Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 5 Science Guides

Year 5 - Science

Insect life cycles

Reproduction and life cycles: animals

Unit Summary

This unit explores the life cycles of mammals, amphibians, insects, and birds, and the reproduction process in plants and animals. It focuses on recording data, presenting findings with conclusions, and evaluating scientific evidence to support or refute ideas in various presentation formats.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe the stages in the life cycle of different insects.

Key Notes

  • Insects are animals, they are living things that grow and reproduce
  • The life cycles of different insects can be observed over time and/or researched
  • The life cycle of an insect is commonly: egg, larva (young stage), pupa (inactive) and adult stage
  • Many insects undergo the greatest changes of all animals, they undergo a complete metamorphosis
  • Scientific diagrams are used to show the stages in an insect's life cycle

Vocabulary To Learn

  • insect: An insect is an invertebrate animal that has antennae, six legs and a body divided into segments.
  • life cycle: A life cycle is the way in which a living thing changes as it ages.
  • larva: Larva is the life cycle stage that some animals go through before metamorphosis into their next form.
  • pupa: Inside a pupa, an insect changes from one form to another.
  • metamorphosis: Metamorphosis is a major change from one form to another.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may think that the insect is dead inside the pupa, or that the pupa is not a living thing.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.

Insects are animals, they are living things that grow and reproduce. The life cycles of different insects can be observed over time and/or researched.

2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'insect'

An insect is an invertebrate animal that has antennae, six legs and a body divided into segments. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.

3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may think that the insect is dead inside the pupa, or that the pupa is not a living thing. Correction: Using the lesson resources to support, explain that the insect is alive and changing inside the pupa, even if the pupa itself doesn't move.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 5 Science guide library.