Field Investigation: Comparing Life Cycles

Students compare their life cycle (the life cycle of a human) with the life cycle of an animal that they find in the outdoor classroom.   

 
Click on the orange links to access free educational materials: 
Lesson Plans  |   ALSDE Standards Taught
 
Activity Page #1: Comparing the Life Cycle of an Animal to a Human (or as Word Doc) 
 
Activity Page #2: Comparing the Life Cycle of a Frog to a Human (or as Word Doc) with Answer Page
 
Outdoor Activity Materials:  activity pages, clipboards, pencils, field identification guides

















 
Step 1: Engage through Discussion
     
Engage the students and capture their interests with an Interactive Q&A (or as PDF) that allows you to click through the questions one at a time.  You can gauge your students' understanding of the topic as they answer the questions. Print and use the Q&A Info Sheet (or as Word Doc) to anticipate the next question in the Interactive Q&A and to guide the conversation with the students.  (Note:  For the PowerPoint (PPT), click "Slide Show" & "From Beginning" to display the questions and answers separately.)
 
Use these tools to continue the discussion:
 
 
 
Step 2: Explore with Literature
   
As you read these books, you can further explore the topic and discuss your students' experiences and knowledge around the topic:
 
Frogs by Gail Gibbons ISBN: 978-0823411344
YouTube Video of Frogs by Gail Gibbons- Read by Olivia Gerston with permission from Holiday House Publishers

Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons ISBN: 978-0823409099  

Caterpillar to Butterfly (National Geographic Kids) by Laura Marsh ISBN: 978-1426315787 
 
Front Cover
 
 
Step 3: Explain with an Educational Video
   
Use these educational videos to help explain the topic in more detail:
Metamorphosis: Change of Plans by PBS 
(4:45 min.) @ https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource
/tdc02.sci.life.cyc.metamorph/metamorphosis-change-of-plans		 Life Cycle Video by MakeMeGenius.com 
(4:26 min.) @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pHav-3QZkI















 
​  
Step 4: Elaborate with a Field Investigation in the Outdoor Classroom
   
Students apply what they have learned as they investigate the topic in your Outdoor Classroom and record their real-world observations on their activity page: 
 
Version #1:
Comparing the Life Cycle of An Animal to a Human		 Version #2:
Comparing the Life Cycle of a Frog to a Human
   
Activity Tips
  • Review the Outdoor Classroom Rules with students before going outside. 
  • Conduct this activity in the warmer months of spring and fall when wildlife is the most active and the students have the greatest opportunity to observe the full life cycle on animals using your school's outdoor classroom for its habitat.  Animals that you may be able to view at different stages of development include birds and their chicks in a nesting box, caterpillars and adult butterflies in your butterfly or pollinator habitat, or a frog/toad and its tadpoles in a pond.
Version #1 - Comparing Life Cycles: Comparing an Animal to a Human
Activity Page: PDF (as is)  /  Word Doc (editable)

Procedure
Indoor Discussion:
  1. Students use the AWF's Wonders of Wildlife webpages to research the Eastern bluebird, Monarch butterfly, Green anole, or Eastern chipmunk.
  2. Have the students identify the animal and draw a picture of it on their activity page.
  3. Then have them answer questions about the animal's life cycle and draw and draw and label the animal's life cycle on their activity page.
Outdoor Discovery:
  1. Next, have them explore your outdoor classroom to find and observe the animal, putting a checkmark next to the life cycle stage(s) they find.
Indoor Discussion:
  1. Afterward, have them draw a picture of themselves and answer questions about the human life cycle on their acivity page.
  2. Finally have them draw and label the life cycle of a human.
  3. Discuss the similarities and differences between the human life cycle compared to other animals.
  4. Discuss the unique and diverse life cycles among animals and how they compare to humans including birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
 
Version #2 - Comparing Life Cycles: Comparing a Frog to a Human
 Activity Page: PDF (as is)  /  Word Doc (editable)

Procedure
Indoor Discussion:
  1. Students use the AWF's Wonders of Wildlife webpages to research the American bullfrog, Bronze frog, Cope's gray tree frog, Fowler's toad, or Southern toad.
  2. Have the students identify the animal and draw a picture of it on their activity page.
  3. Then have them answer questions about the animal's life cycle and draw and draw and label the animal's life cycle on their activity page.
Outdoor Discovery:
  1. Next, have them explore your outdoor classroom to find and observe the animal, putting a checkmark next to the life cycle stage(s) they find.
Indoor Discussion:
  1. Afterward, have them draw a picture of themselves and answer questions about the human life cycle on their acivity page.
  2. Finally have them draw and label the life cycle of a human.
  3. Discuss the similarities and differences between the human life cycle compared to other animals.
  4. Discuss the unique and diverse life cycles among animals and how they compare to humans including birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
Optional Extension:  

 
Wildlife Identification Resources:
 ​    
 
Step 5: Evaluate with an Assessment Activity
   
Review and assess the students’ observations and answers on their observation pages:
Evaluate the students' understanding of the topic with the following assessment tools:
 
 ​    
Questions? Contact us at oc@alabamawildlife.org. .