2

nd

Topic:

Lesson #

STEM Challenge: Design a NEW Animal Life

Cycle

5-6

Date:__________

Standard:
S2L1. Students will investigate the life cycles of different living organisms.
a. Determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area: a mammal such as a cat or dog or classroom
pet, a bird such as a chicken, an amphibian such as a frog, and an insect such as a butterfly.

Essential Question:
How can I design a new animal with a unique life cycle?
Vocabulary:
Materials:
Design

animal

--Review game (link to Life Cycle Bingo boards within lesson)

--STEM building materials- up to individual teacher
--coloring and writing materials
--Copies of STEM pages for students

life cycle

Instruction:
Day 1:
1. I recommend beginning with some kind of review game that includes each of the different life cycles
that have been discussed. I created some printable bingo cards (10 different ones) at this website:
http://osric.com/bingo-card-generator/?title=Life+Cycle+Bingo&words=seed%2C+flower%2C+sprout%2C+plant%2C+mammal%2C+baby
%2C+adolescent%2C+adult%2C+chicken%2C+egg%2C+chick%2C+frog%2C+tadpole%2C+froglet%2C+butterfly%2C+chrysalis%2C+caterpillar
%2C+grow%2C+cycle%2C+bird%2C+insect%2C+amphibian%2C+dog
%2C+life&freespace=true&freespaceValue=FREE&freespaceRandom=false&width=5&height=5&number=10#results

Hopefully you can tell that this particular site allows you to adjust and edit the boards. If you would like to edit
them to better fit the unit youve taught, go for it!
2. After reviewing, introduce the STEM challenge and constraints to students. Be sure to edit the STEM
Challenge page to suit your specific requirements. You may want them to simply draw each stage, or you may
require them to build 3D models of the animal at each stage. It may also be wise to pull some pictures of zoo
informational displays so that they understand what they are supposed to be creating.
3. Allow students/groups to begin planning.
Day 2:
1. Allow students to finish planning and begin construction on their life cycle model.
2. Finished groups should either present to the teacher or begin their walk around the classroom zoo.

Summarizer/Assessment:
Allow finished groups to observe other
groups work. Facilitate conversation
about the different ways that groups
chose to build and which ideas students
like best, why?
Evaluate student construction based on
the given criteria/constraints.

Lab Safety Precautions:

Students should practice scissor safety and work carefully
with non-sharp building supplies.
Classroom Teacher Connections:
Teacher Notes:
If you require students to build 3D models of each stage, be
sure to provide them with materials conducive to that task.
Moldable mediums like clay are ideal in this situation.

Science Lab Lesson Plan

Design a NEW Animal Life Cycle STEM Challenge

2nd Grade
There are A LOT of different animals in our big world, but the
scientists at Elementary Bioscience are looking for something totally
new! They want you to create a new animal and create a detailed
model of its life cycle! They want to create some beautiful new super
animal information stands for a new zoo. Can you help them?
Challenge: Create an informational display for a new animal that
details its life cycle!
Criteria:
1. Your display must be no larger than _________ (set by individual teacher)
2. Your new animal must have a unique name and at least 3 stages of their life cycle.
3. You must label each stage and create a visual representation of what the animal would look like at
that stage (teacher decides if that can be a picture or needs to be a 3D representation)
4. Your display must be colorful, neat, and eye catching!
5. Your display should also show the type of environment that your animal lives in so that the stages
of the life cycle make sense. (Animals that swim should not be found in the desert!)
Constraints:
You only have 1-2 days during your STEM time for construction!
You may only use the provided materials
You cant take the materials home
You must work together as a group to finish the project!

Materials:
UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL TEACHER!
PLAN: Here is or groups ideas about how to build the new display.

Build your display and draw a picture of what it looks like:

How is your finished display different from your plan?

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How could you make your display better?
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