Glenn Mills Elementary Students Learn Life Lessons From Metamorphosis
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The metamorphosis of tadpoles is teaching kids life lessons at an elementary school in Glenn Mills.
Pollywogs have been rescued from the area, and brought into classrooms for observation at Concord Elementary School.
Many are turning into American toads and bull frogs. Students gathered at a nearby wetland to release the toadletts and frogletts into their natural habitat.
Second graders Manu Akkala and Grayson Golek were diligently taking notes.
When asked, "Is true that if you touch a toad you can get a wart?"
Second grader Grayson responded, "We are not sure about that yet."
Manu agreed, "We are not sure about that yet. We are kind of looking for what happens if you touch it, so far nobody yet got a wart."
Grayson added, "Probably just a myth."
The Philadelphia Zoo's pilot program is called Animals in the Classroom.
The goal is to teach elementary school children the importance of wildlife conservation and not only animal empathy, but empathy in the world as a whole.
Laura Houston, Philadelphia Zoo Director of Conservation Education and Training.
"This will help with social behaviors, you know things like bullying, if you have empathy with other people in your class you know it might help reduce bullying things along those lines," she said.