One Stop Shop For Educators The following instructional plan is part of a GaDOE collection of Unit Frameworks, Performance Tasks, examples of Student Work, and Teacher Commentary. Many more GaDOE
approved instructional plans are available by using the Search Standards feature located on GeorgiaStandards.Org.
Georgia Performance Standards Framework
Life Cycles Unit:
(Approximately 8 weeks)
OVERVIEW:
This unit focuses on the life cycles of common animals, plants, and fungi; thus, emphasizing changes that can be observed over time including
environmental effects such as weather, water, and gravity. Consequently, this unit should be inclusive of the standards in the earth and physical
science units. Through inquiry, students should determine and investigate especially the individual life cycles of common animals, fungi, and
plants.
STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN THIS UNIT
Focus Standard:
S2L1. Students will investigate the life cycles of different living organisms.
a. Determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area: a mammal such as a cat or dog or classroom pet, a bird such
as a chicken, an amphibian such as a frog, and an insect such as a butterfly.
b. Relate seasonal changes to observations of how a tree changes throughout a school year.
c. Investigate the life cycle of a plant by growing a plant from a seed and by recording changes over a period of time.
d. Identify fungi (mushrooms) as living organisms.
RELATED STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN THIS UNIT
S2E2. Students will investigate the position of the sun and moon to show patterns throughout the year.
c. Relate the length of the day and night to the change in seasons (for example: Days are longer than the nights in summer.)
S2E3. Students will observe and record changes in their surroundings and infer the causes of the changes.
a. Recognize effects that occur in a specific area caused by weather, plants, animals, and/or people.
S2P1. Students will identify sources of energy and how the energy is used.
a. Identify sources of light energy, heat energy, and energy of motion.
b. Describe how light, heat, and motion energy is used.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 1 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved One Stop Shop For Educators S2CS2. Students will have the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and following scientific explanations.
a. Use whole numbers in ordering, counting, identifying, measuring, and describing things and experiences.
b. Readily give the sums and difference of single-digit numbers in ordinary, practical contexts and judge the reasonableness of the answer.
c. Give rough estimates of numerical answers to problems before doing them formally.
d. Make quantitative estimates of familiar lengths, weights, and time intervals, and check them by measuring.
S2CS3. Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating objects in scientific activities.
a. Use ordinary hand tools and instruments to construct, measure, and look at objects.
S2CS4. Students will use the ideas of system, model, change, and scale in exploring scientific and technological matters.
c. Describe changes in the size, weight, color, or movement of things, and note which of their other qualities remain the same during a
specific change.
d. Compare very different sizes, weights, ages (baby/adult), and speeds (fast/slow) of both human made and natural things.
S2CS5. Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly.
a. Describe and compare things in terms of number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, and motion.
b. Draw pictures (grade level appropriate) that correctly portray features of the thing being described.
c. Use simple pictographs and bar graphs to communicate data.
S2CS6. Students will be familiar with the character of scientific knowledge and how it is achieved. Students will recognize that:
a. When a science investigation is done the way it was done before, we expect to get a similar result.
b. Science involves collecting data and testing hypotheses.
c. Scientists often repeat experiments multiple times and subject their ideas to criticism by other scientists who may disagree with them
and do further tests.
d. All different kinds of people can be and are scientists.
S2CS7. Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.
Students will apply the following to inquiry learning practices:
a. Scientists use a common language with precise definitions of terms to make it easier to communicate their observations to each other.
b. In doing science, it is often helpful to work as a team. All team members should reach their own individual conclusions and share their
understandings with other members of the team in order to develop a consensus.
Much can be learned about plants and animals by observing them closely, but care must be taken to know the needs of living things and
how to provide for them. Advantage can be taken of classroom pets.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 2 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
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All living things have a life cycle.
Offspring are very much, but not exactly, like their parents and like one another.
The offspring of some organisms look much like their parents when they are born and as they grow, other organisms go through a
sequence of distinct stages in a process called metamorphosis.
Some animals / plants are alike in the way they look, and in the things they do, and others are very different from one another.
Almost all living things need water, food, and air.
Plants can make their own food using air, water, materials in the soil, and light energy from the sun.
Animals eat plants or other animals for food.
Fungi use dead plants and animals for food.
Seasonal changes occur and affect living things, the appearance of living things, and their surroundings.
Living things are interdependent with their living and nonliving surroundings.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
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What are the difference and similarities between plants, animals, and fungi?
How does a living thing go through a life cycle?
How are life cycles different between organisms?
How does a plant develop from a small seed?
How do seasons affect the life cycles of living things?
How are changes in day/night length related to seasonal changes in plants and animals?
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 3 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators MISCONCEPTIONS
PROPER CONCEPTIONS
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Life Cycles
Only some organisms, such as insects with complete
metamorphosis, have a life cycle.
• Life Cycles
All organisms have life cycles that include being born,
developing into adults, reproducing themselves, and dying. There
are many kinds of life cycles.
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Living/Non-living
Plants, fungi, and coral that are stationary are not living
Plants and Fungi are not living organisms.
• Living/Non-living
A living organism is something that must have food, can grow,
usually moves, and dies.
A fungus is a living thing that obtains its food from dead plants
and animals.
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Plants
Plants that shed their leaves are dead, but come to life again in
spring
Commercial seeds are manufactured.
Roots obtain food for the plant from the soil
• Plants
A plant is a living thing that can make its own food, grows,
usually does not move, reproduces, and dies. Plants produce their
own seeds.
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Animals
Only large land mammals are animals.
Humans are not animals.
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Fungi/Microscopic life
Organisms seen through a microscope are not living.
• Animals
An animal is a living thing that cannot make its own food, but
gets it energy and nutrients by eating other organisms. Most
animals can move from one place to another.
Humans are animals.
• Fungi/Microscopic Live
Microscopic organisms are living things
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 4 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators CONCEPTS
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Investigate plants,
animals, and fungi
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Compare and contrast
plants, animals, and fungi
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Investigate life cycles of
living things
Compare and contrast the
life cycles of living things
Investigate how plants,
animals, and fungi change
with changes in seasons.
Relate changes in
day/night length to
seasonal changes in
organisms.
KNOW AND DO
LANGUAGE
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Identify, describe, and
classify plants, animals, and
fungi
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Food, growth,
reproduction
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Identify, describe and
measure sequential changes
in the life cycle of living
things.
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Plants, animals, and fungi
are composed of
structures (e.g. limbs,
arms, legs, head; stems,
branches, roots, leaves,
flowers, fruits, seeds;
hyphae, spores)
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Describe how different
animals move, e.g. walk, run,
fly, swim, and crawl.
Describe how plants, animals,
and fungi change with
seasons.
Know light, gravity, touch, or
environmental stress can
affect the germination,
growth, and development of
plants.
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Stages in life cycles
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Seasonal changes
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Day/night length changes
Know flowers, fruits, and
seeds are associated with plant
reproduction.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 5 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
EVIDENCE
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Students will measure,
record, draw, and describe
the life cycles of plants,
animals, and a fungus in
journals.
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Students will be able to
compare and contrast the
life cycles of plants,
animals, and fungi.
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Students will be able to
describe how life cycle
stages correlate with
seasons.
One Stop Shop For Educators Culminating Activity
By the conclusion of this unit, students should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
Culminating Activity: Student teams should construct an environment as a large poster showing the four seasons as a cycle. Within each
season, students should include drawn and colored examples of the appropriate stages for the life cycles of plants, animals, and fungi that might
be found in that environment. Each student should construct a “What I Have Learned About …” book that accompanies the poster and includes
written descriptions (e.g. expository, poems, and/or songs) and sketches for each organism’s life cycle. The book should be constructed using
the student’s Research Journal notes on activities and experiments performed during the Life Cycle and Seasonal science units.
GRASPS
Goal: (a) Student teams will construct an environment that includes the four seasons as a poster.
(b) Students will draw and color the stages of the life cycles and place them in the appropriate seasons (for example, resident adult
animals would be found throughout the seasons, their young would be found in the spring and show growth during the remaining
seasons, whereas migratory birds would appear in spring, have offspring in summer, and leave in fall), plants might be either perennial
or annual and certain fungi might be on trees all year around, but others are seasonal) on the poster.
(c) Each student should construct a “What I Have Learned About …” book that accompanies the poster and includes written
descriptions (e.g. expository, poems, and/or songs) and sketches for each organism’s life cycle.
(d) Students will be able to relate seasonal changes in an environment showing and describing the life cycles of organisms.
Role: You will be a team of biologists at a natural history museum. Your task, as teams, is to take design a poster showing changes in seasons
and the life cycles of plants, animals, and fungi found in an environment. And, each member of the team will use her/his science journal notes
to make a book that accompanies the poster and includes written descriptions (e.g. expository, poems, and/or songs) and sketches for each
organism’s life cycle for museum visitors.
Audience: Visitors to your museum.
Scenario: Remember to record things you learn about life cycles, seasons, and environments in your Science Journals.
Product: You will need to divide your class into teams. Using your science journal notes you should construct a team poster and a personal
book for museum visitors to view, read, and learn. Invite visitors to your classroom/school for a tour of your classroom museum.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 6 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators TASKS
The collection of the following tasks represents the level of depth, rigor and complexity expected of all students to demonstrate
evidence of learning.
TASK 1- Animal Life Cycles
Essential Question: How does an animal grow and change throughout a life cycle?
Hook & Attention Getter: The ideal option for a lesson hook in this lesson would be to have a living animal present in the classroom. It could
be a fish, butterfly, caterpillar, bird, etc. Another option would to be to have an egg or a chrysalis. If you have an adult animal, ask where it
came from and how it has changed before now. If you have an egg, ask what it will become. This will help you initiate a classroom discussion
about life cycles of animals.
Description: Students should have the opportunity to observe firsthand the life cycle of an animal such as a butterfly, frog, or chicken. For the
purposes of this task, the butterfly will be the focus. Obtain butterfly larva (caterpillars) one of three ways: 1) grow host plants and attract
butterflies that will lay eggs; 2) order from a reputable science catalog; or 3) order from a nonprofit such as Monarch Watch
www.monarchwatch.org . Students should use hand lens to observe the butterfly’s four stages of life. This series of observations will take place
over several weeks throughout the unit of study. The students should determine the needs of the butterfly and provide an acceptable habitat.
Allow students to take part in putting in the container everything the insect needs to survive.
Resources: Be sure to feed caterpillars the leaf from their host plant. For example, a Monarch caterpillar only eats milkweed. It is not accurate
that caterpillars will eat any leaf – for each species it must come from a certain plant. Not using butterflies? In some rural areas, farmers with
chicken houses will provide eggs to schools and take the chicks back after they hatch. High school science departments or agriculture programs
may have incubators they will loan.
Check for Understanding/Assessment: Students should record their observations in sketches and a descriptive journal entry each time they
observe the caterpillar or butterfly. Check to see that the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult butterfly are properly labeled. Look for journal
entries to include the needs of the creatures at each stage, and the advantages/disadvantages of metamorphosis.
TASK 2- Tree Observations
Essential Question: How do the seasons affect trees and other plants?
Hook & Attention Getter: If possible, have several woody tree buds available for your students to observe in the classroom. You should
harvest these in the winter or early spring, and they may be kept in zip-lock bags if you wish to store them for the next school year. Distribute
the buds to each student or small groups of students. Ask them to record as many observations as possible without telling them what the object
is. They should record what they think it is and where they think it came from. After allowing about 10-15 minutes for recording observations,
hold a class discussion and reveal that these are buds from a tree, what kind of tree, and its location. (This will prepare them for making
observations outdoors.)
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 7 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators Description: Students should have the opportunity to observe firsthand the life cycle of a tree in its natural location. Therefore you’ll need to
locate a suitable tree on the school grounds. Have the students choose a branch on a tree to observe in detail. They will record observations and
sketch the branch during each of the four seasons. They should also sketch/observe the entire tree as growth may make it difficult to locate the
exact same branch over a period of several months. If it is not possible to do this in the school yard, you may need to take digital pictures of a
tree at your home or a nearby park. Students may also use digital cameras to record data about a tree in their yard or neighborhood. If your
students keep a science journal for the school year, this would be an ideal place to record the observations. They should also sketch the tree at
various times throughout the year. (Suggested times for this are August, November, February, and May. This will vary depending on your
location. If you are in the far northern or southernmost part of the State, adjust as needed.) This needs to be a tree that is not an evergreen. The
tree needs to shed its leaves in the fall and produce new leaves in the spring in order to make the impact needed on student learning.
Resources: Journey North offers a “Signs of Spring” program with lesson plans and ideas. www.learner.org/jnorth There are other related
resources at this website as well.
Check for Understanding/Assessment: Use recorded observations in science journals to check for understanding. Are students making the
connections regarding the change of seasons and the differences in the tree? Do their notes and observations include advantages and
disadvantages of the responses of the tree to the seasons?
TASK 3- Growing a Seed
Essential Question: How does a plant develop from a small seed?
Hook & Attention Getter: Place some seeds in a brown paper bag. Do not tell students what is in the bag. Ask each student to put their hand
inside the bag and feel what is inside. If possible, have enough seeds to make it two or three inches deep. Ask students to write down three
adjectives to describe what is inside the bag. Then ask them to record if they believe that the objects in the bag are living or dead. After students
have recorded their observations, have a class discussion. Students should share answers before you reveal the contents of the bag.
Description: Students should grow a plant from a seed and keep a journal record of its progress, including both sketches and descriptive
sentences. This is a simple task, but necessary for student learning. You may have students plant seeds in containers indoors or in a designated
place outdoors. It may be helpful to plant both indoors and outdoors in order to compare and contrast the progress as they related to the growing
conditions.
Resources: The National Gardening Association offers a variety of resources at www.kidsgardening.org . Teachers may also wish to read
aloud from science trade books such as “Ten Seeds” by Ruth Brown or “The Tiny Seed” by Eric Carle.
Check for Understanding/Assessment: Teachers may wish to conference with students one on one allowing them to describe the growth as
they show their plant and journal to the teacher.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 8 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators Teacher Information and Resources
Children’s Literature Books
Arnold, Katya. (1997). Katya’s book of mushrooms
Fleisher, Paul. (1999). Salt marsh
Giesecke, Ernestine. (1999). Outside my window: Mammals
Goldin, Augusta. (1999). Ducks don’t get wet
Hickman, P. & Collins, H. (1999). A new duck: My first look at the life cycle of a bird
Ling, Mary. (1992). See how they grow: Butterfly
National Geographic Society. (1995). Creepy crawly creatures
Rockwell, Anne. (2001). Growing like me
Rockwell, Anne. (2001). Bugs are insects
Sill, Cathryn. (1997). About mammals: A guide for children
Stewart, M. (2004). A parade of plants Investigate science
Walker, Sally. (2001). Fireflies
Watts, Barrie. (1987). Dandelion. (Also available in the series: Apple tree, Bird’s nest, Bean and plant, Butterfly and caterpillar, Chicken and
egg, Hamster, Ladybug, Mushroom, Snail, Spider’s web, Tadpole and frog.)
Websites:
Monarch Watch www.monarchwatch.org
Journey North www.learner.org/jnorth
National Gardening Association www.kidsgardening.org
Environmental Education Alliance www.eeingeorgia.org
Georgia Wildlife Federation www.gwf.org
Atlanta Botanical Garden: http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/home.do
Fernbank Museum of Natural History: http://www.fernbank.edu/museum/
Georgia Aquarium: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/
Georgia Museum of Natural History: http://museum.nhm.uga.edu/
Georgia State Symbols: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/georgia/
Nature Games: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/games.shtml
Okefenokee National Wildlife Reserve: http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/
The Audubon Society: http://www.audubon.org/
The Entomology Society of America: http://www.entsoc.org/
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 9 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators The State Botanical Garden of Georgia: http://www.uga.edu/~botgarden/
Zoo Atlanta: http://www.zooatlanta.org/home.htm
National Wildlife Federation http://www.nwf.org/keepthewildalive/lifecycles.cfm
http://esd.iu5.org/LessonPlans/LifeCycle/animals.htm
All About Frogs http://allaboutfrogs.org.
Monarch Lab http://www.monarchlab.umn.edu/
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_2nd_science.htm#life
http://www.rusd.k12.ca.us/4teachers/science/science2.html
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Science y Grade 2 y Life Cycles
December 17, 2007 y Page 10 of 10
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved