Life Cycles | Substitute Teacher
Students will learn that living things go through life cycles with predictable stages. They will compare the life cycles of a butterfly and a frog, identify key vocabulary, and complete a short assessment to show understanding.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| life cycle | The stages a living thing goes through during its life. |
| egg | The first stage in the life cycle of some animals. |
| larva | A young form of some animals, such as a caterpillar. |
| pupa | The stage when a caterpillar changes inside a chrysalis. |
| adult | A fully grown living thing. |
| metamorphosis | A big change in body shape as an animal grows, such as a butterfly or frog. |
Ask students to name living things they know. Guide them to notice that living things grow and change. Introduce the word life cycle.
Share examples of living things and discuss how they change as they grow.
Draw or show the stages egg, larva, pupa, adult. Explain each stage in simple terms and model the correct order.
Listen, repeat the vocabulary, and point to each stage in order.
Show the frog stages egg, tadpole, froglet, adult frog. Ask students to help place the stages in order and compare them to the butterfly life cycle.
Work with the teacher to sequence the stages and share similarities and differences.
Give students a simple paper task: number the stages of one life cycle or draw arrows to show order. Circulate and support.
Complete the sequence task independently.
Ask students to answer two questions orally or on paper: What is a life cycle? Name one stage from a butterfly or frog life cycle.
Respond with a sentence or short written answer.
Review the word life cycle and ask students to tell one thing they learned about how living things change.
Share one new fact or vocabulary word.
Reinforce that all living things grow and change, but not all life cycles look the same. Students should leave knowing that a life cycle is the order of changes a living thing goes through.
Students will complete a short exit check by explaining the meaning of life cycle and naming or sequencing stages from a butterfly or frog life cycle. Teacher will assess accuracy during the independent task and exit check.
Ask students to find a living thing at home or outside and draw one stage of its life cycle, then write one sentence about how it changes as it grows.