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DID YOU KNOW: Oklahoma's Unusual State Symbol
DID YOU KNOW?
By Jan Barrick, CEO, Alpha Plus.
Featuring a passage about Oklahoma history from the Success with OAS series.
DID YOU KNOW?
In Oklahoma history, a seventh-grade class in Brushy helped Oklahoma adopt an unusual state symbol.
Oklahoma Amphibian
Oklahoma has many state symbols. Our state flag represents our Native American and European American heritage. It waves proudly over the state capitol. The beautiful, colorful Redbud tree is the state tree. The majestic buffalo is the state mammal. The red, juicy strawberry is Oklahoma's state fruit. Oklahoma also has a state symbol that is large and slimy with a loud, deep croak. It’s called the American Bullfrog.
A bullfrog has big, bulging eyes. This makes it easier for their pupils to grow wide when they hunt at night. Their tiny teeth are shaped like little cones. These teeth are very sharp. The bullfrog is the largest of all North American frogs. It can reach 8 inches or more. It can weigh up to 1.5 pounds. The frogs are most active at night.
A bullfrog looks nothing like a bull. It is called a “bull” frog because of a sound the males make. They make a deep, booming sound. It can resemble the mooing of a bull. Anyone who has lived in Oklahoma has likely heard a bullfrog. The boom of the bullfrog can be heard from a quarter of a mile away. Bullfrogs are an important part of the ecology of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma selected this special frog for its state amphibian. A seventh-grade class in Brushy, near Sallisaw, helped this happen. Pat Grabe was the schoolteacher. He and his students saw the importance of the bullfrog. They encouraged Oklahoma lawmakers to add an amphibian to the list of Oklahoma symbols. That amphibian, of course, was the bullfrog.
This passage is from our Success with OAS English Language Arts series. If students can answer the following questions, they are learning to research and refine knowledge as in Standard 6 of the Oklahoma Academic Standards (OAS).
1. What will be the main idea in a paraphrase of this selection?
A. how the bullfrog was selected
B. when the bullfrog was selected
C. why the bullfrog was selected
D. how the bullfrog was suggested
2. Select the best paraphrase of paragraph 1.
A. Oklahoma has an ugly animal for a symbol. It is slimy, large, and loud. The other symbols are okay. One symbol is a flag with a shield on it. Another is the Redbud Tree. Others are strawberries and the buffalo. The American Bullfrog is the ugliest symbol.
B. There are state symbols for Oklahoma. Most people have seen them. They see the blue state flag, trees with red flowers. And they see the big buffalo. The fruit is the strawberry. It is good in ice cream. The American Bullfrog with big eyes is the last symbol.
C. Oklahoma, like other states, has many symbols. Symbols represent the state. It has a flag, tree, animal, fruit, and slimy American Bullfrog.
D. Oklahoma, like most states, has symbols to represent it. The flag recognizes the culture of American Indians and of settlers of European descent. The pretty redbuds give the tree its name. The large, powerful bison is the state animal. The state fruit is the strawberry. The American Bullfrog is another state symbol. It is not attractive and has a big body. Its call is a powerful bass, throaty sound.
Stay tuned for more selections about Oklahoma’s past and present and opportunities for student success with OAS!
- Jan Barrick, CEO, Alpha Plus Educational Systems
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