Egg, Growth, Eggs Again
A 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on modelling life cycles that look very different but share the same four things.
Egg, Growth, Eggs Again is a free 55-minute Grade 3 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 3-LS1-1 — model how life cycles differ, and what every one of them has in common. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3
- Length:
- 55 minutes
- Standard:
- 3-LS1-1
Grade 3 · Life Science
3-LS1-1
Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
Objective
Students will be able to model two different life cycles and name what they share.
Students are successful when they can
- Orders the stages of a life cycle.
- Names the four things every cycle has.
- Says what makes two cycles different.
What you need
- Life cycle card sets for a butterfly, frog, sunflower and chicken
- Circles of card for drawing cycles
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up
5 min- Show a caterpillar and a butterfly and ask whether they are the same animal.
- Hold the disagreement.
Teach — different middles, same four
14 min- Order the butterfly cards: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult, eggs again.
- Order the frog cards: egg, tadpole, tadpole with legs, froglet, adult.
- Ask what is different: the stages in the middle.
- Ask what is the same: both start as eggs, grow, reproduce and die.
- Draw both as circles to show the cycle returning to eggs.
- Add the sunflower and ask whether the same four hold for a plant. They do.
“Different in the middle. Now what do they share?”
Investigate — model two cycles
19 min- Groups build two life cycles as circles from card.
- They label birth, growth, reproduction and death on each.
- They mark the stages that are unique to one cycle.
- They swap models and check the four are all labelled.
Independent practice
14 min- Students complete the 'Egg, Growth, Eggs Again' page.
- Check the sequence returns to the start.
Close
3 min- Ask which stage in a cycle is easiest to miss when observing.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Thinks a caterpillar and a butterfly are different animals.
Why: They look nothing alike.
Fix: Follow the cycle. It is one animal at two stages.
Draws the cycle as a line.
Why: Stages happen in order.
Fix: It returns to eggs. Draw the arrow back.
Thinks plants do not have life cycles.
Why: Plants do not hatch.
Fix: A sunflower goes seed, plant, flower, seed. Same four.
If they are not there yet
- One cycle with four cards.
- Stage labels supplied to place.
If they finish early
- Model a cycle with a stage the others do not have.
- Say which cycle is fastest and how you would find out.
- Explain why every cycle must include reproduction.
Exit ticket
A butterfly and a frog have different life cycles. Name one difference and the four things both share.
What to look for: A difference such as chrysalis versus tadpole, and birth, growth, reproduction and death. Fewer than four means the shared list needs another run.
Printable practice for 3-LS1-1
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Egg, Growth, Eggs AgainNumber the stages from 1 to 4.
Questions about Egg, Growth, Eggs Again
How long does the Egg, Growth, Eggs Again lesson take?
55 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 14 min, investigate 19 min, independent practice 14 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Egg, Growth, Eggs Again teach?
3-LS1-1 — 3-LS1-1, Life Science for Grade 3: “Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.” In plain terms, model how life cycles differ, and what every one of them has in common.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Life cycle card sets for a butterfly, frog, sunflower and chicken, circles of card for drawing cycles and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: thinks a caterpillar and a butterfly are different animals; draws the cycle as a line and thinks plants do not have life cycles. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “A butterfly and a frog have different life cycles. Name one difference and the four things both share.” A difference such as chrysalis versus tadpole, and birth, growth, reproduction and death. Fewer than four means the shared list needs another run. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Egg, Growth, Eggs Again?
Yes — 1 printable 3-LS1-1 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Egg, Growth, Eggs Again free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to 3-LS1-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.