Bird life cycles
I can describe the stages in the life cycle of different birds.
Bird life cycles
I can describe the stages in the life cycle of different birds.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Birds are animals, they are living things that grow and reproduce
- The life cycles of different birds can be observed over time and/or researched
- Birds are hatched from eggs
- When a fledgling or juvenile bird has grown, it becomes a mature or adult bird
- Scientists communicate information about life cycles in interesting ways, including life cycle diagrams
Keywords
Bird - A bird is a warm-blooded animal that lays eggs and has feathers, wings and a beak.
Egg - An egg is a roundish object with a developing animal inside.
Hatchling - A hatchling is a very young animal that has just hatched from an egg.
Fledgling - A fledgling is a young bird that is developing feathers for flight and is getting ready to leave the nest.
Reproduce - When living things reproduce they create their offspring.
Common misconception
Pupils may think the bird inside the egg is not living or that it is a small but fully formed bird.
Explain, using the slides, that the living bird inside the egg grows and forms until it is ready to hatch.
To help you plan your year 5 science lesson on: Bird life cycles, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 5 science lesson on: Bird life cycles, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 science lessons from the Reproduction and life cycles: animals unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Access to the internet or non-fiction texts about bird life cycles.
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - equipment
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
A protective shell with a small bird forming inside.
A very young bird that can't yet leave the nest.
A growing bird who is learning to walk or fly.
A fully grown bird who is able to reproduce.
