Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Mehrin.

I'm so excited to be learning with you today.

We are going to have such a great time learning all about comparing life cycles of amphibians and insects, and we are going to do brilliantly.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit, Reproduction and life cycles: Animals.

This lesson is called Comparing the life cycle of Amphibians and Insects.

And by the end of today's lesson, we will be able to compare these two life cycles to one another, and be able to identify similarities and differences between them.

Now some of the learning today is going to be brand new, but I'm here to help you, and we will be building on our previous learning where we looked in detail at insect and amphibian life cycles.

Sometimes learning can be a little bit challenging, but that's okay as it means we can really work hard together and learn fabulous new things.

So your lesson outcome for today is I can describe the differences in the life cycles of amphibians and insects.

Let's have a look at our keywords for today.

Now, I am going to be going through these keywords throughout the lesson, so you don't need to write these down, but if you would like to, you can pause the video here and do so.

Fantastic, well done.

Now, let's have a look at the meanings of these words.

Again, I'm going to be going through these words throughout the whole lesson, so don't feel the need to have to write these down.

You can always go back in the video if you want to clarify anything.

However, if you do want to write them down, just pause the video here.

Fantastic.

So our lesson is fit into two parts today.

Let's begin with the first part, comparing life cycles.

So we have Aisha here, who's been learning about life cycles, and she says, "Insects go into the pupa and transform into a completely different shape inside.

I don't think their life cycles are anything like amphibian life cycles." So if you have a look to the right hand side, we can see pictures of insects and amphibians.

We've got a butterfly and a frog.

Now, do you agree with Aisha? I want you to discuss your ideas with a partner, or if you don't have a partner, you can discuss your ideas with a teddy, or you can say them out loud.

I'll give you five seconds to do so, but if you need longer you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So Aisha said that insects go into a pupa and transform into a completely different shape inside, and that she thinks their life cycles are nothing like an amphibian's life cycle.

Now in our previous learning, we've learned a little bit about insects and amphibians, and there are some similarities between them that not everything is different.

So let's find out.

So different types of animals have different life cycles.

life cycle diagrams can help us to compare the different stages.

So here you have a life cycle of a butterfly, and the life cycle of an amphibian, a frog.

Now, most amphibian life cycles have five stages to them.

You have the spawn, which is the egg, the larva, the larva with hind legs, and larva with four legs, and then finally you have the adult.

Now with most insect life cycles, they have only four stages.

So they have the egg, the larva, the pupa, and then the adult.

So let's compare these insect and amphibian life cycles.

Let's think about what the similarities are and what the differences are.

I'm going to give you some time now where I'd like you to pause the video, and I'd like you to compare these two life cycles by looking at them really closely.

What can you find that is the same, and what can you find that is different? So pause the video here and I'd like you to have a go at this activity.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So we can see the similarities straight away, can't we? We can see that they both have, that they both start with an egg.

This egg then becomes something called larva.

Now, the next stage is different, because in an insect life cycle usually the next stage is the pupa.

Whereas with the amphibian life cycle, and with the frog here, we can see that it grows its hind legs first usually, then grows its front legs.

So now it has all four legs.

Then in the frog life cycle it becomes a froglet, and then finally becomes an adult.

There's a lot less steps in insect life cycle 'cause it only has four, whereas with the frog life cycle there are six.

So there's quite a few differences there.

So quick check in then.

Which of these stages do not appear in both insect and amphibian life cycles? So which of these stages do not appear in both insect and amphibian life cycles? Is it A, the egg, B, larva.

C, pupa.

Or D, adult? I will give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is pupa, well done.

So there are some similarities and some differences between the insect and amphibian life cycles.

I want you to have a look at these pictures, and I want you to try finding similarities and differences between these insect and amphibian eggs.

So we've got ladybird eggs, butterfly eggs, and frogspawn.

Try finding the similarities and differences, and I also want you to think about which one is the odd one out.

So I'd like you to pause the video here, so that you can have a really good think.

Off you go.

So we have got some children here.

One of them says, "All of the eggs have a developing animal inside." Another says, "I think the frogspawn is the odd one out, because it is the only one that is laid in water." And finally we have the third person here who says, "I think the frogspawn is the odd one out, because it is the only one called spawn." What do you think? I'll give you five seconds to have a think if you haven't already come up with an answer, and you may have already thought of the ones that have been given here.

Can you think of any other differences, or similarities, or another one which may be an odd one out.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So you may be thinking for example, that the frogspawn is the odd one out, because it's got a very jelly-like texture, and has a black dot in the middle.

Fantastic, well done.

So both insects and amphibians go through a change in form, a change in their shape called metamorphosis.

Is metamorphosis the same for insects and amphibians? Use the pictures to help you, and I want you to discuss your ideas with a partner if you have one, and if not, that's okay You can speak to your teddy, or you can say your answer out loud.

If you need to, you can pause the video here, so you can have a really good think, or I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So there are some similarities, and there are some differences between metamorphosis for amphibians and insects.

So we've got some children here who say, one of them says, "Both animals change shape completely and look different to when they are larvae." Another child says, "Amphibians grow legs during metamorphosis.

Some insects grow wings during metamorphosis." And another child says, "Only insects go through metamorphosis inside a pupa." So all of these children are correct, like one child said that both animals change shape completely and they look different to When they are a larvae.

Amphibians grow legs, and insects grow wings, but insects are the only ones to go through metamorphosis inside a pupa.

So the final life-cycle stage for both amphibians and insects is the adult stage.

So I want you to think really carefully here.

What are the similarities and differences between the adult stage for these animals? So you have an adult beetle and an adult salamander.

I'll give you some time to think about it, I'd like you to pause the video here, so you can have a really good think.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So here are some other ideas.

Both animals can reproduce by laying eggs.

Both animals are in their final form, and adult amphibians can live on land or in water.

Most insects live only on land.

What do you think? Can you think of any other similarities or differences between these adult animals? I'd like you to pause the video here, and have a really good think.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So if we look at the beetle here, the beetle has six legs.

So insects have six legs, and their bodies are split into three segmented parts, whereas with an amphibian that isn't the case.

An amphibian has four legs, and its body is not segmented into three parts.

Well done.

So let's do a quick activity to check our understanding so far.

It says match the life cycle stage or process to the animal type.

So on the left hand side you have larva with four legs, pupa, metamorphosis, adult, and on the right hand side you have amphibian and insect.

So think about the words and statements on the left hand side, which one do they match with on the right hand side? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer.

Or if you'd like, you can pause the video here, and have a really good think.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

Let's see if you were correct.

So a larva with four legs is an amphibian, metamorphosis is amphibian, adult is amphibian, pupa is insect.

Metamorphosis also goes with insect and adult also goes with insect.

So the only ones that are not in both is pupa because that's only for an insect and larva with four legs, which is only for an amphibian, metamorphosis and adults are for both.

Well done.

So let's have a look at our first task for today.

It says with a partner, take on the role of either an amphibian or an insect.

Your task is to convince your partner that you have the most exciting life cycle.

Make some notes, then rehearse your conversation with your partner.

Now, if you don't have a partner, then you can take on one of the roles, either an amphibian or an insect, and you can have this conversation with your teddy, or you can have the conversation out loud.

Any of those is absolutely fine.

I'll give you some time now.

So I'd like you to pause the video here, and I'd like you to have a go.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So here we have got some children who have also done this activity, and they say, "My butterfly life cycle is more exciting, because I grow wings during metamorphosis." Another child says, "My frog life cycle is the most exciting because even though we all start our lives inside an egg, I get to eat my way out of mine." And the last child says, "My salamander life cycle is the most exciting, because I grow legs and learn to walk." Lots of exciting reasons for why either an amphibian or an insect has a more exciting life cycle.

Well done.

So that takes us on to the second part of our learning, which is communicating information about life cycles.

Scientists use diagrams and tables to communicate information to others.

These make it easier for information to be understood and analysed.

Let's have a look at these three diagrams here.

And the question says, what might we use each of these diagrams for? So we have a life cycle diagram, a labelled diagram, and a Venn diagram.

I'd like you to pause the video here so you can have a really good think.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So a life cycle diagram like the one to the left of your screen can be used to show the stages in an animal's life cycle, and the order in which they happen.

So we know the order in which they happen, because they have an arrow to show us.

A labelled diagram can be used to highlight the features or parts of something.

So here we have a label diagram of an insect whose body is segmented into three parts.

The head, the thorax and the abdomen.

And a Venn diagram can be used to communicate similarities and differences.

Now in this Venn diagram, anything that only applies to either amphibians or insects is put in the correct circle.

So for an amphibian, they are vertebrate, and insects are invertebrates.

Now, anything that is similar about these two animal groups is put in the overlap between the two circles.

So for example, the fact that they are both cold-blooded.

So let's do a quick check of our understanding so far, and it says match the diagram to its correct use.

So we have a life cycle diagram, a label diagram, and a Venn diagram.

I'll give you some time to think about your answer, and you can pause the video here, so you have a little bit of extra time to match the diagram to its correct use.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

Let's see if you're correct.

So A, which is our life cycle diagram is communicating a life cycle.

Our label diagram highlights features of something.

Which leaves our Venn diagram, which compares similarities and differences.

Fantastic work, well done.

So here is your second task.

It says, complete the Venn diagram with information about amphibian and insect life cycles.

So use all of your learning that you have done so far from this lesson and from previous lessons that you might have done on amphibian and insect life cycles to complete this Venn diagram.

So on the left hand side, you're going to write down all of the things that are only related to an amphibian life cycle.

On the right hand side, you're going to write down all of the things that are related to an insect life cycle, and in the middle, it's going to be be any similarities between both amphibian and insect life cycles.

So I'd like you to pause the video here and have a go.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So yours may look something like this.

On the left hand side, under amphibian life cycles, we have eggs are called spawn.

Amphibians grow legs during metamorphosis, and most have five stages in their life cycle.

So these are different to insect life cycles.

Now in the insect life cycle section, we've got they may grow wings during metamorphosis.

They transform inside a pupa, and most have four stages in their life cycles.

Now, in the middle are the similarities between both.

So they both lay eggs, they both undergo metamorphosis, and they can both reproduce when they are an adult.

Fantastic, well done.

So let's go through our summary of learning today, and we have done so much learning.

So there are some similarities and some differences between amphibian and insect life cycles.

These can be communicated using scientific diagrams such as Venn diagrams. Fantastic work today.

Well done, I am so proud of you.

You have worked brilliantly, and you have learned so much.

Well done for your critical thinking, and your hard work.