Amphibian Skin

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In this activity, learners explore the concept of permeability to better understand why amphibians are extremely sensitive to pollution. Learners soak one regular hard-boiled egg and one peeled hard-boiled egg in dyed water and then record how the eggs' circumference and appearance change after 24 hours. Learners investigate how the peeled egg represents amphibian skin and how amphibians are affected by pollution.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
4 to 24 hours
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 4 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Demonstration, Experiment/Lab Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • 2 hard-boiled eggs
  • Food coloring
  • Bowl with water
  • Plastic knife

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Cells
    • Diversity of Life
      • Animals
    • Ecology
      • Ecosystems
      • Populations
      • Human Impact
    • Evolution
      • Mechanisms of Evolution
  • Physical Sciences
    • Chemistry
  • Mathematics
    • Measurement
      • Circles
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Gathering Data
      • Formulating Explanations
      • Communicating Results

Informal Categories

  • Animals
  • Food and Cooking
  • Nature and Environment

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color
  • read
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, 2009