Life Cycles
We will examine the life cycles of a selection of plants and animals, looking closely at the different stages in development.
National Curriculum Summary
Sc2
Sc2 Life Processes and Living ThingsLife Processes - We learn that the life processes common to animals and plants include growth, nutrition and reproduction, and to make links between life processes in familiar animals and plants and the environments in which they are found.
Green Plants - We learn about the effect of light, air, water and temperature on plant growth, and discover the roles of the leaves and roots. We learn about the parts of the flower and their role in life cycles.
Main National Curriculum Links
Sc2 1a, 1b, 1c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the day pupils will be able to:
- recognise that flowering plants produce seeds and these seeds will grow into new plants
- explain the plant life cycle and the importance of insects for pollination
- name the parts of the flower and the function of each part
- explain why seeds need to be dispersed and the different ways that this happens
- recognise how animals, including humans, grow and change throughout their life cycle
Availability
March to OctoberDay Summary
The day begins with an introduction by the day leader, welcoming the group to the centre, followed by a whole-class game or activity.The children then split into groups (3 groups) for the remaining activities: Plant Life Cycles, Pollination & Seeds, and Animal Life Cycles.
Plant Life Cycles
We look at plants outside, and use diagrams to explore for ourselves the different stages of a plant life cycle. We then play a game where the children role play the different parts of a plant and its life cycle. A walk around our nature garden allows us to explore the variety of plants at Skelton, and we will make a sticky postcard to remind us of what we've seen.Pollination & Seeds
We use plants outside and a model to identify the different parts of the flower involved in pollination and seed formation. If we are lucky we might see some insects outside pollinating plants. We examine lots of different types of seeds and talk about seed dispersal. Finally we play a seed dispersal game.Animal Life Cycles
Each child will have the opportunity to carry out a pond dip. They will look closely at the creatures they have caught and will find out at what stage in their life cycle the animal is at, and what will happen next. The children will discover that some of the pond creatures will go through some very dramatic changes.
Visit our Links page to find some fun ideas for pre-visit or follow-up activities!
