Life cycles of animals and plants
Question - How do animal and plant life cycles compare?
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All animals and plants on this earth go through a life cycle. There are different stages of the life cycle phase with birth being the starting point and death is the end. The life cycles of some plants and animals are very short like a few hours (e.g. Bacteria); while some plants can survive for hundreds of years (e.g. Giant Redwood Trees).
Overview of lesson
You will explore the comparisons between the life cycles of animals and plants. There are six steps in this task card starting with a video to observe the life cycles of a frog, butterfly and plant. You will then be guided to read more about the lifecycle of frogs, and then compare various animals and their lifecycles. Read how sensitive frogs are to their environment. Play fun interactive games to test your knowledge on the lifecycle of frog, butterfly and plants. To complete this task card, you will take on the role of a plant or animal and write a narrative of their life cycle.
Step 1 - Observing Life Cycles
Step 2 - Lifecycle of a frog
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A frog is an amphibian. Most amphibians spend their early life on water and most of their adult life on land. An adult female frog lays her eggs in calm water or in wet places among vegetation and the plants there help to hide and protect the eggs. Eggs are laid in a large clump called spawn and this large clump is usually too big to be eaten by other animals. Some frogs decide to stay with their eggs while others lay their eggs and leave. Inside the egg is an embryo and slowly grows and starts to look like a tadpole. The tiny tadpoles are ready to hatch after 6 to 21 days.
The tiny tadpoles move very quickly and they attach themselves to floating plant and try to remain hidden. They eat the rest of the yolk to survive and provides them with the food they need. After about a week, the tadpoles begin to swim around and feed on algae.
Four weeks after hatching, they begin to change and develop tiny teeth and start to grow back legs. Then the front legs begin to form and their tail gets smaller and smaller. Their lungs develop and they begin to surface to breath the air. They eat plant, decaying animal matter and some even eat other frogs' eggs and smaller tadpoles.
After 12 weeks, the tadpoles have become tiny frogs. Their lungs are fully developed and the tail has disappeared. They now live mostly on land, eating insects and worms. The adult frog may live for several years. When the frogs are ready to mate, the male frogs use load croaking noises to attract the females. Then the cycle begins again!
Step 3 - Comparing Life Cycles
This section provides more information on the life cycles for a variety of animals as well as picture diagrams showing the life cycle of the house fly, human and jellyfish.
Click on the button below to access more information on a variety of life cycles for animals.
Life cycle of a house fly
Life cycle of a human
Life cycle of a jellyfish
Step 4 - Frogs and their environment threats
Australia has more than 200 species of frogs, with one of the most diverse range of frogs in the world. Frogs live in the most varied of our country environments, from rainforests and mountains to deserts. However, they are sensitive to change in their environment. Click on the button below to read more it.
Additional reading - Lester and Clyde by James H. Reece
Step 5 - Interactive games on life cycles
Click on the button below to play an interactive game that looks at the life cycles of butterflies, frogs and flowering plants.
Students need to drag the images to the appropriate stages in the life cycle diagram.
Step 6 - Creating a narrative of a life cycle
To complete the task card. You will take on the role of the plant or animal of your choice to create a narrative of their life cycle.
Before you begin, use the Y chart below to use your senses to imagine the feelings of the animal or plant such as, what I see, what I feel, and what I hear. Try to understand the viewpoint of the plant or animal and what drives and threats occur during its lifecycle.
Once you have gathered your thoughts, start to write a narrative about the lifecycle of a plant or animal of your choice by using the Y chart, previously observed video, interactive games and readings.
Before you begin, use the Y chart below to use your senses to imagine the feelings of the animal or plant such as, what I see, what I feel, and what I hear. Try to understand the viewpoint of the plant or animal and what drives and threats occur during its lifecycle.
Once you have gathered your thoughts, start to write a narrative about the lifecycle of a plant or animal of your choice by using the Y chart, previously observed video, interactive games and readings.
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