Life Cycle Read Alouds for Kindergarten and 1st Grade Science

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Nothing beats the look on a child's face when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly or a seed finally sprouts. Read alouds build that wonder before the real thing happens, and they give kids the vocabulary to talk about what they see.

Life cycle books always sparked more questions than I could answer, which is exactly what I wanted.

Here are 8 life cycle books for your science shelf.

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The classic first look at a caterpillar's journey.
2. Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert. Bright collage pages that walk through the butterfly life cycle.
3. From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer. A clear nonfiction read that is just right for K-1.
4. Chickens Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller. All the animals that lay eggs. A fun way to start a chicken unit.
5. From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons. Simple diagrams of how a seed grows into a plant.
6. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. One small seed's adventure through the seasons.
7. A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston. Gorgeous illustrations packed with seed facts.
8. Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert. Planting bulbs and seeds for a garden in every color.

Keep the learning going after the book

My Life Cycle Activities Bundle has a nonfiction unit for each of these: butterfly, frog, chicken and plant. Each unit has nearly 50 pages, including:

• 7 vocabulary cards for your word wall or pocket chart
• A mini book and a student writing book with a rubric
• A 2 page life cycle poster
• A file folder game, memory game and vocabulary puzzle
• KWL and can, have, are charts
• Life cycle cut and paste and labeling pages

What teachers are saying

"My students loved the books. I also found the vocabulary cards and posters helpful." (TPT review)

Want a closer look at one unit? Read my Butterfly Life Cycle Activities post.

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Get the Life Cycle Activities Bundle on TPT

Made by a teacher who's been right where you are.

Jessica Ann Stanford, Teachers Follow Teachers