Week 3: Life Cycles



 









The first thing we did in lab this week was look at our germinated seeds from last week. My group's seeds did not sprout very much, but it was still cool to the little sprouts in ours and then the taller sprouts in other groups. We then learned about life cycles and the difference between incomplete and complete metamorphosis. 

I do remember learning about metamorphosis in a previous science class, but I had forgotten what it was. I like how we used play dough to create life cycles. I feel like it made the learning more engaging and easier to stay focused. I am curious to know what other kinds of hands-on activities you can do to help students learn about life cycles. 

I can use this lesson in my future classroom since it is so engaging and hands-on. Doing this activity will help my students grasp the concept of life cycles while also having fun. I would have loved doing this activity in school as it would have allowed me to "play" while also learning. 

Comments

  1. Katelyn GradyFebruary 6, 2025 at 7:35 AM

    Hello Kendra, my group's seeds sprouted a lot. It was interesting to see all the other groups and the difference in their seeds. It definitely shows how the right conditions are needed during the germination process. I also felt it was more engaging and easier to stay focused on learning about life cycles when we did this hands on modeling activity. I loved being able to show my learning and thinking through a fun activity. Like you, I would also like to do this activity with my future students, as I really enjoyed it.

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  2. Macy BlumFebruary 6, 2025 at 8:51 AM

    Hi Kendra! It’s great that you got to see the differences in seed growth between your group and others! It must have been interesting to see how those little sprouts compared. I also love that you found the playdough activity engaging—it’s such a creative way to visualize life cycles and make learning more interactive. As for other hands-on activities, you could try things like growing plants from seeds or even observing live insects to track their metamorphosis stages. I agree that these activities make learning more enjoyable and memorable, which would definitely have made a difference in my own school experience too!

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  3. Carly BorthFebruary 6, 2025 at 11:13 AM

    Hi Kendra! I enjoyed reading your post this week and hearing your thoughts on lab. Similar to you, my group's seeds did not sprout very much. But, I found it interesting to see how much other groups' seeds had grown. I enjoy these hands-on activities to demonstrate our learning. I found the play dough this week especially enjoyable. This is something I would definitely use in my future classroom as well because it is such a fun way for students to learn. Great post!

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  4. BellaFebruary 6, 2025 at 4:55 PM

    Hi Kendra! My group had the same experience with the seeds not sprouting as much. However, it was still exciting to observe the differences in growth between the other groups. I agree; using play dough to model life cycles is such a fun and interactive way to reinforce learning. Hands-on activities like this really help make abstract concepts more concrete and engaging for students. I also really enjoy your model, it's very creative and a good example to show a life cycle!

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