🔬 ScienceGrade 3Lesson 2
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Animal Life Cycles

How to use: Download the PDF to print the worksheet. Then use this page to repeat activities and check answers.

Learning Objectives

  • 1Sequence the stages of a butterfly life cycle
  • 2Compare the life cycles of a butterfly and a frog
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Mini Lesson

Animals also go through life cycles — a series of stages from birth to adulthood. Some animals change dramatically in form as they grow, a process called metamorphosis. The butterfly and the frog are two well-known examples of animals that undergo complete metamorphosis.

Butterfly Life Cycle

  1. Egg — a female butterfly lays eggs on leaves.
  2. Larva (caterpillar) — the egg hatches into a caterpillar that eats and grows.
  3. Pupa (chrysalis) — the caterpillar forms a protective case and transforms inside.
  4. Adult butterfly — emerges from the chrysalis, can fly, and lays new eggs.

Frog Life Cycle

  1. Frogspawn — the frog lays clusters of eggs in water.
  2. Tadpole — the eggs hatch into tadpoles that breathe with gills and live in water.
  3. Froglet — tadpoles grow legs and begin to develop lungs.
  4. Adult frog — can breathe air and move between land and water.
Vocabulary
Metamorphosis
A dramatic change in body form during an animal's life cycle.
Larva
The young, worm-like stage of an insect after hatching from an egg.
Pupa
The resting stage in an insect's life during which it transforms into an adult.
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Both butterflies and frogs go through complete metamorphosis — four distinct stages. The key difference is that frogs start life fully in water and gradually move to land.

Butterfly Life CycleCircular flow showing four butterfly life cycle stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly, connected by curved arrows.Butterfly Life CycleEggCaterpillarChrysalisButterflyComplete metamorphosis — 4 stages
Frog Life CycleCircular flow showing four frog life cycle stages: frogspawn, tadpole, froglet, adult frog, connected by curved arrows.Frog Life CycleFrogspawnTadpoleFrogletAdult FrogStarts in water, grows to live on land too
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Exercises

Butterfly Life Cycle

Drag the cards into the correct order to show the butterfly life cycle.

1
2
3
4

Frog Life Cycle

Drag the cards into the correct order to show the frog life cycle.

1
2
3
4

Pick the best answer.

What hatches from a butterfly egg?

What is the stage called when a caterpillar is transforming inside a case?

In the frog life cycle, what comes after the tadpole stage?

What is metamorphosis?

Where does a frog lay its eggs?

How many stages does the butterfly life cycle have?

What is the main difference between the butterfly and frog life cycles?

What do tadpoles use to breathe?

Which life cycle stage involves a protective outer case?

Which animal goes through both an aquatic and a land stage?

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Assessment

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