Elementary School Science Quiz: Comparing Life Cycles
20 questions · exam conditions
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Comparing Life CyclesQuestion 1 of 20

Sunflower: seed→sprout→plant→flower→seeds. Chicken: egg→chick→adult. What is one difference?​​

Both begin as eggs and hatch into babies.
A sunflower starts from a seed, but a chicken starts from an egg.
A chicken makes seeds, but a sunflower lays eggs.
Both have a tadpole stage before becoming adults.
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Elementary School Science Quiz

Elementary School Science Quiz: Comparing Life Cycles

Practice Comparing Life Cycles in Elementary School Science with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Comparing Life Cycles, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Elementary School Science.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Sunflower: seed→sprout→plant→flower→seeds. Chicken: egg→chick→adult. What is one difference?​​

  1. Both begin as eggs and hatch into babies.
  2. A sunflower starts from a seed, but a chicken starts from an egg. (correct answer)
  3. A chicken makes seeds, but a sunflower lays eggs.
  4. Both have a tadpole stage before becoming adults.
Explanation: This question tests the skill of comparing life cycles of different organisms (3-LS1-1). Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways organisms develop. Sunflowers and chickens represent two different kingdoms of life (plants and animals) with fundamentally different starting points. The key difference is that sunflowers begin as seeds (plant reproductive structures), while chickens begin as eggs (animal reproductive structures). Answer B correctly identifies that a sunflower starts from a seed, but a chicken starts from an egg, which is the accurate biological distinction. Answer A is incorrect because sunflowers don't begin as eggs; C reverses the reproductive methods incorrectly; D is wrong because neither has a tadpole stage. When teaching, emphasize that plants typically reproduce through seeds while animals reproduce through eggs or live birth, helping students understand the diversity of life cycles across kingdoms.

Question 2

Dog: puppy→adult dog. Frog: egg→tadpole→adult frog. How is the frog life cycle different?

  1. A tadpole looks very different from an adult frog, but a puppy looks like a small dog. (correct answer)
  2. A puppy becomes a butterfly, but a tadpole becomes a frog.
  3. A dog has a tadpole stage, but a frog does not.
  4. Both animals hatch from seeds and then grow leaves.
Explanation: The skill being assessed is 3-LS1-1, which involves comparing the life cycles of different organisms to understand their patterns. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand the diversity among them, and observe different ways they develop from birth to reproduction. In the life cycles of the dog and the frog, both begin young, grow to adults, reproduce, and go through developmental stages leading to maturity. Key differences include the frog's start from an egg and dramatic metamorphosis from tadpole to adult versus the dog's live birth as a puppy and gradual growth without major body changes. The correct answer, choice A, works because it accurately identifies a true difference in appearance changes during growth, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. The distractors fail because they introduce incorrect transformations like becoming butterflies or having tadpole stages wrongly, confuse organisms with plant-like growth, or are irrelevant and factually wrong. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare the stages, identify each organism's progression, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in how the stages occur.

Question 3

Bean plant: seed→sprout→plant→flowers→seeds; Butterfly: egg→caterpillar→chrysalis→adult. What is one difference?

  1. A bean plant stays in one place, but a butterfly moves from place to place. (correct answer)
  2. A bean plant hatches from an egg, but a butterfly grows from a seed.
  3. Both have a tadpole stage before becoming adults.
  4. Only a butterfly makes new living things when it is an adult.
Explanation: This question tests the skill of comparing life cycles of different organisms (3-LS1-1). Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways organisms develop. Bean plants and butterflies represent fundamentally different types of organisms - plants are stationary and make their own food, while animals move and must find food. The key difference is mobility - bean plants are rooted in one place throughout their life cycle, while butterflies can fly and move from place to place to find food, mates, and egg-laying sites. Answer A correctly identifies that bean plants stay in one place but butterflies move from place to place, which is a fundamental difference between plant and animal life. Answer B reverses the facts incorrectly; C is wrong because neither has a tadpole stage; D is false because both make new living things (seeds/eggs) when adult. Teaching strategies include discussing plant versus animal characteristics, showing how mobility affects life cycles, and comparing how different organisms meet their needs in different ways.

Question 4

Compare butterfly and frog life cycles. How are they similar?

  1. Both start as eggs and change a lot before becoming adults. (correct answer)
  2. Both hatch from eggs and stay in the water their whole lives.
  3. Both are born as tiny adult animals and only grow bigger.
  4. Both grow seeds after they become adults.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both butterfly and frog life cycles start from eggs, grow through immature stages, undergo significant changes, and reach adulthood where they can reproduce. Key differences include the butterfly's chrysalis stage on land versus the frog's tadpole stage in water, and the butterfly's complete metamorphosis versus the frog's gradual loss of tail and growth of legs. The correct answer, A, works because it accurately identifies the true similarity of starting as eggs and undergoing major changes, which is relevant to their life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like B fail because they include incorrect details, such as both staying in water, which is wrong for butterflies, making it an incorrect similarity. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare stages, identify common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in how changes occur.

Question 5

Chicken: egg→chick→adult; Human: baby→child→adult. Both chicken and human life cycles include what?

  1. A young stage that grows into an adult stage. (correct answer)
  2. A tadpole stage that lives in water.
  3. A chrysalis stage before becoming an adult.
  4. A seed stage that grows roots and leaves.
Explanation: This question tests the skill of comparing life cycles of different organisms (3-LS1-1). Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways organisms develop. Both chickens and humans are examples of organisms that grow gradually from young to adult without metamorphosis, maintaining their basic body form while increasing in size. The similarity is that both have distinct young stages (chick/baby) that grow and develop into adult stages, representing the universal pattern of growth and development. Answer A correctly identifies that both have a young stage that grows into an adult stage, which is the fundamental similarity in their life cycles. Answer B is incorrect because humans don't have tadpole stages; C is wrong because neither chickens nor humans have chrysalis stages; D is false because neither starts as seeds. Teaching strategies include emphasizing gradual growth versus metamorphosis, showing how some animals keep the same basic shape while growing, and helping students identify common patterns across different life cycles.

Question 6

Compare dog and frog life cycles. What do both have in common?

  1. Both begin life as eggs laid on leaves.
  2. Both make seeds when they are adults.
  3. Both grow from young to adult and can have babies. (correct answer)
  4. Both have a tadpole stage before becoming adults.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both dog and frog life cycles begin with a young form, grow into adults, and can produce offspring. Key differences include dogs being born live with gradual growth, while frogs start as eggs, become tadpoles with gills, and transform into land-dwelling adults. The correct answer, C, works because it accurately identifies the true similarity of growing from young to adult and reproducing, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like A fail because they include incorrect similarities, such as dogs having a tadpole stage, which is irrelevant and confuses organisms. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare, identify stages in each, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in developmental changes.

Question 7

Butterfly: egg→caterpillar→chrysalis→adult. Frog: egg→tadpole→frog. What is one difference?​

  1. A butterfly changes inside a chrysalis, but a frog changes while active. (correct answer)
  2. A frog changes inside a chrysalis, but a butterfly grows legs and hops.
  3. Both have a chick stage before becoming adults.
  4. Neither starts life as an egg.
Explanation: This question tests the skill of comparing life cycles of different organisms (3-LS1-1). Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways organisms develop. Both butterflies and frogs undergo metamorphosis, but they transform in different ways. The key difference is that butterflies undergo metamorphosis inside a protective chrysalis where they're inactive, while frogs gradually change from tadpole to adult while remaining active and swimming. Answer A correctly identifies that a butterfly changes inside a chrysalis, but a frog changes while active, which accurately describes their different metamorphic processes. Answer B reverses these facts incorrectly; C is wrong because neither has a chick stage; D is false because both do start as eggs. When teaching, emphasize that metamorphosis can happen in different ways - some animals form a protective casing (complete metamorphosis) while others change gradually while continuing normal activities (incomplete metamorphosis).

Question 8

Bean plant: seed→sprout→plant→flowers→beans(seeds). Butterfly: egg→caterpillar→chrysalis→adult. What do both have in common?

  1. Both start life as eggs laid by an adult.
  2. Both stay in one place their whole lives.
  3. Both begin life, grow and change, and make more of their kind. (correct answer)
  4. Both turn into tadpoles before becoming adults.
Explanation: The skill being assessed is 3-LS1-1, which involves comparing the life cycles of different organisms to understand their patterns. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand the diversity among them, and observe different ways they develop from birth to reproduction. In the life cycles of the bean plant and the butterfly, both start from a small beginning form, grow and change through stages, produce offspring like seeds or eggs, and follow a cycle of birth, growth, reproduction, and death. Key differences include the plant's growth from a seed in soil with sprouting and flowering versus the butterfly's animal-based cycle with egg, larva, pupa, and flying adult stages. The correct answer, choice C, works because it accurately identifies a true similarity in their overall life cycle patterns, which is relevant to stages of development and factually correct. The distractors fail because they incorrectly state both start as eggs or turn into tadpoles, claim immobility which doesn't apply to the mobile butterfly, or are too vague and irrelevant to the actual cycles. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare the stages, identify each organism's progression, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in how the stages occur.

Question 9

Dog: puppy→adult dog. Frog: egg→tadpole→adult frog. What is one difference?

  1. A puppy looks very different from an adult dog, but a tadpole looks the same as an adult frog.
  2. A tadpole looks very different from an adult frog, but a puppy looks like a small adult dog. (correct answer)
  3. A dog hatches from an egg, but a frog is born live.
  4. A frog has a seed stage, but a dog has a sprout stage.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both dog and frog life cycles start from a beginning, grow to adulthood, and can reproduce. Key differences include dogs being born live and growing gradually like mini adults, while frogs hatch from eggs and undergo metamorphosis from tadpole to adult. The correct answer, B, works because it accurately identifies the true difference in appearance changes (tadpole vs. puppy), which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like A fail because they state the opposite, confusing the extent of changes and making it an incorrect difference. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare, identify stages in each, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in transformation types.

Question 10

Moth: egg→larva(caterpillar)→cocoon→adult. Beetle: egg→larva→pupa→adult. What is one difference?

  1. Beetles grow from seeds, but moths grow from soil. (correct answer)
  2. A moth becomes a tadpole, but a beetle becomes a chick.
  3. A moth makes a cocoon, but a beetle changes in a pupa stage.
  4. Both insects skip the egg stage and start as adults.
Explanation: The skill being assessed is 3-LS1-1, which involves comparing the life cycles of different organisms to understand their patterns. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand the diversity among them, and observe different ways they develop from birth to reproduction. In the life cycles of the moth and the beetle, both start from eggs, go through larval stages, undergo metamorphosis in a protective form, and emerge as adults capable of reproduction. Key differences include the moth's use of a silk cocoon for transformation versus the beetle's pupal stage without a cocoon, as well as variations in larval appearance and habitat. The correct answer, choice A, works because it accurately identifies a true difference in their metamorphic enclosures, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. The distractors fail because they incorrectly state growth from seeds or soil, confuse stages with tadpoles or chicks, or wrongly claim they skip egg stages, making them irrelevant or confusing. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare the stages, identify each organism's progression, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in how the stages occur.

Question 11

Bean plant: seed→sprout→plant→flowers→beans. Butterfly: egg→caterpillar→chrysalis→adult. What is similar?

  1. Both begin small, grow and change, and make new life.
  2. Both stay in one place for their whole life cycle. (correct answer)
  3. Both have a tadpole stage before becoming adults.
  4. Both start as seeds and grow into plants with flowers.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both bean plant and butterfly life cycles start small (seed or egg), grow and change through stages, and produce new life (beans or eggs). Key differences include the plant's stationary growth from seed to flowering versus the butterfly's mobile metamorphosis from caterpillar to adult, and different reproduction methods. The correct answer, B, works because it accurately identifies the true similarity of beginning small, growing, changing, and reproducing, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like A fail because they include incorrect similarities, such as butterflies starting as seeds, which confuses organisms and is too vague or wrong. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare, identify stages in each, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in how stages happen.

Question 12

Human: baby→child→adult→older adult. Dog: puppy→adult→older dog. What do both life cycles have in common?

  1. Both change into caterpillars before becoming adults. (correct answer)
  2. Both hatch from eggs and then grow feathers.
  3. Both stay babies forever and never become adults.
  4. Both are born live, grow up, and can have babies when adults.
Explanation: The skill being assessed is 3-LS1-1, which involves comparing the life cycles of different organisms to understand their patterns. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand the diversity among them, and observe different ways they develop from birth to reproduction. In the life cycles of the human and the dog, both begin as live-born young, grow through childhood or puppyhood, mature into adults, can reproduce, and age into older stages. Key differences include humans' longer lifespan and developmental timeline versus dogs' shorter cycles, as well as differences in physical changes like humans learning to walk bipedally. The correct answer, choice A, works because it accurately identifies a true similarity in birth and growth patterns, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. The distractors fail because they introduce incorrect hatching from eggs or changing into caterpillars, claim perpetual babyhood which is wrong, or are irrelevant to mammalian cycles. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare the stages, identify each organism's progression, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in how the stages occur.

Question 13

Moth: egg→larva→cocoon→adult. Beetle: egg→larva→pupa→adult. What is one difference?

  1. A moth starts as a seed, but a beetle starts as an egg.
  2. A moth becomes a tadpole, but a beetle becomes a chick.
  3. A moth makes a cocoon, but a beetle changes in a pupa stage. (correct answer)
  4. A beetle makes a cocoon, but a moth changes in a pupa stage.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both moth and beetle life cycles start as eggs, go through larva stages, undergo pupation, and emerge as adults. Key differences include moths forming a cocoon for pupation while beetles have a pupa stage often without a cocoon, and variations in larval forms. The correct answer, A, works because it accurately identifies the true difference in the moth's cocoon versus the beetle's pupa stage, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like B fail because they confuse the organisms and swap the stages, making it an incorrect difference. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare, identify stages in each, look for common patterns like egg, larva, pupa, and adult, and note differences in pupation methods.

Question 14

Bean plant vs butterfly life cycles: What is one difference?

  1. A bean plant turns into a tadpole, but a butterfly does not.
  2. A bean plant starts from a seed, but a butterfly starts from an egg. (correct answer)
  3. A bean plant has a chrysalis stage, but a butterfly does not.
  4. A butterfly starts from a seed, but a bean plant starts from an egg.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both bean plant and butterfly life cycles involve starting from a small form, growing through changes, and reproducing. Key differences include the plant starting from a seed and producing flowers versus the butterfly starting from an egg and undergoing metamorphosis in a chrysalis. The correct answer, A, works because it accurately identifies the true difference of starting points (seed vs. egg), which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like B fail because they confuse the organisms and state the opposite, making it an incorrect difference. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare, identify stages in each, look for common patterns like growth and reproduction, and note differences in initial stages.

Question 15

What is one difference between butterfly and frog life cycles?

  1. A frog changes inside a cocoon, but a butterfly changes in water.
  2. A butterfly has a chrysalis stage, but a frog does not. (correct answer)
  3. A frog starts as a seed, but a butterfly starts as an egg.
  4. A butterfly is an adult first, but a frog is a baby first.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both butterfly and frog life cycles involve starting from eggs, growing, changing forms, and reproducing as adults. Key differences include the butterfly's chrysalis stage versus the frog's tadpole-to-frog transformation, and the environments they develop in, like land for butterflies and water for frogs initially. The correct answer, B, works because it accurately identifies a true difference in the butterfly having a chrysalis stage that the frog lacks, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like A fail because they confuse the organisms and include wrong differences, such as frogs changing in a cocoon, which is irrelevant and incorrect. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare, identify stages in each, look for common patterns like growth and reproduction, and note differences in specific stages.

Question 16

How is a chicken life cycle different from a human life cycle?

  1. A chicken hatches from an egg, but a human is born live. (correct answer)
  2. A chicken is born live, but a human hatches from an egg.
  3. A chicken grows from baby to adult, but a human does not.
  4. A chicken becomes a caterpillar first, but a human does not.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both chicken and human life cycles involve growth from young to adult and reproduction. Key differences include chickens starting from eggs laid externally while humans develop inside the mother and are born live, with varying growth rates. The correct answer, A, works because it accurately identifies the true difference of chickens hatching from eggs versus humans being born live, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like B fail because they confuse the organisms and state the opposite, which is wrong and irrelevant. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare, identify stages in each, look for common patterns like growth and reproduction, and note differences in starting points.

Question 17

Sunflower: seed→sprout→plant→flower→seeds. Chicken: egg→chick→adult→eggs. What is different?

  1. A sunflower begins as an egg, but a chicken begins as a seed. (correct answer)
  2. A chicken makes seeds, but a sunflower lays eggs.
  3. A sunflower has a tadpole stage, but a chicken has a caterpillar stage.
  4. A sunflower begins as a seed, but a chicken begins as an egg.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both sunflower and chicken life cycles start from a small form (seed or egg), grow to maturity, and produce new forms (seeds or eggs) for reproduction. Key differences include the plant's seed sprouting into a stationary plant versus the chicken's egg hatching into a mobile chick that grows feathers and wings. The correct answer, A, works because it accurately identifies the true difference in starting points (seed vs. egg), which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like B fail because they confuse the organisms and state the opposite, making it an incorrect and irrelevant difference. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare, identify stages in each, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in initial forms.

Question 18

Compare chicken and human life cycles. What do they have in common?

  1. Both hatch from eggs and have gills when they are young.
  2. Both begin as babies, grow into adults, and can have babies. (correct answer)
  3. Both change from tadpoles into adults with legs.
  4. Both stay the same size their whole lives.
Explanation: The skill being addressed is 3-LS1-1: Compare life cycles of different organisms. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand diversity, and see different ways to develop. Both chicken and human life cycles start from a beginning stage, grow from young to adult, and can reproduce to continue the cycle. Key differences include chickens hatching from eggs while humans are born live, and chickens reaching maturity faster without as many developmental phases. The correct answer, B, works because it accurately identifies the true similarity of beginning as babies, growing, and reproducing, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. Distractors like A fail because they include incorrect similarities, such as both having gills, which confuses organisms and is factually wrong for both. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare, identify stages in each, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in birth methods.

Question 19

Chicken: egg→chick→adult. Human: baby→child→adult. What is one difference?

  1. Humans hatch from eggs, but chickens are born alive.
  2. Chickens hatch from eggs, but humans are born alive. (correct answer)
  3. Both chickens and humans change into tadpoles before becoming adults.
  4. Both life cycles are the same because neither one has a young stage.
Explanation: The skill being assessed is 3-LS1-1, which involves comparing the life cycles of different organisms to understand their patterns. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand the diversity among them, and observe different ways they develop from birth to reproduction. In the life cycles of the chicken and the human, both begin with a young form, grow into adults, can reproduce, go through stages of maturation, and eventually age. Key differences include chickens hatching from eggs laid by the mother versus humans being born alive after developing inside the mother, as well as chickens having feathers and rapid growth compared to humans' gradual development without such features. The correct answer, choice B, works because it accurately identifies a true difference in their starting points, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. The distractors fail because they reverse the birth methods incorrectly, introduce irrelevant changes like turning into tadpoles, or falsely claim the life cycles are identical without a young stage, making them wrong or confusing. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare the stages, identify each organism's progression, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in how the stages occur.

Question 20

Bean plant: seed→sprout→plant→flowers→seeds. Butterfly: egg→caterpillar→chrysalis→adult. How is the bean plant different?

  1. A bean plant starts from a seed, but a butterfly starts from an egg. (correct answer)
  2. A bean plant has a tadpole stage, but a butterfly does not.
  3. A butterfly makes seeds, but a bean plant lays eggs.
  4. Both start as eggs and both form a chrysalis.
Explanation: The skill being assessed is 3-LS1-1, which involves comparing the life cycles of different organisms to understand their patterns. Comparing life cycles helps us see what all organisms have in common, understand the diversity among them, and observe different ways they develop from birth to reproduction. In the life cycles of the bean plant and the butterfly, both begin small, grow through transformative stages, reproduce to create more of their kind, and follow a cycle of development. Key differences include the plant starting from a seed and producing flowers versus the butterfly's egg origin and metamorphic stages like caterpillar and chrysalis. The correct answer, choice A, works because it accurately identifies a true difference in starting points, which is relevant to life cycle stages and factually correct. The distractors fail because they introduce incorrect stages like tadpoles, swap reproduction methods wrongly, or falsely claim shared egg and chrysalis stages, making them confusing or irrelevant. To teach this, use side-by-side diagrams to compare the stages, identify each organism's progression, look for common patterns like beginning, growth, and reproduction, and note differences in how the stages occur.