Compare Two Life Cycles, Butterfly and Frog

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about animal life cycles?" Then let them work through it independently after a quick group example, checking in with a partner if they get stuck, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These animal life cycles worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

Fill in a table that compares the butterfly and frog life cycles. A life cycle is the set of stages a living thing goes through as it grows. To compare means to find how things are alike and different. The directions on the page read: Read about each life cycle. Then, fill in the table. The answer key shows every answer.

Yes, both. We made it for 2nd Grade animals, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with animal life cycles. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Students learn the ordered stages each animal passes through from birth to adulthood and reproduction, and they compare how different animals undergo either complete metamorphosis (like butterflies) or gradual growth (like dogs). Sequencing, labeling, and comparing diagrams build both science and literacy skills.

Animal life cycles are a core Grade 2 life science standard in most curricula, typically covered in spring. They build on Kindergarten plant life cycle lessons and connect forward to Grade 3 inheritance and traits topics.

If possible, observe a real life cycle, raise caterpillars with a kit, watch tadpoles in a pond, or hatch chick eggs at school. The worksheets provide the recording and labeling framework that turns observation into structured learning. Even looking at family photos through a 'life cycle' lens makes the concept personal.

7 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 2nd Grade students, roughly ages 7-8. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.