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Science lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 30 minutes

Compare life cycles: mammals, birds, amphibians and insects

Animals and habitats

CCSS NGSS.3-LS1-1England: KS2 Y5 Living things and their habitats

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Compare life cycles: mammals, birds, amphibians and insects.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Animal life cycles; Metamorphosis: complete, incomplete or none?

Leads to: Compare how long mammals grow before birth

Materials: Animal picture cards, Habitat maps, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Animal life cycles; Metamorphosis: complete, incomplete or none?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. What kind of life cycle does this animal have: cricket? (complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult) / incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) / no metamorphosis (young look like small adults)) → incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult)Prompt: Does the young animal look like the adult?
  2. In the life cycle of a frog, what comes straight after "tadpole"? (frogspawn (eggs) / tadpole with legs / froglet / adult frog) → tadpole with legsPrompt: Frogs start life in water.
  3. What kind of life cycle does this animal have: ladybird (ladybug)? (complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult) / incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) / no metamorphosis (young look like small adults)) → complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult)Prompt: Does the young animal look like the adult?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a picture of an unusual animal and ask where it might live and how it survives there.
  • Share the objective: Compare life cycles: mammals, birds, amphibians and insects. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Are the young of this animal born live or do they hatch from eggs: frog?
  • Step 1: Birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects usually lay eggs.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: hatch from eggs
  • Answer: hatch from eggs
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Are the young of this animal born live or do they hatch from eggs: frog? (born live / hatch from eggs) → hatch from eggsPrompt: Is it a mammal?
  2. A salmon hatches in a river, swims to the sea, then returns to the same river to lay eggs. Which stage is this? (the larva / the adult reproducing / metamorphosis into a frog / the egg) → the adult reproducingPrompt: Laying eggs is part of which life stage?

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. A salmon hatches in a river, swims to the sea, then returns to the same river to lay eggs. Which stage is this? (the adult reproducing / the egg / metamorphosis into a frog / the larva) → the adult reproducingPrompt: Laying eggs is part of which life stage?
  2. Are the young of this animal born live or do they hatch from eggs: horse? (born live / hatch from eggs) → born livePrompt: Is it a mammal?

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Animal life cycles.
  • Use concrete materials: animal picture cards.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Compare how long mammals grow before birth.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-3.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Compare life cycles: mammals, birds, amphibians and insects

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Are the young of this animal born live or do they hatch from eggs: robin?

    • A. born live
    • B. hatch from eggs

  2. Question 2

    Why do frogs lay thousands of eggs but elephants have one calf at a time?

    • A. Frogs are bigger than elephants.
    • B. Elephants cannot count.
    • C. Most frog eggs and tadpoles get eaten, while elephant mothers protect their calf for years.
    • D. Elephant calves hatch from eggs.

  3. Question 3

    True or false? Birds lay eggs with hard shells.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  4. Question 4

    Are the young of this animal born live or do they hatch from eggs: cat?

    • A. born live
    • B. hatch from eggs

  5. Question 5

    What do the life cycles of a frog, a chicken and a cat ALL have?

    • A. feeding young on milk
    • B. a tadpole stage
    • C. a pupa stage
    • D. birth or hatching, growth, becoming an adult, and reproducing

  6. Question 6

    True or false? Mammal mothers feed their young with milk.

    • A. True
    • B. False

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Answer key: Compare life cycles: mammals, birds, amphibians and insects

  1. 1. B. hatch from eggs

  2. 2. C. Most frog eggs and tadpoles get eaten, while elephant mothers protect their calf for years.

  3. 3. A. True

  4. 4. A. born live

  5. 5. D. birth or hatching, growth, becoming an adult, and reproducing

  6. 6. A. True