Life Cycle Sequencing Cards
Bean plant, butterfly, birch tree, and more!Invite your students to explore the life cycles of common organisms with these life cycle sequencing cards. The cards cover the bean plant, butterfly, birch tree, apple tree, honeybee, ladybug, and frog. They come already mixed up, so kids can color, cut, and put them in order. Use as an introductory task, check for understanding, center activity, or study guide!
As you introduce life cycles, focus on key concepts such as stages of growth, changes in form and function, and the idea that all living things follow a pattern from beginning to end. Encourage students to ask questions, make predictions, and notice patterns across plants and animals.
Teaching life cycles in elementary school is not only standards-based, it's also a great way to help students understand how living things grow and change over time. At this level, students are ready to explore clear, observable stages — like seed to plant or egg to adult—and begin comparing similarities and differences across species.
In Butterfly Tales, learn how butterflies bring joy and beauty to the world as they flutter into gardens and woods each spring. Dr. Bullman, a butterfly expert, shows how tracking butterflies helps scientists understand if the environment is healthy or not. She explains how to tell butterflies and moths apart — like how butterflies rest with their wings up, while moths rest with their wings flat. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Countryfile, which explores rural life and traditions of the countryside.
In Meet the Gliding Leaf Frog, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores gliding leaf frogs. Learn how they only leave the canopy when it is time to breed, and how they slow their descent using webbed feet, which they use as parachutes. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Amazing Life Cycle of Mayflies, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how mayflies emerge and reproduce during a few days in June. Male mayflies have only one purpose in life: to reproduce. After this, they die, leaving the females to fly upstream and lay their eggs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Just Right! How Plants Grow, Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers are at the park. They get a close-up look at flowers and learn what plants need in order to grow. This video is excerpted from BBC's Ranger Hamza’s Eco Quest, a nature exploration show in which Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers go on quests to discover nature’s wonders and the important role they play in our environment.