Chapter 11
The Life Cycle
Lesson 4
Infant and Child Development
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Building Vocabulary
cell
The basic unit of life
tissues
Groups of similar cells that do a particular job
organ
A body part made up of different tissues joined to
perform a particular function
body system
A group of organs that work together to carry out related
tasks
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Building Vocabulary
embryo
The developing organism from two weeks until
the end of the eighth week of development
fetus
The developing organism from the end of the
eighth week until birth
developmental tasks
An event that needs to happen in order for you
to continue growing toward becoming a healthy,
mature adult
infancy
The first year of life after birth
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Building Vocabulary
toddler
A child between the ages of one and three
preschooler
A child between the ages of three and five
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
How Life Begins
Your whole body began as a single cell.
New Vocabulary
cell The basic unit of life
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Building Blocks of Life
The body is made up of trillions of tiny cells. Cells that have similar
functions in the body work together in larger units called tissues.
Some examples include muscle tissue, brain tissue, and connective
tissue.
New Vocabulary
tissues Groups of similar cells that do a particular job
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Building Blocks of Life
Tissues, in turn, can form an organ. Your heart, brain, liver, and
lungs are all organs. When many organs work together to carry
out a certain job, they form a body system.
New Vocabulary
organ A body part made up of different tissues joined to perform a particular function
New Vocabulary
body system A group of organs that work together to carry out related tasks
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Development Before Birth
• After fertilization, the fertilized egg cell makes its way down the
fallopian tube, continuing to divide along the way.
• By the time it reaches the uterus, it has become a hollow ball of
cells about the size of a pinhead. This ball attaches itself to the
lining of the uterus.
• From this point on, it is called an embryo.
New Vocabulary
embryo The developing organism from two weeks until the end of the eighth week of
development
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Development Before Birth
• Once an embryo is attached inside the uterus, the cells
continue to multiply and change, forming tissues that do
specific jobs.
• Those tissues combine to form organs. After about eight
weeks, all the major organs of the body have begun to take
shape, including the heart, brain, and lungs. From this point,
the embryo is called a fetus.
• The average time from conception to birth is about nine
months, or 280 days.
New Vocabulary
fetus The developing organism from the end of the eighth week until birth
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Stages of Life
The psychologist Erik Erikson divided the human life cycle into eight
separate stages:
Infancy
Early childhood
Middle childhood
Late childhood
Adolescence
Early adulthood
Middle adulthood
Late adulthood
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Stages of Life
At each stage of life, you need to master a developmental task.
New Vocabulary
developmental task An event that needs to happen in order for you to continue growing
toward becoming a healthy, mature adult
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Infancy
During infancy, babies learn about their own bodies. Tasks learned
in this stage include:
• focusing the eyes.
• sitting up.
• observing the world.
• recognizing familiar people, objects, and others’ voices.
• beginning to learn language.
• making sounds.
• developing bonds of love and trust with parents and others close
to them.
New Vocabulary
infancy The first year of life after birth
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Early Childhood
During the second year of life, a toddler will:
• become more aware of themself and their surroundings.
• learn to do things on their own, such as feeding themselves and
using the toilet.
• speak in short sentences and follow simple directions.
• learn to run, jump, or kick a ball.
• recognize different shapes.
• imitate the behavior of their parents or siblings.
• become more interested in being independent.
toddler A child between the ages of one and three
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Middle Childhood
A preschooler:
• asks a lot of questions.
• uses his or her imagination.
• enjoys telling stories or singing songs.
• becomes more interested in people outside his or her families.
• learns to cooperate with other children.
• can do exercises like hopping on one foot or riding a tricycle.
• may be able to dress themselves or choose foods at mealtimes.
New Vocabulary
preschooler A child between the ages of three and five
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Late Childhood
From ages six to eleven, children
• become more independent from their families, and friends
• develop increased confidence in themselves.
Lesson Home
LESSON 4
Infant and Child Development
BIG IDEA
Each human being passes through several stages of development before reaching adolescence.
Adolescence
During the time between ages 12 and 18, you are no longer a child,
but you are not yet an adult. During adolescence, you experience
physical, mental/emotional, and social changes that prepare you for
adulthood.
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