Their understanding of the cyclical nature of life is further extended by classroom and school programs such as composting and recycling. Activities Students examine the seeds and bulbs of a variety of plants and classify them by colour, shape, and size. They make observations and illustrate the changes the plants go through as they grow. Students set up a class compost box to recycle plant material. Students compare the parts of a seed to an egg, noting similarities and differences using a chart or poster.
Amphibian eggs make excellent subjects for observation.
They demonstrate their scientific skills and processes when they observe and record changes in a plant, or in an egg that hatches. The teacher looks for evidence that students are able to observe and represent small changes, that the causes they suggest are related to the process of hatching, and that they are able to make logical predictions based on what they have seen so far and what they know about eggs. Students explain what is happening at each stage. The teacher asks students to draw a picture of something new they learned about life cycles. Older students could also record a question they wonder about.