial. She always provides great feedback on my outlines and any scene I’m stuck on. One of my closest friends is a writer too, and she and I swap pages and brainstorm all the time as well, and that’s also very helpful.

Next Up…

MR: What’s next on your writing agenda? Any new projects you can tell us about?

MG: My friend and I are working on a book for an adult audience. It’s fun and quirky and still very much in the planning stages. I also have another middle-grade idea, and we’ll see what happens. Fingers crossed.

Lightning Round!

And finally, No Mixed-Up Files interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Goldfish crackers

Most memorable World Series moment? The ball going through Buckner’s legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series

Favorite Mets player, past or present? I can’t pick just one: Past would be Tom Seaver, Keith Hernandez, Mike Piazza, and David Wright. The present would be Francisco Lindor.

Coffee or tea? Coffee to wake up, chamomile tea to calm down

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Nay, because I have no survival skills at all.

Superpower? The ability to go back in time

Favorite place on earth? Anywhere with my family and my cat, Goose 🙂

You’re stranded on a desert island, with only three items in your possession. What are they? Assuming I can’t bring my family, then sunscreen, a water purifier, and a huge box of matches

MR: Thank you for chatting with me, Margaret—and congratulations on Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah. I thought it was fab, and I know MUF readers will agree!

MG: I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for having me. This was so fun, and your questions really made me think!

Bio

Margaret Gurevich had wanted to be a writer since she was seven years old. Her first story was about a girl who got kidnapped in the woods, and she entered it in the second-grade writing contest. Unfortunately, her teachers thought the story was too scary, and the prize went to a girl who wrote about a talking strawberry. However, if you ask Margaret, talking strawberries are plenty scary, so she was definitely robbed! Lucky for her, she recovered from this slight and went on to write for magazines (SELF, Ladies’ Home Journal, Parents, and more) and publish novels. Her Chloe by Design series was billed as a “Project Runway for Teens,” and received praise from School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist, and Kirkus. She is also the author of books in Penguin Workshop’s Who Was series. Her middle-grade novel, Ain’t It Funny, was published by Penguin Workshop in 2024. Learn more about Margaret on her website.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’nai Mitzvah Stories. Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on Facebook, and Instagram.

The Jack-in-the-Box Writer

By Mike Hays on February 26, 2026 / For Teachers, For Writers, Writing

You turn the crank on the side of the colorful box once, then once again, and then wait.

You turn it slower and slower, rapt in anticipation of that freaky clown’s surprise appearance when the lid springs open. With every turn, your heart beats faster, and your eyes get a little wider. The chime plays its tune, one slow note at a time, as you get closer and closer to the always surprising endgame, and then…

POP!

Cristian Bortes from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, via Wikimedia Commons

Developing a story idea is similar to operating a jack-in-the-box. The writer cranks the handle by outlining, drafting, and doing the somewhat shocking writer’s task of actually writing. One word follows another, forming sentences and paragraphs representing the writer’s thoughts and vision. When the time is right, the breakthrough comes, and the story “pops”. The pieces begin to fall in place. The once-scary, freaky clown smiles at your accomplishment.

Creators must go through the process every time. Each new work needs the slow crank of the story’s jack-in-the-box to get through the process of creating a satisfying story from an idea. This is how creative development works.

You work toward a goal.

You grind it out day after day to what often seems to be no avail.

You get frustrated.

You despair.

Sometimes, you quit and throw the whole draft across the room in the general direction of the freaky clown hiding in his little, brightly painted box. But to those who keep turning the handle of their story’s jack-in-the-box with grit and determination, success will come.

Plus, it never hurts to bring in outside eyes to look at the raw story and see it with a fresh perspective. That’s where critique partners and beta readers can help turn the crank handle when one feels stuck. Help is a wonderful thing and, at the very least, builds a friendly support crew.

Find a way to keep cranking the handle by whatever means necessary. You will improve. The story will improve.

It is inevitable.

The story will be forever grateful.

One of the most important things creators can do is to see the potential in an idea and do the work to help the idea achieve its full potential. Ideas are as numerous as pennies, but a story is a bar of gold. One needs to keep working, researching, and turning their cranks of improvement until their story springs upward and shows itself.

Because if you keep cranking the story handle, it will eventually “POP!” and show itself to you and the world.

Just ask the freaky clown!

Posts Tagged writing

STEM Tuesday– Amphibians– In the Classroom

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