Description

Animal Life Cycles Activities & Reading Passages for Google Classroom

Teaching animal life cycles can feel overwhelming, but this interactive Google Classroom activity pack is here to make your life easier! Designed for 2nd-grade teachers, this no-prep, standards-aligned resource provides engaging and meaningful ways to explore the fascinating world of animal life cycles.

With interactive drag-and-drop activities, short-answer responses, and real-world connections, students won’t just learn about life cycles—they’ll truly understand and remember them. From butterflies to frogs, each lesson is crafted to bring science to life.

Perfect for independent work, science centers, or even sub plans, this pack simplifies lesson prep while keeping students focused and excited. Whether you’re introducing life cycles for the first time or reinforcing these key concepts, this resource is a must-have for your classroom!

Animal Life Cycles Activities Includes the Following Google Slides:

Introduction

• Reading passages: Animal life cycles
• Short answer: KWL on animal life cycles
• Short answer: Brainstorm types of cycles
• Drag-&-drop: match the definition and vocabulary word (life cycle, egg, metamorphosis, offspring)
• Drag-&-drop: sequence the four stages from beginning to end (birth, growth, reproduction, death)

Butterflies

• Drag-&-drop: label the four parts of the butterfly life cycle (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult butterfly)
• Drag-&-drop: match the definition and vocabulary word (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult butterfly)
• Drag-&-drop: sequence the steps of a butterfly life cycle
• Short answer: venn diagram comparing caterpillar & butterfly
• Image Search: use Google Image Search to find real-life photos of butterflies

Ladybugs

• Drag-&-drop: label the four parts of the ladybug life cycle (egg, larva, pupa, adult ladybug)
• Drag-&-drop: match the definition and vocabulary word (egg, larva, pupa, adult ladybug)
• Drag-&-drop: sequence the steps of a ladybug life cycle
• Short answer: venn diagram comparing larva and ladybug

White-tailed deer

• Drag-&-drop: label the three parts of the frog life cycle (fawn, yearling, adult)
• Drag-&-drop: match the definition and vocabulary word (fawn, yearling, buck, doe)
• Drag-&-drop: sequence the steps of a white-tailed deer life cycle

Frogs

• Drag-&-drop: label the four parts of the frog life cycle (egg, tadpole, froglet, adult frog)
• Drag-&-drop: match the definition and vocabulary word (egg, tadpole, froglet, adult frog)
• Drag-&-drop: sequence the steps of a frog life cycle
• Short answer: venn diagram comparing tadpole and a frog
• Image Search: use Google Image Search to find real-life photos of frogs
• Short answer: Reflection on life cycles (what is a life cycle/what are four essential steps/give an example of an animal’s life cycle)

Why Teachers Love these Animal Life Cycles Activities:

• No-prep and ready for Google Classroom
• Interactive activities to keep students engaged
• Covers essential science concepts aligned with 2nd-grade SOLs
• Perfect for independent work, science centers, or sub plans

Ideal For:

• Teaching Animal Life Cycles: Whether you’re introducing the concept for the first time or reinforcing it later in the year, this pack is a perfect fit.
• Independent Work: Students can work through the interactive Google Slides activities at their own pace.
• Science Centers: Hands-on, drag-and-drop tasks make learning fun and engaging in a small group setting.
• Early Finishers: Keep students engaged with meaningful, no-prep activities when they finish their work early.
• Sub Plans: Ready-to-go lessons ensure your students stay on track, even when you’re not in the classroom.
• Assessment Preparation: Use this resource to review key concepts before quizzes or end-of-unit assessments.

2nd Grade Science SOLs included:

• 2.4 Life Cycles
  • Study the life cycles of plants and animals.

This activity pack takes the stress out of planning while giving your students meaningful practice with animal life cycles. With engaging visuals and easy-to-use activities, you’ll love how it simplifies your science block while keeping students excited to learn!

Get your students ready to explore the fascinating world of animal life cycles!