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Upper Key Stage 2 Human Reproduction and Relationships
Life Cycles

Look at the life cycles of the butterfly and frog and flowering plants. Discuss reasons for reproduction and consider animals facing extinction. Look in detail at the human life cycle and compare the stages with those of other animals.

Session 1 Life Cycles (A)

Objectives

Science

  • Describe differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird.
  • Describe reproduction process in plants and animals.

PSHE

  • Why and how rules and laws that protect them and others are made and enforced, why different rules are needed in different situations and how to take part in making and changing rules.
  • Resolve differences by looking at alternatives, seeing and respecting others’ points of view, making decisions and explaining choices.

Lesson Planning

Revise knowledge of life cycles of butterflies, frogs which both involve metamorphosis and flowering plants. Discuss reasons for reproduction and consider animals facing extinction. Start reading Flour Babies.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To rehearse knowledge of life cycles in animals and plants.

Children will:

  • Describe the life cycles of some organisms.
  • Explain why it is important for organisms to reproduce.

Provided Resources

  • Vocabulary for the topic
  • Life cycle of a butterfly
  • Life cycle of a frog
  • Seed dispersal by animal, by explosion and by water
  • Inside of an egg

You Will Need

  • Access to internet
  • Flour Babies by Anne Fine
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Range of seeds

Weblinks

Life cycle of a frog from zephyrus.co.uk
Life cycle of a butterfly from kidsbutterfly.org or
Life cycle of a butterfly from vtaide.com
Different methods of seed dispersal from countrysideinfo.co.uk or
Seed dispersal methods from saps.org.uk
Elephants destroying human crops from web.archive.org
Plant structure and life cycles from bbc.co.uk
The structure of a chicken egg from backyardchickenelearning.com or
Information about eggs from garden-birds.co.uk
Who wants to be a millionaire? - Life cycles from primaryresources.co.uk

Session 2 Life Cycles (B)

Objectives

Science

  • Describe reproduction process in plants and animals.
  • Describe changes as humans develop to old age.
  • Use appropriate scientific language and terms to communicate ideas and explain the behaviour of living things.

Lesson Planning

Using the riddle of the Sphinx as a starting point, look in detail at the human life cycle and compare the stages with those of other animals. Look at the range of different gestation periods and life spans; draw graphs and look for patterns. Begin research.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To extend their understanding of life cycles to include the human life cycle.

Children will:

  • Describe the different stages of the human life cycle.
  • Describe the different stages of other animal life cycles.

Provided Resources

  • As you like it extract from William Shakespeare
  • Animal life cycle stages
  • Follow me cards and answers
  • Some mammel babies
  • Booklist
  • Example letter to send home

You Will Need

  • The World is Full of Babies! by Mick Manning and Brita Granström
  • Information books
  • Access to the internet.

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.