Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“The Toad”

In this activity, students will consider the novel from the perspective of the immortal toad based on text details.

In the novel’s conclusion, Winnie is unwilling to allow the toad to die and gifts it with immortality. Consider the perspective of the toad from the point Winnie first observes it up to the point Tuck prevents it from being run over. Create a three-paragraph paper explaining the toad’s life using these guiding questions to develop your narrative:

• How did the toad feel when it was being chased by a dog?
• What did the toad feel after it soaked up water from the stream?
• What has happened to the toad, for it to realize it is immortal?
• How does the toad feel about its immortality?
• Why did the toad jump in front of the car?
• What happens to the toad after Tuck picks it up?

Share the important points of the toad’s journey with peers describing how you used evidence from the novel to support your description of the toad’s life.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may find it beneficial to write their paper by organizing their description into events leading up to being immortal, what happens after the frog gains immortality, and what occurs when the frog meets Tuck.