Life Cycles

The life cycle of a butterfly is one of nature’s most beautiful transformations, known as metamorphosis. It starts as a tiny egg on a leaf. From the egg hatches, a caterpillar spends its time eating and growing. After a while, the caterpillar wraps itself in a chrysalis, where an incredible change happens. Inside, the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly! Once the butterfly is ready, it breaks out of the chrysalis and flies, starting the cycle again by laying eggs.

Diagram the lifecycle of a butterfly.

Frogs have a unique life cycle that includes both aquatic and terrestrial stages. They start life as eggs in the water. From the eggs hatch tiny tadpoles, which have tails and swim like fish. As the tadpole grows, it slowly changes. It grows legs, its tail gets shorter, and eventually, it becomes a froglet. Finally, the froglet grows into an adult frog that can live both in water and on land. Once fully grown, the frog can lay eggs, starting the cycle all over again.

Draw the lifecycle if a frog!

All plants, including trees, have life cycles. They begin with a seed. The seed, when dropped by the plant, the bird in flight, the animal, or the tree, and planted by humans, connects with the soil. Seeds are baby plants with a hard outer shell protecting the seed embryo. When the seed has the right temperature, moisture, and soil, it germinates or begins to grow. The seed coat provides safety for a hypocotyl to emerge as a beginning stem. The cotyledon provides nutrients to help the seed grow. They take nutrients from the soil and emerge into the sun to spout the first leaves. The leaves continue to gain height and more leaves and, in time, reproduce seeds, flowers, and some plants’ fruits. Its growth begins with roots finding their way into the ground for nutrients. Seedlings sprout above the soil when the conditions support root growth. Different plants have different life cycles. Some are annual and only grow for one season. Annual plants begin to wilt and turn brown when there is no longer enough sun to feed them or the temperature lowers to too cold or rises to too hot. These plants fall on the ground and are quickly eaten by insects, worms, and other decomposers, adding nutrients to the topsoil for the following growing season. Perennial plants, on the other hand, disperse seeds into the ground, which will awaken in the spring when temperature and moisture conditions are just right.

Draw the lifecycle of your favorite plant.

A cat’s life cycle starts with pregnancy and birth. These kittens are born blind and helpless, relying on their mother’s milk and care until they’re weaned. As the kitten grows, they develop their senses, learn to walk, explore their surroundings, and learn how to jump, play, and hunt. After a few months, the kitten becomes a young adult cat, which can have kittens of its own. Adult cats live for many years, enjoying life with their families, or in the wild, eventually getting older and passing away. Pet cats that are taken care of live 15-20 years. Each cat’s lifespan varies, though, with some living to be 25 or 30 years old!

Draw the lifespan of cats!

An ink pen starts its life in a factory, where plastic, metal, and ink are put together. Once made, it’s sold to people who use it to write or draw. Eventually, the ink runs out, and the pen can no longer be used. Once the pen is empty, it can either be thrown away and last longer than the pyramids(!) or it can be recycled if it’s made from recyclable materials. Eventually, the recycled materials are repurposed into new pens, completing their life cycle.

Make a list of the lifespan of objects that you live with. Think about your shoes, a phone, a computer, a refrigerator, and a car.

The life cycle of a cloud is part of the water cycle. It starts when the sun heats water from oceans, rivers, and lakes, causing it to evaporate and turn into water vapor. Water vapor stays an average of 8 days in the atmosphere. The water vapor rises into the atmosphere and cools, forming tiny water droplets that group to create clouds. As clouds gather more moisture, they become heavy and release precipitation like rain, sleet, or snow. Water on the ground may stay a week or more depending on the porosity of what it collects on, or it will follow gravity and find its way to rivers, lakes, and oceans. Shallow groundwater fills up and may stay for hundreds of years; deep groundwater and aquifers may last thousands of years! Frozen water in glaciers can remain for thousands to millions of years! After the rain falls, the cycle begins again, as the water returns to the earth and eventually evaporates into the atmosphere. The cycle of water is endless.

Diagram the life of a raindrop!

The life cycle of a can is different from living things but still important. It starts in a factory, where metal is shaped into a can. After being filled with a drink or food, the can is moved to a store, the can is bought and used by people. Once the can is empty, it can be thrown away or recycled. If recycled, the metal is cleaned, melted down, and made into a brand-new can. This recycling process helps reduce waste in the environment and keeps the cycle going.

Draw the lifecycle of a can that is recycled and the life cycle of a can that ends up in a landfill.

The life cycle of a human begins at conception and then creates a fetus, and the fetus grows inside the mother for about nine months. Then a baby is born. As babies grow, they enter childhood, learning and developing new skills. After childhood comes the teenage years, where people grow even more and mature into adults. Next is adulthood, where humans are fully grown and have jobs, families, children, and responsibilities. Eventually, humans grow older, and their bodies slow down before they pass away. But life continues with new babies being born, keeping the cycle going. People live longer today than before. Every day you wake up is a gift. Make it your best day yet!

Draw a lifecycle of someone who inspires you!

Think about the materials you use in your daily life. Almost everyone goes to the store to buy things they need. A familiar question at the checkout line is “Paper or plastic?” Which do you think is more sustainable? “Paper or plastic” raises questions about the material’s origin, production process, transportation, and distribution. “Paper or plastic” also raises questions about what happens to the material once we’re done using it. The beginning, middle, and end of a material are considered its lifecycle. The lifecycle of a material is essential to our carbon footprint, or the amount of carbon our activities give out into the atmosphere. A life-cycle looks at the environmental impact throughout all the stages of a material’s life, from cradle to grave (i.e., from raw material, processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, disposal, and/or recycling).

Paper is biodegradable, meaning that it will decompose and go back into the ground. Plastic bags, on the other hand, are more often not. Unfortunately, they become stuck in our tree tops, along our roadsides, even in the throats and stomachs of ducks, seals, and fish. Start being more sustainable by bringing your own bag to the store. Reusing bags reduces the flow of unused bags and slows down the need for more production. Even better, could you design a reusable bag that your school or community can use? Make new choices!

The Earth has a much longer life cycle than people or animals. It formed billions of years ago from clouds of gas and dust. Over time, it cooled down and water filled its surface, creating oceans and lands, and became the planet we live on today. Earth continues to change through natural events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Scientists believe that in many, many years, the Earth will eventually grow old, just like humans and animals. But for now, Earth is our home and will continue to support life for a long time.

Draw a Diagram of some of the life that the Earth supports!

• What is the first stage of a human life cycle?
  • Childhood
  • Teen age
  • Conception
  • Adulthood
• What happens after a caterpillar hatches from the egg?
  • It turns into a butterfly
  • It spends time eating and growing
  • It lays more eggs
  • It wraps itself in a chrysallis
• What do tadpoles turn into as they grow
  • Fish
  • Frogs
  • Lizards
  • Snakes
• What do kittens rely on when they are first born?
  • Solid food
  • Water
  • Meat
  • Their mother's milk
• What happens to a can once it is empty?
  • It gets thrown away or recycled
  • it becomes a new drink
  • it decomposes and disappears
• What is one way the life cycle of an ink pen can continue after it runs out of ink?
  • It can be buried in the ground
  • Its material can be repurposed into new pens
  • It can decompose in the ocean
  • It can be thrown away
• Which lasts longer?
  • The pyramids
  • A person
  • An ink pen
  • a tree
• Which takes longer to decompose?
  • paper
  • food
  • plastics
  • yard waste