Life Cycles of Living Things
This lesson explores the diverse life cycles of various living things as outlined in the Year 5 Science National Curriculum. Students will compare how mammals, birds, amphibians, and insects grow and reproduce, while also touching upon the life cycles of flowering plants.
Learning objectives
- Describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect, and a bird.
- Describe the process of reproduction in some plants and animals.
- Identify and explain the stages of metamorphosis in insects and amphibians.
Lesson plan (60 minutes)
Introduction · 5 min
Hook: Images of a caterpillar, a tadpole, and a human baby. Discussion on what they have in common.
Input · 15 min
Teacher-led instruction using the Explainer Script and Vocabulary.
Guided Practice · 10 min
Group activity: Sorting cards of different animal life cycle stages into the correct order.
Independent Practice · 20 min
Differentiated Worksheets (Support, Core, Stretch). Students work independently.
Plenary · 5 min
8-question multiple-choice quiz to check for understanding.
Review · 5 min
Peer marking and review of one key 'Stretch' question as a class.
Key vocabulary
- Life Cycle
- A series of changes in the life of an organism.
- Metamorphosis
- A major change in the physical form of an animal as it develops.
- Larva
- The active, immature form of an insect (e.g., a caterpillar).
- Pupa
- The stage where an insect undergoes transformation between larva and adult.
- Germination
- When a seed starts to grow.
Core worksheet (first questions)
- 1. Name the four main groups of animals we are studying in this life cycle unit.
- 2. How does the 'larva' stage of an insect differ from the 'pupa' stage?
- 3. Explain one major difference between the life cycle of a bird and a mammal.
- 4. Most amphibians reproduce through which type of fertilisation?
Quiz (sample)
1. What is the third stage of a butterfly's life cycle?
- A. A larva
- B. A pupa
- C. A nymph
- D. A hatchling
2. Which of these is true for most mammals?
- A. They lay eggs in water.
- B. They undergo metamorphosis.
- C. They give birth to live young.
- D. They have a pupa stage.
3. What is the term for a big change in body shape during a life cycle?
- A. Germination
- B. Metamorphosis
- C. Pollination
- D. Photosynthesis
The full pack is waiting
Support and Stretch worksheets, every answer and model answer, the teaching explainer and common misconceptions, editable and ready to print as PDF or Word.
Start your 14-day trial