LS.2.1.2
Obtain, evaluate and communicate information to compare life cycles of different animals.
Embedded Files
District Recommended Resources for 2nd Grade Science
Science Phenomena Resources
Next Generation Science Standards YouTube Channel
Step 1: Lesson Standards & Learning Goals
Dimension 1:
Science and Engineering Practice: Develop and Use Models: Students will compare models of life cycles to identify common features and differences (NSTA SEP Matrix).
Dimension 2:
Crosscutting Concepts: Structure and Function, Patterns
Dimension 3:
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
LS1.B Plants and animals have predictable characteristics at different stages of development. Plants and animals grow and change. Adult plants and animals can have young. In many kinds of animals, parents and the offspring themselves engage in behaviors to help the offspring to survive (A Framework for K-12 Science Education).
Sample Essential Questions
Sample Essential Questions
How can we gather, assess, and share information to understand and compare the different stages of life cycles in various animals?
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
birth
death
life cycle
adult
reproduce
stage
compare
different
Students will be able to...
Students will be able to...
Use models to compare two or more animal life cycles, finding similarities and differences in the organisms.
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information - Read grade-appropriate texts and/or use media to obtain scientific information to compare animal’s life cycles. Communicate information with others in oral and/or written forms using models, drawings, writing, or numbers that provide detail to compare animal life cycles.
Students will know...
Students will know...
All animals go through changes in the different stages of the lifecycle.
Some animals are hatched from eggs.
Some animals have live birth (most mammals).
Some animals (mostly insects) go through metamorphosis.
Step 2: Assessment
Writing Prompts
How does a ________’s life cycle compare to a _______’s life cycle? (e.g. butterfly/frog - A butterfly has distinct stages - egg, larva, pupa, adult - where the animal looks different in each stage. A frog has stages where it changes appearance from an egg, to a tadpole to a frog.)
What parts of a __________life cycle are similar to a ___________life cycle? (e.g., chicken/frog - They both start out as eggs and become adults.)
What parts of a __________ life cycle are different from a ___________ life cycle? (e.g., chicken/frog - The chicken hatches into a baby chick that looks like a very small chicken, while the frog hatches into a tadpole that doesn’t look like a frog yet. The tadpole doesn’t have any legs yet, while the baby chicken already has legs and wings.
Mini Projects and Investigations
Lifecycle Journal
Compare the lifecycle of two animals. What is different? What is the same?
Butterfly Journal (for those doing butterflies in their classrooms)
Students create a journal and keep track as the classroom caterpillars turn into butterflies.
Compare the lifecycle of the butterflies to another animal that you have studied.
Baby Chick Journal (for those doing baby chicks in their classrooms - 4-H Embryology Program)
Students create a journal during the incubation period until eggs have hatched.
Compare the lifecycle of the chicks to another animal that you have studied.
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessments
NCDPI Grade 2 Science
Culminating Activity
Animal Life Cycle Comparison Project
Choose two animals.
Create a poster or 3-D model to compare how the animals move through their life cycles.
Materials: a piece of white paper and construction paper, scissors, glue, craft materials (clay, play-doh, pipe cleaners, etc.).
Illustrate the stages of each animal's life cycle.
Create captions explaining what changes are happening in each stage of the lifecycle.
Write a paragraph
Use animal life cycle books from the school library or Epic! for reference.
Step 3: Lesson Instructions
Possible Activating Strategies
Possible Activating Strategies
Compare:
Compare the life cycles of animal groups. (ex. birds and amphibians)
How are they similar?
How are they different?
Compare:
Compare the life cycle of two different animals.
How are they similar?
How are they different?
Additional Literacy Connections
GetEpic.com (log in needed)
Readworks.org (log in needed)
YouTube
EBSCO (access through NCEdCloud)
Waring, Geoff. Oscar and the Frog: A Book about Growing.
Huson, Brett. The Grizzly Mother.
Mabry, Sheri. Soar High, Dragonfly.
Milton, Alexandra. Who is in the Egg?
Jaycox, Jaclyn. Unusual Life Cycles Series.
Davies, Benji. Tad.
Donaldson, Julia & Zommer, Yuval. The Wooly Bear Caterpillar.
Leedy, L. (1993) Tracks in the sand.
Teacher Resources
Teacher Resources
4-H Embryology Program
Science A to Z (paid subscription)
Animal Life Cycle Unit (on Diffit, free log in)
Butterfly Kits with Live Caterpillars (purchase)
Wordwall (vocabulary website)
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