Animal Life Cycles and Living in Groups

A caterpillar that becomes a butterfly, a tadpole that becomes a frog, geese that fly in a V: animals change as they grow, and many of them live together. Let’s find out what every life cycle has in common, how some animals change shape completely, and how living in a group helps animals survive.

This lesson takes about 10 minutes. You can take a break after each part.

Before you start

Animal Life Cycles and Living in Groups

Learning objectives

  • I can say the steps that every animal life cycle shares: birth, growth, having young and death.
  • I can put the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle in order and compare it with a grasshopper’s.
  • I can explain how living in a group helps some animals survive.

Every animal has a life cycle

Born, grow, have young, die

Every animal has a life cycle: it is born, grows, can have young and dies.

But life cycles are not all the same: a puppy looks like a small dog, but a tadpole looks nothing like a frog!

Four numbered rows of drawings linked by arrows. Row 1: an egg on a leaf, a striped caterpillar, a green chrysalis, an orange butterfly. Row 2: eggs in the soil, a young grasshopper, a bigger adult grasshopper. Row 3: frog eggs in water, a tadpole, a tadpole with legs, a frog. Row 4: a sleeping puppy, a playful puppy, an adult dog.
Every animal is born, grows and changes. A butterfly and a frog change shape a lot; a puppy simply grows bigger.

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Big changes: from caterpillar to butterfly

Changing shape, or just growing

Some animals change shape completely. A monarch butterfly goes from egg to caterpillar, then chrysalis, then butterfly. This big change is called metamorphosis.

Other insects do not. A young grasshopper already looks like its parents: it grows bigger, and its wings grow too.

A circle of four numbered stages joined by arrows: 1, a small egg on a leaf; 2, a black, yellow and white striped caterpillar eating a leaf; 3, a green chrysalis hanging from a twig; 4, an orange and black monarch butterfly. An arrow goes from the butterfly back to the egg.
A monarch goes from egg to caterpillar, then chrysalis, then butterfly: its body changes completely.
A circle of three numbered stages joined by arrows: 1, a group of pale eggs in a hole in the soil; 2, a small young grasshopper with no long wings; 3, a large adult grasshopper with long wings. An arrow goes from the adult back to the eggs.
A young grasshopper already looks like its parents. It grows bigger, and its wings grow too. There is no caterpillar and no chrysalis.

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Living in groups

Together, they survive better

Many animals live in groups.

Small fish swim in a school to escape hunters. Geese fly in a V and take turns in front. Ants share the jobs of the colony.

Three numbered pictures side by side. 1: a line of geese flying in a V shape above a river and forests. 2: a huge school of small silver fish swimming together while a big tuna swims toward them. 3: an underground ant nest; ants carry pieces of green leaves along the surface and into rooms where white food grows.
Geese fly in a V, small fish swim in a school, ants share the work: living in a group helps them survive.

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Review game

Final assessment

To master the lesson, you need at least 60% correct answers.

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Summary

  • Every animal has a life cycle: it is born, grows, can have young and dies.
  • Life cycles are different: a butterfly changes completely (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly), a grasshopper or a puppy simply grows.
  • Many animals live in groups: schools of fish, geese in a V, ant colonies.
  • A group helps its members survive: finding food, staying safe and sharing the work.

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