Exploding Toad MysteryExploding Toad Mystery Almost one thousand Almost one thousand toadstoads have suddenly died in a have suddenly died in a mysterymystery

at a pond in the German city of at a pond in the German city of HamburgHamburg. The toads are . The toads are ballooningballooning to three times their normal sizes and then to three times their normal sizes and then burstingbursting. Local . Local animal animal welfare workerswelfare workers are are shockedshocked at what is happening. They have no at what is happening. They have no explanations why the toads are exploding.explanations why the toads are exploding.

Experts from a local zoo arrived at the Experts from a local zoo arrived at the pondpond to to investigateinvestigate the strange deaths. They could not believe their eyes when they the strange deaths. They could not believe their eyes when they saw the hundreds of dead toads. Olga Henke, an saw the hundreds of dead toads. Olga Henke, an authorityauthority on on German toads was completely German toads was completely baffledbaffled by this by this phenomenonphenomenon. She . She said: “I thought I knew everything there was to know about toads. said: “I thought I knew everything there was to know about toads. We have to find answers quickly before the toad population We have to find answers quickly before the toad population disappears.”disappears.”

There are a few There are a few theoriestheories about why the toads might be dying about why the toads might be dying in such a violent in such a violent mannermanner. Some people say a mystery . Some people say a mystery virusvirus has has suddenly suddenly infectedinfected the pond, while others think that the pond, while others think that toxic wastetoxic waste has has poisoned the pond. A local poisoned the pond. A local vetvet believes a believes a fungusfungus the toads are the toads are eating is producing too much gas inside their eating is producing too much gas inside their stomachsstomachs: “The toads : “The toads cannot cannot releaserelease this gas by this gas by breaking windbreaking wind, so they get bigger and , so they get bigger and bigger and eventually burst like a balloon.”bigger and eventually burst like a balloon.”

Exploding Toad MysteryExploding Toad Mystery

Brainstorm!Brainstorm! Think of as many reasons Think of as many reasons as you can why toads might blow up as you can why toads might blow up like a balloon and then explode. like a balloon and then explode.

Agree on the reason you think is most Agree on the reason you think is most likely.likely.

Synonym MatchSynonym Match

1. mystery1. mystery 2. ballooning2. ballooning 3. bursting3. bursting 4. authority4. authority 5. baffled5. baffled 6. manner6. manner 7. toxic7. toxic 8. breaking wind8. breaking wind

A) explodingA) exploding B) wayB) way C) expertC) expert D) puzzleD) puzzle E) poisonousE) poisonous F) fartingF) farting G) expandingG) expanding H) mystifiedH) mystified

Phrase MatchPhrase Match 1. ballooning to three1. ballooning to three 2. animal welfare 2. animal welfare

workersworkers 3. they could not 3. they could not

believebelieve 4. completely4. completely 5. I thought I knew 5. I thought I knew

everythingeverything 6. dying in such a 6. dying in such a

violentviolent 7. breaking7. breaking 8. burst like8. burst like

A) are shocked at A) are shocked at what is happeningwhat is happening

B) baffledB) baffled C) a balloonC) a balloon D) there was to knowD) there was to know E) times their normal E) times their normal

sizessizes F) windF) wind G) their eyesG) their eyes H) mannerH) manner

DeathDeath ““Ballooning” to death must be a terrible and painful way to die. LooBallooning” to death must be a terrible and painful way to die. Loo

k at these other “to death” causes for dying. In groups, explain how k at these other “to death” causes for dying. In groups, explain how people might die in these ways.people might die in these ways. freeze to death / starve to death / choke to death / crushefreeze to death / starve to death / choke to death / crushe

d to death / worked to death / clubbed to death / kicked to d to death / worked to death / clubbed to death / kicked to death / scared to death / bleed to death / strangled to deadeath / scared to death / bleed to death / strangled to death / tortured to death / stabbed to death / mauled to death th / tortured to death / stabbed to death / mauled to death / stoned to death/ stoned to death

Rank the “to death” vocabulary items with this scaleRank the “to death” vocabulary items with this scale:: 5 – That must be the worst way to go.5 – That must be the worst way to go.

4 – I’d hate to die like that.4 – I’d hate to die like that.3 – That’s a really bad way to die.3 – That’s a really bad way to die.2 – It doesn’t seem too bad.2 – It doesn’t seem too bad.1 – This one seems pretty painless.1 – This one seems pretty painless.