Amazing Animal Life Cycles!

Science Grades 2nd Grade 1:55 Video
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Lesson Description

Explore the fascinating life cycles of butterflies, jaguars, and snakes in this engaging science lesson for 2nd graders. Learn about the different stages of growth and change in these amazing animals.

Video Resource

3 Animal Life Cycles

Inspire Education

Duration: 1:55
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Life cycle
  • Metamorphosis
  • Growth and development

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the stages of a butterfly's life cycle.
  • Students will be able to describe the life cycle of a jaguar.
  • Students will be able to explain the life cycle of a snake.
  • Students will be able to compare and contrast the life cycles of different animals.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students what they know about life cycles. Show pictures of baby animals and adult animals. Ask how they are different. Introduce the video and explain that they will be learning about the life cycles of butterflies, jaguars, and snakes.
  • Video Viewing (10 mins)
    Play the '3 Animal Life Cycles' video from Inspire Education. Encourage students to pay attention to the different stages of each animal's life cycle.
  • Discussion (10 mins)
    After the video, discuss what the students learned. Use the discussion questions below to guide the conversation. Review the key concepts of life cycle, metamorphosis, and growth and development.
  • Interactive Activity (15 mins)
    Complete the 'Life Cycle Matching Game' to reinforce their understanding of the different stages. Then do the worksheet (see interactive exercises).
  • Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Summarize the main points of the lesson. Ask students to share one thing they learned about animal life cycles. Announce that the next day they will do a quiz.

Interactive Exercises

  • Life Cycle Matching Game
    Create cards with pictures of the different stages of each animal's life cycle (egg, larva/caterpillar, pupa/chrysalis, butterfly for the butterfly; baby jaguar/cub, young jaguar, adult jaguar for the jaguar; egg, baby snake/hatchling, young snake, adult snake for the snake). Have students match the stages in the correct order.
  • Animal Life Cycle Worksheet
    Provide a worksheet with pictures of the different animals. Have the student fill in the boxes describing each stage, egg, baby, young and adult.

Discussion Questions

  • What are the different stages in a butterfly's life cycle?
  • How is a baby jaguar different from an adult jaguar?
  • What happens to a snake as it grows?
  • How are the life cycles of these animals similar and different?

Skills Developed

  • Observation
  • Critical thinking
  • Communication
  • Sequencing

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What is the first stage of a butterfly's life cycle?

Correct Answer: Egg

Question 2:

What do we call a baby jaguar?

Correct Answer: Cub

Question 3:

What hatches from a snake egg?

Correct Answer: Hatchling

Question 4:

Which animal goes through metamorphosis?

Correct Answer: Butterfly

Question 5:

What does a caterpillar turn into?

Correct Answer: Butterfly

Question 6:

Which animal lays eggs?

Correct Answer: Snake

Question 7:

What is the pupa also known as during the butterflys life cycle?

Correct Answer: Chrysalis

Question 8:

What do young jaguars need from their mom?

Correct Answer: All of them

Question 9:

Which animal sheds its skin as it grows?

Correct Answer: Snake

Question 10:

A caterpillar grows into what?

Correct Answer: A butterfly

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A baby jaguar is called a ____.

Correct Answer: cub

Question 2:

The butterfly starts as an ____.

Correct Answer: egg

Question 3:

A baby snake is called a ____.

Correct Answer: hatchling

Question 4:

The butterfly changes inside a ____ before it is ready to fly

Correct Answer: chrysalis

Question 5:

Jaguars live in the ____.

Correct Answer: rainforest

Question 6:

The changing process of a butterfly is called ____.

Correct Answer: metamorphosis

Question 7:

A snake _____ its skin as it grows bigger.

Correct Answer: sheds

Question 8:

A butterfly lays its eggs on a ____.

Correct Answer: leaf

Question 9:

Baby jaguars drink _____ from their mother.

Correct Answer: milk

Question 10:

A caterpillar eats a lot of ____.

Correct Answer: leaves

Educational Standards

2.LS4.1:[Standard] Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats. 2.LS4: Biological Unity and Diversity:Biological Unity and Diversity

Teaching Materials

Download ready-to-use materials for this lesson:

Student Worksheet Classroom Slides Assessment Quiz
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