Okay...I am a bad mom...I detest sciece fairs! Here is what the kid is thinking....she wants to buy the tadpole little guys...measure and take pictures of their growth...at the end of the deal...a frog will appear! For it will finally grow to this....What is the question here for this project??What is the scientific idea here?? Any input from any experience or knowledge would be really great!! Help!

according to http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/tadpoles/

The length of frog development from egg to tadpole to frog usually takes between 6 to 12 weeks. But it is also temperature dependant, so during cold spells it may take a bit longer or even be suspended till the temperatures go up.

I think this experiment/project is a great idea.

If you're a bad mom, then I was, too. I hated, hated, hated science fair project time.

Hmmm...could she separate the tadpoles and put them in different temperatures somehow, then find out at which temperature they turn into frogs first?

Edit: Out of curiousity, I just googled "Science fair projects about tadpoles" and found a ton of stuff, including something about determining how temperatures affect them. Great minds, huh?

Also, I found this question: "My son is in 4th grade and wants to do a project on the life span of frogs. From tadpoles to frog. But we can not think of a hypothisis that would tie into this." Someone answered it with several links.

What did we ever do without google? Wait, I know, we HATED, HATED, HATED science fair projects. :evil:

Sorry, I'm calmer now.

Does she have enough time for the tadpoles to develop before the project is due? She would definitely need to have some variables (temperature of water, etc). or does she deep down inside really want a frog at home? Sorry, just the teacher in me coming out - I generally steered students away from experiments with live animals - what do you do with them when your project is done?

You guys are such a great BIG help!! I think this is cruel to parents!!:)And, so glad I am not the only secret detesting science fair parent!

Auntie M....I'm sure she would be thrilled to have a frog for awhile...we live on a small farm w/many critters inside and out and we have a choice of ponds for the guy to have a happy home in the spring!! The live frog is not the problem here....could be me at the end of this;)LOL

And, yes, we have plenty of time....it is in January!

YOU are not alone. My children are grown but I absolutely detested Science Fairs when they were growing up. It always seemed to get down to "the parents doing the work". The competition seemed to be between parents not kids! It was always obvious to me anyway that the winners had had lots of "help".

No, you are not a bad mom.......

p.s.---here in California, they study the history of the state and in the 4th grade--Most of the kids are required to make model missions---let's just say my opinion of the missions equaled my opinion of the Science Fair Projects

I am a scientist and hate science fairs to the point that my kids only participate if it is required for a class. I don't think the ods learn anything since the projects ar the same year after year and those that don't get help from the parents never win. Your kid isea is good and you can do it as a demonstration rather than an experiment. This way it doesn't get too complicated.

I'll ask one of the gals here - she used to be a biology teacher - she might have some ideas.

Great, great tips here! And there's always Google. I would have been brilliant in school with Google! But no, we had typewriters. What good were those?! :roll:

Good luck on "your" project! Hope you get an "A!" Been there, done that! And my daughter actually placed in the science fair. She was mortified! LOL! Cracked me up! And here she thought she was "cool!" Nope, she's a nerd.