You will learn
- Name the four stages.
- Put stages in order.
- Describe each stage.
- Explain that the animal changes shape.
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
- A butterfly starts as an egg.
- The egg hatches into a caterpillar.
- The caterpillar becomes a pupa.
- An adult butterfly comes out.
Words to know
the feeding young stage of a butterfly
the resting stage with a hard case
a big change in body shape
a young insect that looks different from its parent
1. Discover: The cabbage leaf
Ama finds a tiny yellow egg on a cabbage leaf. A week later a small green caterpillar chews the leaf. After some time it hangs and forms a hard case. “Look,” says her teacher. “A butterfly is inside.”
Think: Does the caterpillar look like the butterfly?
2. Understand: From egg to butterfly
Idea 1: Egg and caterpillar
An adult butterfly lays tiny eggs on a plant. A caterpillar (larva) hatches and eats leaves. It grows quickly and sheds its skin several times.
Idea 2: Pupa
The caterpillar stops eating and forms a hard case called a pupa or chrysalis. Inside, its body changes completely.
Idea 3: Adult
After days or weeks, an adult butterfly comes out. It dries its wings, flies, feeds on nectar and lays eggs. This big change is called metamorphosis.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Order
Pupa, egg, adult, caterpillar.
- Egg first.
- Caterpillar.
- Pupa, then adult.
Answer: Egg, caterpillar, pupa, adult.
Example 2 (We do it together): What does the caterpillar do?
It eats leaves.
- Eats a lot.
- Grows.
- Sheds skin.
Answer: The caterpillar eats and grows.
Example 3 (You try): Metamorphosis
Caterpillar to butterfly.
Show the steps and answer
- Different shape.
- Wings appear.
- Big change.
Answer: It changes shape completely.
Did you know?
Some butterflies, like monarchs, travel thousands of kilometres after they become adults.
Why this matters
Butterflies help pollinate flowers, so their life cycle matters for plants too.
4. Explore: Life cycle model
Make a four-stage butterfly life cycle model with paper or clay.
- Draw four stages.
- Label egg, caterpillar, pupa, adult.
- Add arrows.
- Say what each stage does.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? The stages look very different.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The first stage is an ___.
- The caterpillar eats ___.
- The pupa is a ___ case.
- The adult is a ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is the first stage?
Egg.
Question 2. What hatches from the egg?
A caterpillar.
Question 3. What does a caterpillar eat?
Leaves.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is the first stage?
- What hatches from the egg?
- What does a caterpillar eat?
- What is the third stage?
- What comes out of the pupa?
Level 2: Grow
- Why does a caterpillar eat so much?
- What happens in the pupa?
- What does an adult do?
Level 3: Stretch
- Draw the four stages.
- Explain metamorphosis.
- Compare caterpillar and butterfly.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Where have you seen butterflies?
Show a sample answer
On flowers and in gardens.
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: It changes in the pupa.
Fix: They become adults.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name the four stages.
- I can put stages in order.
- I can describe each stage.
- I can explain that the animal changes shape.
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
- A butterfly starts as an egg.
- The egg hatches into a caterpillar.
- The caterpillar becomes a pupa.
- An adult butterfly comes out.
11. Next lesson
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.
- Name four stages. [4 marks]
- What does a caterpillar do? [2 marks]
- What is metamorphosis? [2 marks]
- What happens in the pupa? [1 mark]
- Why do butterflies matter? [1 mark]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Egg [1]; caterpillar [1]; pupa [1]; adult [1]
- Eats [1]; grows [1]
- Big change [1]; shape [1]
- Body changes [1]
- Pollinate flowers [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 is the first stage?
- What hatches from the egg?
- What does a caterpillar eat?
- What is the third stage?
- What comes out of the pupa?
- Why does a caterpillar eat so much?
- What happens in the pupa?
- What does an adult do?
- Draw the four stages.
- Explain metamorphosis.
Homework
Draw and label the four stages of a butterfly life cycle.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is the first stage? | Egg. | 1 |
| 2. What hatches from the egg? | A caterpillar. | 1 |
| 3. What does a caterpillar eat? | Leaves. | 1 |
| 4. What is the third stage? | Pupa. | 1 |
| 5. What comes out of the pupa? | A butterfly. | 1 |
| 6. Why does a caterpillar eat so much? | To grow. | 1 |
| 7. What happens in the pupa? | The body changes. | 1 |
| 8. What does an adult do? | Lays eggs. | 1 |
| 9. Draw the four stages. | Four labelled drawings. | 1 |
| 10. Explain metamorphosis. | Complete change. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Egg.; 2 A caterpillar.; 3 Leaves.; 4 Pupa.; 5 A butterfly.. Level 2: 1 To grow.; 2 The body changes.; 3 Lays eggs.. Level 3: 1 Four labelled drawings.; 2 Complete change.; 3 Shape, food, movement..
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 Name the four stages | 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 Put stages in order | 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 each stage | 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 Explain that the animal changes shape | 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: “The caterpillar grows wings.” It changes in the pupa.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Name four stages and tell what each does.
- 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 the four stages of a butterfly life cycle. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Look for butterflies together.
- Ask, “Which stage comes next?”
- Draw the cycle.
- 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: name the four stages; put stages in order; describe each stage; explain that the animal changes shape.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: animals around us, what animals need and how animals are alike and different.
Materials. Pictures, paper, pencils and crayons. 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. Print butterfly stage pictures. Prepare labelling sheets.
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 caterpillar and a butterfly and ask, “Are they the same animal?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach the stages.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners draw and label.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners explain metamorphosis.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Which stage is this? What does it do?
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. “The caterpillar grows wings.” It changes in the pupa.
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 four stages and tell what each does. 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 5; 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.