You will learn
- Say that animals grow.
- Compare young and grown animals.
- Describe how animals change as they grow.
- Measure and record growth.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- All animals grow and change.
- Young animals get bigger as they grow.
- Animals grow at different speeds.
- Food and care help animals grow.
Words to know
to get bigger
not yet fully grown
fully grown
to become different
1. Discover: The growing puppy
Fatima’s neighbour has a new puppy. In the first week it fits in her hands. A month later it is twice as big and runs about. “Puppies grow fast,” says the neighbour. “In a year it will be a grown dog.”
Think: What changed about the puppy?
2. Understand: How animals grow
Idea 1: Animals grow
All animals grow. Young animals get bigger and stronger. Some change shape as they grow. When fully grown they are adults.
Idea 2: Different speeds
A chick grows into a hen in a few months. A goat takes about a year. An elephant takes many years. Each kind of animal has its own pace.
Idea 3: What helps animals grow
Animals grow well with enough food, clean water, shelter and care. Without these they may grow slowly or become weak.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Young or adult?
A kitten and a cat.
- Kitten is small.
- Cat is grown.
- Kitten is young.
Answer: The kitten is young; the cat is an adult.
Example 2 (We do it together): Compare speeds
Chick and elephant.
- Chick: months.
- Elephant: years.
- Different speeds.
Answer: A chick grows faster than an elephant.
Example 3 (You try): What helps?
A calf with milk and grass.
Show the steps and answer
- Food.
- Water.
- Shelter.
Answer: Food, water and care help growth.
Did you know?
A blue whale calf can gain about 90 kilograms every day in its first months.
Why this matters
Knowing how animals grow helps us care for pets and farm animals.
4. Explore: Growth chart
Compare pictures of young and adult animals and measure a pet or toy.
- Look at pictures of young animals.
- Look at the adult pictures.
- Measure sizes with string.
- Record in a table.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Adults are bigger, but some look similar.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Animals ___ as they get older.
- A young animal is not yet ___.
- An adult is fully ___.
- Animals need food, water and ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What do animals do over time?
Grow and change.
Question 2. What is an adult?
A fully grown animal.
Question 3. Name a young animal.
Puppy, kitten or chick.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What do animals do over time?
- What is an adult?
- Name a young animal.
- What helps animals grow?
- Do all animals grow at the same speed?
Level 2: Grow
- Why do puppies get bigger?
- Which grows faster, a chick or a goat?
- What happens without food?
Level 3: Stretch
- Draw a young and an adult animal.
- Compare two animals’ growth times.
- Explain why care matters.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Which animals do you know that have grown?
Show a sample answer
Chickens, goats or dogs.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They grow.
Fix: Speeds differ.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say that animals grow.
- I can compare young and grown animals.
- I can describe how animals change as they grow.
- I can measure and record growth.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- All animals grow and change.
- Young animals get bigger as they grow.
- Animals grow at different speeds.
- Food and care help animals grow.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Young and adult animals. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What does grow mean? [1 mark]
- Give a young and an adult animal. [2 marks]
- Compare a chick and an elephant. [3 marks]
- What helps animals grow? [3 marks]
- Why record growth? [1 mark]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Get bigger [1]
- Young [1]; adult [1]
- Chick faster [1]; elephant slower [1]; speeds differ [1]
- Food [1]; water [1]; care [1]
- To compare change [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What do animals do over time?
- What is an adult?
- Name a young animal.
- What helps animals grow?
- Do all animals grow at the same speed?
- Why do puppies get bigger?
- Which grows faster, a chick or a goat?
- What happens without food?
- Draw a young and an adult animal.
- Compare two animals’ growth times.
Homework
Find pictures of a young and an adult animal. Draw both and write how they differ.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What do animals do over time? | Grow and change. | 1 |
| 2. What is an adult? | A fully grown animal. | 1 |
| 3. Name a young animal. | Puppy, kitten or chick. | 1 |
| 4. What helps animals grow? | Food, water and care. | 1 |
| 5. Do all animals grow at the same speed? | No. | 1 |
| 6. Why do puppies get bigger? | They grow. | 1 |
| 7. Which grows faster, a chick or a goat? | The chick. | 1 |
| 8. What happens without food? | Slow growth. | 1 |
| 9. Draw a young and an adult animal. | Two drawings. | 1 |
| 10. Compare two animals’ growth times. | Different speeds. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Grow and change.; 2 A fully grown animal.; 3 Puppy, kitten or chick.; 4 Food, water and care.; 5 No.. Level 2: 1 They grow.; 2 The chick.; 3 Slow growth.. Level 3: 1 Two drawings.; 2 Different speeds.; 3 Healthy growth..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say that animals grow | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Compare young and grown animals | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Describe how animals change as they grow | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Measure and record growth | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Animals stay the same size.” They grow.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Name a young and adult animal and say how it grew.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns that animals grow and change over time. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Look at pet photos from when they were young.
- Ask, “How has it changed?”
- Draw a young and adult animal.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say that animals grow; compare young and grown animals; describe how animals change as they grow; measure and record growth.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: animals around us, what animals need and how animals are alike and different.
Materials. Animal pictures, string, rulers, paper and pencils. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Gather pictures of young and adult animals. Cut string lengths. Prepare tables.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Show a puppy and a dog and ask, “How are they different?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach animal growth.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners compare pictures.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners record in a table.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Is it young or adult? How did it change?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Animals stay the same size.” They grow.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Name a young and adult animal and say how it grew. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 2 Unit 3, topic 1; Next Generation Science Standards, heredity and life cycles of organisms (animal life cycles and parent-offspring patterns); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 2, animals and their life cycles; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.