A mammal is a warm-blooded animal that gives birth to live young and has hair or fur.

A fish is a cold-blooded animal that has fins and a tail and uses gills to breathe underwater.

A bird is a warm-blooded animal that lays hard shelled eggs and has feathers.

A reptile is a cold-blooded animal that lays eggs and has dry, scaly skin.

An amphibian is a cold-blooded animal that has moist skin, lays eggs and can live on land and in water.

Animal groups

Science

Insects (non-statutory)

Mammal life cycles

Bird life cycles

Comparing the life cycles of mammals and birds

Amphibian life cycles

Insect life cycles

Comparing the life cycles of amphibians and insects

Endangered animals & life cycles (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)

More about endangered animals (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)

Animal gestation periods

In this Reproduction and life cycles: animals unit, pupils learn to describe the life process of reproduction in some animals. In the Evolution and inheritance unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents

In the New life unit, pupils learnt that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults. In this Reproduction and life cycles: animals unit, pupils will build on this knowledge to describe the differences in life cycles of different animal groups

This unit explores the life cycles of mammals, amphibians, insects, and birds, and the reproduction process in plants and animals. It focuses on recording data, presenting findings with conclusions, and evaluating scientific evidence to support or refute ideas in various presentation formats.

Reproduction and life cycles: animals

An insect is an invertebrate animal that lays eggs and has antennae, six legs and a body divided into three segments.

Antennae are a pair of long, sensory organs on the heads of insects.

Something that is segmented is in segments or sections.

An invertebrate is an animal that does not have a spine or backbone.

An exoskeleton is the hard outer layer that covers, supports, and protects the body of an invertebrate.

A life cycle is the way in which a living thing changes as it ages.

Secondary sources are texts, images or objects created using information gathered by others.

To research something is to find out about it or investigate it carefully.

A bird is a warm-blooded animal that lays eggs and has feathers, wings and a beak.

An egg is a roundish object with a developing animal inside.

A hatchling is a very young animal that has just hatched from an egg.

A fledgling is a young bird that is developing feathers for flight and is getting ready to leave the nest.

When living things reproduce they create their offspring.

A similarity is something that two objects have in common.

A difference between two objects or things is something that is not similar or the same about them.

A larva is a life cycle stage that some animals go through before metamorphosis into their next form.

Metamorphosis is a major change from one form to another.

An insect is an invertebrate animal that has antennae, six legs and a body divided into segments.

Larva is the life cycle stage that some animals go through before metamorphosis into their next form.

Inside a pupa, an insect changes from one form to another.

A similarity is something two objects have in common.

A species is a group of animals or plants that are similar and can have babies together.

Animals or plants that have died out completely are extinct.

An endangered plant or animal is one that is at risk of becoming extinct.

A conservationist is a scientist who works to prevent animals from becoming endangered or extinct.

To communicate is to share or exchange information or ideas.

An animal is a living thing which moves and eats other animals or plants.

Living things create offspring when they reproduce.

A gestation period is the amount of time an animal carries its offspring inside its body before giving birth.

A prediction is a statement saying what you think will happen.

Primary

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Reproduction and life cycles: animals

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