Living World – Life cycles

Here are links to Science Learning Hub resources for primary teachers related to life cycles in the Living World strand of the New Zealand Curriculum.

Explore the life cycles of birds, butterflies, crabs, eels, ferns, fungi, green-lipped mussels, human beings, inanga (whitebait), insects, moths, plants and more.

Birds

Discover more about the life cycles of birds.

Penguin life cycle – Image

Life cycle of kākā – Interactive

Butterflies

Explore the life cycles of native and introduced New Zealand butterflies.

Unit plan: Butterflies (lower primary)

Unit plan: Butterflies (upper primary)

Butterflies – Introductory article with links to media, articles and activities

Monarch butterflies – Article

White butterflies – Article

White butterfly life cycle – Activity

Crabs

Crab larvae develop in open water, not near the reef where they started their life. Fertilised crab eggs are released into the water and float with the currents while they develop into the larval form. They find their way back to suitable habitats from long distances.

Crabs finding home – Article

Crab life cycle – Image

Eels

The life cycle of eels has long been a mystery. The eels breed only once at the end of their life cycle. In the autumn, adult eels leave the rivers and streams and head for the ocean. From there, they make a long journey of thousands of kilometres to a place somewhere in the South Pacific ocean. Scientists think the spawning grounds may be close to Tonga.

Longfin eels – Article

Adapting SLH activities: changing the topic – PLD

Role-play – building science knowledge and Role-play – playing the game and reflections – Videos

Inanga life cycle – Image

Life cycle of freshwater eels – Image

Longfin eel – on a path to extinction? – Article

Ferns

Ferns are unique amongst land plants in that they have 2 separate living structures in their reproductive cycle.

What is a fern? – Article

Fern life cycle – Interactive

Fern propagation – Activity

Why are ferns unique? – Video

Fern reproduction – Video

Fungi

Fungi are almost everywhere – learn more about fungal life cycles and different parts of a fungus.

Fungal life cycles – spores and more – Article

Ngā hurihanga ora o te hekaheka – ngā pua atua me ētahi atu hanga – Article

Mushroom life cycle – Image

Te hurihanga ora o te harore – Image

Green-lipped mussels

During its life cycle, the green-lipped mussel undergoes enormous changes, including fundamental changes in shape. It changes from a free-swimming larval form (which swims in the ocean) to a settled juvenile and adult form (which is anchored to one spot).

Life of a green-lipped mussel – Article

Mussel life cycle

See more

The life cycle of the New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus, kūtai). As larvae, green-lipped mussels are free-swimming. They metamorphose and settle onto seaweed and subsequently onto solid surfaces.

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

Human beings

Find out about the key stages in the development of a human.

Fertilisation to adulthood – Timeline

Inanga (whitebait)

Whitebait lay their eggs in freshwater, and after hatching, the larvae are swept down to the ocean where they grow. The young then move back up into freshwater in large shoals known as runs.

Whitebait – Article

Inanga and other whitebait – Video

Insects

Scale insects are tiny in size but have a significant impact on the forest ecosystem.

Scale insect life cycle – Video

Glow-worms spend most of their lives as larvae – where their famous light is produced most brightly. The other stages are surprisingly short in comparison.

Glow-worms – Article

Discover how different our native wasps are to the common idea of what a wasp is.

Parasitoid wasp life cycle – Article

Parasitoid wasp life cycle

See more

A generalised diagram of a parasitoid wasp life cycle. Different species will differ in regards to the number of eggs laid and whether they lay eggs on the host or inject a single egg into the host.

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

Moths

Find out how to rear moths using basic equipment such as a plastic lunchbox to grow eggs and caterpillars into moths.

Rearing insects – Activity

Rearing moths – Video

Plants

Humans have many reasons to grow plants: for food, for building materials or simply for pleasure. A plant really just has one reason to grow – to reproduce to make more plants like it.

From kōwhai flower to fruit.

See more

After fertilisation, the kōwhai petals fall off and the ovary grows longer. Each ovule in the ovary that gets fertilised produces a seed. Each ‘lump’ in the fruit pod is a seed.

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

Unit plan: Pollination (lower primary)

Seeds, Stems and Spores – Introductory article with links to media, articles and activities

Plant reproduction – Article

Plant reproduction without seeds – Article

The seed-flower life cycle – Article

Flowering plant life cycles – Article

Pollination pairs – Activity

Trees and natural cycles – Article