YEAR: 1
Life Cycles
SUBJECT: Science
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
ACTIVITIES
Key Questions
Lesson A
Understand that animals have a life cycle.
Learn that humans and other animals can produce
offspring and that these offspring grow into
adults.
Use simple scientific language to communicate
ideas and to name and describe living things,
materials, phenomena and processes.
Scientific Enquiry: Use first-hand experience
and simple information sources to answer
questions.
OUTCOMES
NB: The practical/hands on aspect that can be drawn out of each session in this strand will depend on which time of year you teach it.
Alternative ideas are provided but real experiences/materials are always preferable.
Whole class teaching:
Read book about life cycle of a ladybird such as ‘Are you a ladybird?’ Allen and Humphries ISBN 9780753405307.
Introduce the term ‘life cycle’ and tell the children they are going to help you draw a diagram of what happens in the book. Taking
suggestions from the children on flip chart or IWB (interactive whiteboard) draw eggs on leaf, then an arrow to picture larvae, larva
growing, pupa, pupa hatching, and ladybird and explain how it all starts again.
If possible (depending on season) collect ladybirds in advance or go on a ladybird hunt and collect ladybirds, ladybird larvae, (or other
beetles) to look at and draw. Talk about how to handle small creatures. Use a soft paintbrush to pick them up and put them in a
container. Use plastic models as an alternative.
Safety: Wash hands after handling plants and animals.
Group activities:
Adult-led activity:
In a small group look carefully at ladybird with hand lenses. Demonstrate how to use lens. Ask What do you notice about the
ladybird? How many legs does it have? Do you think it has wings? Where are the wings? Where does it live? What does it eat?
I can:
1. Look
carefully and
talk about
what I have
noticed.
2. Understand
that humans
and other
animals have a
life cycle.
Independent activity:
Give children life cycle pictures (lesson resources) and ask them to cut them out and stick them in a circle and draw the arrows.
Independent activity:
Look at other life cycle topic books.
Independent activity:
Put compost in a tray and give children plastic mini-beasts to play with. Provide stones, leaves & wood for different habitats.
Lesson B
Understand that we can get information in
different ways.
Know that animals, including humans, move, feed,
grow, use their sense and reproduce.
Relate life processes to animals and plants found
in the local environment.
Use scientific language to communicate ideas and
to name and describe living things, materials,
phenomena and processes.
Scientific Enquiry: Use first-hand experience
and simple information sources to answer
questions.
RESOURCES
Including other adults
For facts follow:
http://www.harlequin-survey.org/youth/youngpeople_3.htm
Plenary:
Ask children what they have found out in topic books. Look at features of non-fiction books, glossary etc.
Make the point that all living things have a life cycle. Talk briefly about human life cycle.
Whole class teaching:
Remind children of work from last session about life cycle of a ladybird.
Read ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle to children. Encourage them to join in with the story. Discuss with children whether
they think the story really happened. Which bits are based on fact and which bits are not true? What do they think caterpillars
really eat? Do they really turn into butterflies? Ask children to describe to you how the caterpillar changes. Find examples in the
story of caterpillar growing and changing. Compare storybook with non-fiction book about butterflies, what is the difference?
With children’s help draw/write the life cycle of a caterpillar on the flip chart or IWB, e.g. egg – caterpillar - big caterpillar – cocoon
- butterfly. Demonstrate how to use arrows to link each stage.
Show children how to draw a butterfly and talk about the symmetrical patterns on their wings.
Group activities:
Adult-led activity:
Help children to explore following websites which have some interesting pictures and animations (and facts for very able readers).
http://www.flashclassroom.com/docs/flash/79_butterfly_emma.swf
http://theimaginationtree.com/2012/10/50-activities-for-playing-and-learning.html
Children draw a picture of an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly. They use arrows to link each stage and label each drawing.
Support: Cut out pictures (lesson resource) and use arrows to link each stage.
Ext: Ask children to write labels.
Independent activity:
Draw/paint symmetrical pictures of butterflies.
Plenary:
Discuss work produced
(see lesson resources for a butterfly life cycle.)
I can:
1. Talk about
the life cycle
of a butterfly
2. Say why
and how
storybooks
and
information
books are
different.
A collection of topic
books about life
cycles. Book about
life cycle of a
ladybird such as ‘Are
you a ladybird?’ Allen
and Humphries ISBN
9780753405307.
Soft paintbrush to
pick up ladybirds,
container. Plastic
models of ladybirds
as an alternative.
Compost in a tray,
plastic minibeasts to
play with. Stones,
leaves, wood for
different habitats.
Paper, scissors and
glue sticks.
The Very
Hungry
Caterpillar by
Eric Carle
ISBN: 9780140569322.
Painting
materials.
Evaluation
Lesson C
Understand that plants have a life cycle.
Relate life processes to animals and plants found
in the local environment.
Learn that seeds grow into flowering plants.
Learn from a range of domestic and
environmental contexts that are familiar and of
interest to them.
Scientific Enquiry: Explore, using the senses of
sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste as
appropriate, and make and record observations
and measurements.
Whole class teaching:
Tell the children you have another story about a life cycle. Tell or read the story of Max the Mouse (links well with harvest – lesson
resources). Draw stages of the story on the flip chart (or show lesson resources on interactive whiteboard/projector).
Discuss story and consolidate the life cycle concept, relate to last 2 lessons and relate to seasons of the year.
Give each child a sunflower seed to look at and open.
Safety: Wash hands after handling plants and animals.
Group activities:
Adult-led activity:
Go for a walk to nature area (if available) look at plants, flowers, seeds as appropriate. Ask Can you count 5 different kinds of
plants? (Bring back leaves, seeds, and flowers to look at in class).
Could plant sunflower seeds and follow growth (depending on season).
I can:
1. Talk about
the life cycle
of a plant.
2. Say what
plants need to
grow.
Independent activity:
Draw pictures of what happens to a plant in the different seasons (lesson resources).
Independent activity:
Sunflower
seeds (2 per
child).
Sunflower head
with seeds.
Nature area (if
available),
painting
materials.
Draw/Paint a picture of a sunflower showing roots, stem, flower and leaves and stick on real sunflower seed.
Plenary:
For animated photos of sunflower growing try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpnP4dZlb3E
Read book such as ‘Life Cycle of a Sunflower’ by Angela Royston ISBN: 9780431083773.
Lesson D
Understand that the babies of some animals go
through different stages.
Relate life processes to animals and plants found
in the local environment.
Learn that humans and other animals can produce
offspring and that these offspring grow into
adults.
Understand how to treat animals with care and
sensitivity.
Use simple scientific language to communicate
ideas and to name and describe living things,
materials, phenomena and processes.
Scientific Enquiry: Use first-hand experience
and simple information sources to answer
questions.
Follow simple instructions to control the risks to
themselves and others.
Whole class teaching: Remind children about life cycles studied so far. Introduce the word ‘amphibian’. The word means ‘having two
lives’ a reference to the fact that they can live on land or in water. The young (larvae) often look very different to their parents. This
session focuses on the life cycle of a frog, which is an amphibian. Ideally (depending on season and availability) watch your own
tadpoles change into frogs in the classroom or in a pond in nature area. Make a record as changes happen.
For a good site with information about keeping and caring for tadpoles follow link to
http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/tadpoles/ or see lesson resources for extract.
Safety: Children should be warned about the dangers associated with ponds and supervised at all times.
Alternatively the National Geographic website has some good video clips about life cycles of different species of frogs. For sensitive
children you may want to watch the clips first as lots of tadpoles get eaten! Click on ‘Red-Eyed Tree Frogs Life Cycle’ and/or ‘Trails
of a Tadpole’ (Flash needed).
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/amphibians-animals/frogs-and-toads/frog_greentree_lifecycle.html
The site below documents an interesting tadpole watching/pond project with photos.
http://www.erodent.co.uk/GardenPond/March2002.htm
There are also lots of good books to introduce frog life cycle e.g.
‘Watch it Grow – Frog’ by B Watts. ISBN: 9780749667108. ‘Life cycles- Frog’ by L Spilbury
ISBN: 9781844212552. ‘Is that a frog?’ by C Llewellyn and A Parker ISBN: 9780333962251. ‘Growing Frogs’ by V French and A
Bartlett ISBN 9781406311730. ‘Amphibians’ by R Theodorou ISBN: 9780431030739.
Talk about the fact there are lots of different species of frogs, about 3,500 worldwide and that they are suited to their own
habitat.
Group activities:
Adult-led activity:
If you are following development of real tadpoles make charts and drawings over time.
Adult-led activity:
Sit group of 8 in small circle. Give each child a laminated picture of each different stage of development (lesson resources). Ask
children to change places until they are in a life cycle circle. Read them the captions (could use plastic models if available).
Independent activity:
Make zigzag book cutting out and sticking, copying or making up own captions as appropriate (lesson resources) and illustrate.
Plenary:
Talk about toads and how they have a similar lifecycle. Revise vocabulary. Look at picture of common toad and toad spawn (lesson
resources).
I can:
Lesson E
Understand that we need to plant trees to care
for the environment.
Learn about different kinds of plants and animals
in the local environment.
Learn to care for the environment.
Learn that seeds grow into flowering plants.
Whole class teaching:
Look at a collection of seeds that grow into trees (e.g. apple pips, acorns, seeds out of pine cones). Talk about the fact that huge
trees can grow from tiny seeds. Ask What will they need to grow? Make sure children understand that trees are plants but they
take a long time to grow. Show the children a cross section of a tree trunk and explain how we can work out the age of a tree by
counting the rings. Show a tree seedling if poss. Talk about how trees have flowers. Look at images of different trees on Woodland
Trust website or in topic books.
The following link goes to Woodland Trust leaflet with photos of seeds, leaves and how to germinate acorns etc (text saved in lesson
I can:
1. Talk about
the life cycle
of a frog.
2. Understand
that there
are lots of
different
species of
animals.
1. Talk about
why it is
important to
Paper for zigzag
book. Tanks etc for
keeping tadpoles
and/or a book or
books about frog life
cycle e.g. Life cycles - Frog
by L Spilbury ISBN:
9781844212552. Is
that a frog? by C
Llewellyn and A
Parker ISBN:
9780333962251.
Growing Frogs by V
French and A
Bartlett ISBN:
9781406311730.
Amphibians by R
Theodorou ISBN:
9780431030739.
Watch it Grow – Frog
by B Watts. ISBN:
9780749667108.
A collection of
seeds that
grow into trees
Group living things according to similarities and
differences.
Use a range of sources of information and data,
including ICT-based sources.
Scientific Enquiry: Make simple comparisons and
identify simple patterns or associations.
Review their work and explain what they did to
others.
resources)
http://visitwoods.org.uk/en/visit-woods/things-to-do/Pages/seeds.aspx (British trees)
This link shows the life cycle of a tree and gives other useful information.
http://www.slideshare.net/brockjustine/explain-the-life-cycle-of-a-tree
Talk about how trees have a life cycle. See how far children can get explaining it to you and draw the different stages on the flip
chart. Draw out the difference in timescale between the life cycle of a sunflower and a tree.
Go for a walk and look at the trees you have in your school grounds, identify them. Collect leaves to take back to class. Could measure
circumference of trunks, take bark rubbings, draw pictures, take photos, etc. Talk about importance of planting trees (habitats, raw
materials, oxygen).
plant trees.
2. Talk about
how some life
cycles take a
long time.
(e.g. apple pips,
acorns, seeds
out of pine
cones,
conkers). A
cross section
of a tree trunk,
a tree seedling,
plasticine, tape
measures,
different types
of apples.
I can:
Set of plastic
minibeasts, life
cycle topic
books, string,
scissors, thin
black pens.
Compost in a
tray, plastic
minibeasts to
play with.
Stones, leaves,
wood for
different
habitats.
Group activities:
Adult-led activity:
Plant acorns.
Safety: wash hands after handling plants or animals.
Independent activity:
Paint pictures of different stages in the life cycle of an apple tree for display (lesson resources).
Independent activity:
Order leaves collected on walk by size or other criteria, stick on strip of paper in order.
Independent activity:
Make trees using plasticine. Assemble into a wood!
Plenary:
Talk to a partner about why we need to plant trees.
Have an apple feast (trying different varieties) and find the seeds in the apples, open a pip and look inside.
Safety: some children are allergic to different types of food.
Lesson F
Understand that it is important for scientists to
ask questions.
Learn that humans and other animals can produce
offspring and that these offspring grow into
adults.
Use simple scientific language to communicate
ideas and to name and describe living things and
processes.
Scientific Enquiry: Ask questions [for example,
'How?', 'Why?', 'What will happen if ...?'] and
decide how they might find answers to them.
Whole class teaching:
Sit children in circle & put set of plastic mini-beasts in centre. Ask How many can we name? Explain that scientists are good at
asking questions. Ask the children to think, in pairs, about things they would like to find out about mini-beasts and scribe the
questions they come up with to look at later.
Explain the last lifecycle we are going to learn about is the dragonfly. Show the children the life cycle sequence from the following
site and/or look at fact sheet (lesson resources).
http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/wetland_fd/lifecyc1.htm.
This site has lots of facts for teachers
http://www.bournestreampartnership.org.uk/dragonflies.htm.
Group activities:
Adult-led activity:
To make the dragonfly nymph (larva) climb out of the pond try the following. Give each child a copy of picture of pond (lesson
resource) photocopied on card. Cut off top section. Help children to:
a] cut out oval with dragonfly larva,
b] stick piece of string/wool along length of oval with piece of tape,
c] colour or paint pond picture,
d] make holes where marked on drawing (put small piece of plasticine underneath, push through with sharp pencil),
e] thread ends of string through holes and tie at back (nymph should face upwards). Slide up and down! This idea is also good for
making ladybirds, spiders, etc crawl across leaves.
Independent activity:
Look at other life cycle topic books.
Independent activity:
Do detailed drawings of dragonflies, using thin black pens is effective (lesson resources).
Independent activity:
Put compost in a tray and give children plastic mini-beasts to play with. Provide stones, leaves & wood for different habitats (as in
Lesson A).
Plenary:
Look at questions and decide how we could answer them.
Ask What have we learnt about life cycles?
1. Ask
questions and
decide how
we can answer
them.
2. Understand
that all living
things have a
life cycle.