🐛 Explore the Magic of the Butterfly Life Cycle 🦋

Use this independent practice worksheet to support the life cycles section of your Biological Sciences lesson.

This is a hands-on activity for students to consolidate their understanding of the metamorphosis of a butterfly—egg to caterpillar (larva), then chrysalis (pupa) to butterfly (adult). 

By completing this activity, students demonstrate their ability to investigate and record the unique life cycles of insects.

Scaffolding + Extension Tips 

In addition to individual student work time, use this life cycles activity as a:

• lesson exit ticket
• quiz or test
• fast finisher activity
• homework assignment.

Instruct fast finishers to research another animal and use the template as a guide to creating a similar life cycle.

Support students who need more help by referencing your life cycles lesson plan resources.  

How To Prepare This Resource

Your download includes a completed example (answer sheet), a blank template, and a separate page with pictures and labels students will put in order on the template.

This resource is available in three formats: 

• colour PDF
• black and white PDF
• interactive Google Slides (with two differentiated versions).

Students will cut out the pictures and labels and paste them in the correct place on the template. Because this activity includes an answer sheet, we suggest printing one copy of the entire activity and making photocopies of the template and life cycle labels.

Use the Google slides version as a sustainable, whole-class activity: 

• Version 1: Using the labels as a guide, drag the life cycle pictures in place.
• Version 2: Using the pictures as a guide, drag the life cycle labels in place.

Before You Download

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides versions of this resource. An answer key is also included with this download.

NEXT: The Best Class Pets and the Worst to Keep in a Classroom

Don’t stop there! Your lesson plan wouldn’t be complete without these activities and teaching resources too: 

teaching resource

Inquiry Project - Template

A diverse template to help students craft inquiry questions to produce different types of projects.

teaching resource

Eggs-ellent Dominoes

A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when investigating animals which lay eggs.

teaching resource

Living & Non-Living Things - Picture Sort

Sort biotic vs. abiotic things and discuss their characteristics with a hands-on living vs. nonliving picture sort.