The Life Cycle of An Ant, a Plant, A Bug – Montessori Printables
The life cycle printable PDF kit is the ultimate in life cycle exploration, for preschool, kindergarten and beyond. From the life cycle of an ant to that of a shark, a frog, and a chicken, these FREE Montessori inspired materials will keep your little students fascinated and learning. This printable includes charts and Montessori style 3-part cards, as well as 7 comprehensive lesson plans and extension activities.
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Not included in the Life Cycle file, but available online are the following items we use in the lesson plans:
- Lady Bug Life Cycle Figurines
- Life Cycle Sticker Sheets
- Ant Life Cycle Figurines
- Montessori Frog Puzzles
- Tadpole to Frog (we used a slightly different book but it’s out of print now)
Optional:
- Montessori Rug
- Excellerations life sciences kit (ideal for classrooms or large homeschools and co-ops).
Suggested price: $9.95
Suggested price: $9.95
Lesson 1 – Explore the Life Cycle of an Ant, a Ladybug, a Plant, and More.
The first Montessori style lesson begins with the exploration of the life cycle of an ant. During this lesson, students will discover 5 life cycles. Additionally, students will be introduced to new vocabulary words such as “larvae,” “pupae,” “hatchling” and more.
Before you start learning, check out “How To Prepare Your Montessori Kit.”
Lesson 2 – The Lifecycle of a Ladybug
After an introduction to the lifecycles of five different organisms, its time to explore each creature in depth. In lesson two of the life cycles kit, we will focus on the lifecycles of the Ladybug. In addition to the chart we already explored in lesson 2, you will need the Life Cycle of a Ladybug Figurines as well as the Montessori 3-part cards.
Lesson 3 – The Life Cycle of a Plant
In the third lesson, young Montessori and homeschool students will have a chance to branch out to a practical life activity. Students will germinate and plant beans using tools such as a pipette, paper towels, and cups. This classic preschool science experiment will take a few weeks to germinate. In the meanwhile, students will continue to discover the life cycle of a plant using the Montessori style chart and 3-part cards.
Lesson 4 – The Life Cycle of a Shark
Although sharks are fish, they give birth to a live young. This is just the first of the many fascinating things you will learn while discovering the lifecycles of a shark in lesson 4. To continue the exploration of sharks even further, take a look at the All About Sharks Montessori style printable freebie.
Lesson 5 – Explore the Life Cycles of a Butterfly, a Chick, a Plant, and a Frog
Using a collection of sticker sheets, students will next explore the life cycles of four living organisms: butterfly, chicken, a frog, and a plant. In addition to learning about the life cycles, students will have an opportunity to focus on small motor skills. This craft activity will be a favorite with even the youngest learners.
Lesson 6 – The Life Cycle of An Ant
In lesson 6 of the Montessori kit, we will focus on the life cycle of an ant. After reviewing the chart and the cards, the student will take out Ant Figurines and match them to the cards. During the discussion, the student will also review the following vocabularly: Eggs, larvae, pupa, adult worker (female), male, adult queen (female).
Lesson 7 – The Life Cycle of Frogs
During the last lesson, the student will focus on the life cycles of tadpoles and frogs. First, we will read the book, Tadpole to Frog. Next, we will work on assembling the Frog Montessori Puzzle and learn the body parts of a frog. This extensive activity can be split in two, for a bonus lesson.
