Contents
What is a Lifecycle? Insects
Mammals Birds
Amphibians Comparison
Reptiles Plants
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What is a Lifecycle?
contents
• What is a life cycle?
• What life cycles do you know about?
• Can you describe the life cycle of an animal or plant?
Share your ideas as a group and then as a class.
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Mammals
contents
LO: To understand the lifecycle of a mammal.
The lifecycle of a mammal involves 3 main stages: Star
t
Gestation: Embryo
growing inside the
mother, where it is
completely reliant upon
the mother.
Independent adult usually
seeks company from the
opposite sex and mates. Adult
female nurses their young.
Young: Main period
Mammals: of growth and
• have hair or fur developing
• warm-blooded independence from
• feed babies milk the parents.
• give live birth
Photo courtesy of euthman, Frank Shepherd, camerashake (@[Link]) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
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Mammals
contents
LO: To understand the lifecycle of a mammal.
Choose a mammal and draw the lifecycle stages.
embr
adult
yo
young
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Amphibian
contents
LO: To understand the lifecycle of an amphibian.
The lifecycle of a frog involves 5 main stages: Star
t
The tadpole grows
fins and a stronger The female
tail. Then it develops lays mass
lungs and hind legs. of eggs
which are
fertilised by
the male.
The tail disappears and
After 2-25 days the
it starts to eat insects
tadpole hatches
instead of plants. It
The tadpole grows front from the egg. It
takes 2-4 years to
legs and tail shortens. Uses swims and eats
become an adult frog,
nutrients in tail as food. It plants. It breathes
when it can lay eggs.
Amphibians: jumps out of water onto through gills.
• live in water and on land.
land
• moist slimy skin
• lays eggs
• babies different from
adults
Photo courtesy of [Link], Anthony Masi, Benimoto, born 1945, Beckwith-Zink (Diane) (@[Link]) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
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Amphibian
contents
LO: To understand the lifecycle of an amphibian.
The lifecycle of a frog involves 5 main stages:
Present your learning
about the life cycle of
a frog (or a different
amphibian) in one of
these ways or in your
own way:
• Create a computer
based presentation
like PowerPoint or
Scratch
• Use drama
• Make a small book
• Your own idea
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Reptiles
contents
LO: To understand the life cycle of a reptile. Star
t
The female and
When fully male mate, then the
grown the female reptiles lays
adult reptile fertilised eggs. An
will begin to embryo starts to
mate. grow within the egg.
The hatchling begins Most reptiles bury
to grow and their eggs and leave
becomes a juvenile. them to hatch alone.
The juvenile looks
Interesting Fact
just like the adult Although most reptiles
reptile. The juvenile lay eggs, a few species
grows slowly over a give birth to living
offspring.
long period before
reaching adulthood.
Reptiles: Interesting Fact When the embryo is fully
• most hatch from Due to the Mother burying her formed, it is called a
eggs and leaving them to
eggs. hatch, the hatchlings have to
hatchling. It uses an egg
• are cold blooded. fend for themselves from the tooth to break out of the egg
• have dry, scaly skin moment they leave their egg. or ‘hatch’.
Photo courtesy of vastateparksstaff, EraPhernalia Vintage, MyFWCmedia, Eric Kilby (@[Link]) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
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Reptiles
contents
To understand the life cycle of a reptile.
Although they are all classed as reptiles, the life cycles of some of
these creatures can be very different from what we have learned
so far.
Make a leaflet to showcase the differences between the life cycles
of these two reptiles:
Garter
Crocodile
Snake
Back to
Insects
contents
LO: To understand the lifecycle of an insect (complete
metamorphosis).
Star
Most insects undergo complete metamorphosis. This involves 4
t
main stages: Eggs
are laid
The pupa is formed when by the
the larva moults for the female
last time. Pupa have a insect.
hard protective coating
The adult and are often
breaks out camouflaged. The larva
of the pupa transforms completely
and inside the pupa.
matures. The eggs hatch
Insects:
into larva. The
• hatch from eggs
larva look nothing
• some look like
like the adult. This
parents and shed
varies depending
skin as grow
on species.
• some go through
Common forms are
metamorphosis
caterpillars,
young and adult are
maggots, grubs.
different.
Photo courtesy of Strange Ones, Eran Finkle and Sandy_R (@[Link]) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
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Insects
contents
LO: To understand the lifecycle of an insect (incomplete
metamorphosis).
The lifecycles of insects that don’t complete metamorphosis
involve 3 main stages:
Eggs
are laid
by the
female
insect.
The nymph grows into
the adult form,
sometimes shedding
skin. In winged insects
fully functional wings
mark the adult stage. Eggs hatch into nymphs. Appearance
Adult females lay varies depending on species. Nymphs
eggs. look like a smaller adult insect and
usually share the same habitat and food
as the adult.
Photo courtesy of leopard gecko, Dano and Tony Cyphert (@[Link]) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
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Insects
contents
The lifecycle of an insect.
Research the lifecycles of 2 different insects.
• Explain the specific
lifestyle of each insect.
• Compare the lifecycles,
what is the same and
what is different?
• Think how you can
present your ideas.
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Insects
contents
LO: To compare life cycles of insects.
The lifecycle of insects that complete metamorphosis involves 4
main stages:
complete metamorphosis
incomplete metamorphosis
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Birds
contents
LO: To understand the lifecycle of a bird.
The lifecycle of a bird involves 3 main stages: Star
t
Eggs are laid by the
mother and the
mother and father
care for the egg until
it hatches.
Mother and
Independent adult usually father feed
seeks company from the the young
opposite sex and mates. bird until it
is old
Birds: enough to
• have feathers and fly and find
wings its own
• warm-blooded food.
• lays eggs
Photo courtesy of Katie@!, portmanteaus and mazaletel (@[Link]) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
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Life Cycles
contents
LO: To compare different life cycles.
embr embr
adult adult
yo yo
young young
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Life Cycles
contents
Compare the life cycles of mammals and birds.
Similarities Differences
• 3 main stages • Mammals give birth
• First stage is where to live young
embryo forms and • Birds lay eggs
grows • Mammal usually
• Second stage is nursed by mother
where young is • Young birds usually
supported by fed by adult male
parents. and female.
• Third stage is adult
stage where
reproduction takes
place.
Life Cycles – Mammals and
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contents
Birds Compare the life cycles of:
Similarities Differences
• Text here • Text here
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Flowering Plant
contents
LO: To understand the lifecycle of a flowering plant.
The lifecycle of a bean involves 5 main stages. Star
t
Seeds are Germination: The
spread out so seed starts to grow
they can grow when conditions are
where they are suitable.
not fighting for Roots grow, usually
space with the underground.
parent plant.
The
pollen in
the
flowers
is used A stem and
to make leaves form,
Flowering Plants: and the plant
seeds.
• have flowers makes its own
• flowers produce food
seeds (photosynthesi
• seeds in fruit s).
Photo courtesy of Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, tjmwatson, Tony Austin and OakleyOriginals (@[Link]) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
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Flowering Plant
contents
LO: To understand the lifecycle of a non-flowering plant.
The lifecycle of a fern involves 5 main stages. Star
t
Germination: The
seed starts to grow
when conditions are
suitable.
Roots grow, usually
underground.
Seeds are spread out so they Seeds are produced
can grow where they are not (without flowers)
fighting for space with the
parent plant.
A stem and
Non-flowering Plants: leaves form,
• have no flowers and the plant
• seeds or spores are makes its own
produced by pollen being food
spread (e.g. by wind) (photosynthesi
s).
Photo courtesy of rambla, Benjamin Pender and b4b2 (@[Link]) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
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Life Cycles
contents
LO: To compare different life cycles.
seed germinati seed germinati
dispersal on dispersal on
seed seed
productio roots productio roots
n n
leaves leaves
