Set up the aquarium in the classroom. Require the students to help set it up. Place rocks in the aquarium and set up plastic plants in it so the tadpoles have places to hide. Attach the filter to the back of the aquarium and place a cover on the top.
Request permission from parents to take the students to a pond. Parents should always be notified of any field trips planned for the class.
Take the students to the pond during the spring to catch tadpoles. Fill the jars with water from the pond. Put the captured tadpoles in the jars. Bring the tadpoles back to the classroom and place them in the aquarium.
Have the students observe the tadpoles as they grow. Assign them to write down how a tadpole's body changes during its life cycle.
Discuss frogs and the various habitats that they can live in. Fifth- and sixth-graders can write reports about frogs, and third- and fourth-graders can draw posters, take pictures and give their opinions on the tadpoles in class discussions.
Assign various jobs to the students for care of the tadpoles. Allowing the students to care for the tadpoles gives them a sense of accomplishment and responsibility.