Diverse Life Cycles of Organisms
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3rd Grade Science › Diverse Life Cycles of Organisms
What is a similarity between a frog's life cycle and a butterfly's life cycle?
They both start as eggs.
They both grow wings.
They both build a cocoon.
They both grow long tails.
Explanation
At first glance, a frog and butterfly don't seem to have a lot in common, but they do have some similarities. One example is that they both start as eggs. The path to get to adulthood may be different for a snake and butterfly, but in the beginning, they are both just eggs. Their lives take different paths after the eggs hatch, but this is a similarity between the two animals.
Though plants and animals have diverse and unique life cycles, there are some similarities between them.
True
False
Explanation
The statement presented is accurate. The life cycles of plants and animals are diverse and different, but there are similarities to be found. The life cycle of plants and animals is the stages they follow from birth to death.
All organisms follow a life cycle, even humans. In the model below, what is the missing piece of the cycle?
Newborn 
Toddler
Teenager
Baby
Senior Citizen
Explanation
The missing stage of this life cycle model is "Teenager." All organisms move through life on a similar path from birth to death. In the cycle presented, this person has not completed their teenage years, which comes before being an adult. Different organisms have their specific periods, so it may look different when comparing an insect and a plant.
Though plants and animals have diverse and unique life cycles, there are some similarities between them.
True
False
Explanation
The statement presented is accurate. The life cycles of plants and animals are diverse and different, but there are similarities to be found. The life cycle of plants and animals is the stages they follow from birth to death.
All organisms follow a life cycle, even humans. In the model below, what is the missing piece of the cycle?
Newborn
Toddler
Teenager
Baby
Senior Citizen
Explanation
The missing stage of this life cycle model is "Teenager." All organisms move through life on a similar path from birth to death. In the cycle presented, this person has not completed their teenage years, which comes before being an adult. Different organisms have their specific periods, so it may look different when comparing an insect and a plant.
What is a similarity between a frog's life cycle and a butterfly's life cycle?
They both start as eggs.
They both grow wings.
They both build a cocoon.
They both grow long tails.
Explanation
At first glance, a frog and butterfly don't seem to have a lot in common, but they do have some similarities. One example is that they both start as eggs. The path to get to adulthood may be different for a snake and butterfly, but in the beginning, they are both just eggs. Their lives take different paths after the eggs hatch, but this is a similarity between the two animals.
Describe a unique characteristic of the frog's life cycle.
A frog starts with a tail, then grows legs, and finally, the tail shrinks until it is gone.
A frog starts as an egg and then morphs directly into an adult form.
Frogs do not have any unique characteristics in their life cycle.
A frog starts with a tail, then grows wings, and finally, the tail shrinks until it is gone.
Explanation
A unique characteristic of the frog's life cycle is its loss of tail and the growth of legs! A tadpole has a tail, and slowly legs grow (two at a time) as the tail shrinks. For quite a while, the frog has a small tail and four legs. Eventually, the tail shrinks until it is gone, and the frog reaches its adult stage.
What is a similarity between a snake's life cycle and a butterfly's life cycle?
They both have an adult phase.
They both grow legs.
They both build cocoons.
They both go through metamorphosis.
Explanation
At first glance, a snake and butterfly don't seem to have a lot in common, but they do have some similarities. One example is that they both have an adult phase. The path to get to adulthood may be different for a snake and butterfly, but eventually, they both reach the final stage and become adults.
What is a similarity between a snake's life cycle and a butterfly's life cycle?
They both have an adult phase.
They both grow legs.
They both build cocoons.
They both go through metamorphosis.
Explanation
At first glance, a snake and butterfly don't seem to have a lot in common, but they do have some similarities. One example is that they both have an adult phase. The path to get to adulthood may be different for a snake and butterfly, but eventually, they both reach the final stage and become adults.
Samantha and Gordon are creating a model of an organism's life cycle. They choose the butterfly as their project focus. The project is due in one month. Samantha says they should create sculptures and paint pictures of butterflies as their model. Gordon thinks they should watch a butterfly transform from an egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, and finally to butterfly and take photos along the way.
Whose model (if any) is more realistic and why?
There is not enough information to tell who has the best plan for a model. More details would need to be given to make a selection.
Neither; Both of their ideas for a model are terrible. Sculptures, pictures, and photographs are not models.
Gordon; He is correct because his model is most reasonable to complete in a month and would show the complete life cycle.
Samantha; She is correct because her model is artistic, reasonable and would be the most attractive.
Explanation
In this scenario, Gordon's model is the most realistic and would be the best choice for the project. A month is enough time to watch the butterfly move through its life cycle, and taking detailed photographs would show others what they witnessed. The photos could be put in a ring or a timeline to show the progression over time.