Description
What is included in this Plant & Animal Life Cycles Project Research Unit?
Students will first learn how to use the text features in an informational text including the table of contents and index. They will also learn how to find credible sources on the internet. Then, students will be assigned an animal or plant life cycle (and optionally, a partner or group to work with). Students will have a Life Cycle Research Journal that they will use as a guide as they research their assigned life cycle.
Once students have completed their research, they will use it to complete two culminating activities: a diorama of their life cycle in a shoebox and a written life cycles project report. Finally, other classes and parents will be invited to the “Life Cycle Fair” where your students can show off their dioramas.
You will get:
- Teacher Info Pages: This includes a sample unit outline, grading rubric, lesson plans for internet research, intro lesson, research journals, and final projects.
- Book research/ text features worksheets: Students will review other text features including a glossary, titles, headings, photos, captions, graphs/charts, and special print. They will also compare and contrast the table of contents and index.
- Internet research worksheets: These worksheets will familiarize your students with how to find credible sources on the internet for research. THESE CAN BE COMPLETED DIGITALLY!
- Animal and Plant Cards Cards with the name and clip art of each plant and animal. You can use these to assign students an animal/plant to research. The animal and plant cards included are:
- Butterfly
- Frog
- Chicken
- Grasshopper
- Ladybug
- Plant
- Apple
- Bat
- Bee
- Pumpkin
- Spider
- Sunflower
- Ant
- Fly
- Mosquito
- Penguin
- Sea Turtle
- Tomato
- Research Journals: The research journals will guide the students throughout their research. There is one question on each page for the students to find the answer to. 13 pre-written pages are included, plus 6 blank ones to add your own questions. Since this is the Google Slides version, students can type right into the pages! Full-page and half-page versions are BOTH included in this resource. Choose which version is best for your students.
- Life Cycle Diorama & Written Report Instructions Lesson plan for the student’s final project
- Diorama Example A photo example of the final project
- Parent Letter & Life Cycle Fair Invitation: Keep the parents in the loop! Let them know what is going on with the unit and invite them to the fair, if you decide to host one.
- Final Report Pages and info: A final report page is included as well as examples and lessons to have students create a life cycle diorama.

















Amy S. –
Excellent research focused packet on life cycles. This packet has everything to help get the students started with their research and work through the project. This is a perfect final project for my students to demonstrate their understanding of life cycles.
Verified review · Print version
Amy S. –
Excellent research focused unit on life cycles. This unit has everything to help get the students started with their research and work through the project. Having these in Google Slides format is perfect so my students can research and create on their computer both in school and at home without losing their work.
Verified review
anne.anastasia –
I love that the bundle of these units has BOTH digital and printable resources! Thank you for including both B/W and color copies!
Verified review · Print version
anne.anastasia –
This is perfect for my ELA class on “technical writing”, which will have students doing crosscurricular research and research projects. Thank you so much for saving me a ton of time!!!
Verified review
Brittany C. –
So great!
Reviewed on TPT
Christina W. –
This is a great resource for my students and helped me save time when planning.
Reviewed on TPT
Sara A V. –
My students had a great time conducting their research using this resource. It helped both, my in class and distance learning students.
Reviewed on TPT
Kelly R. –
The kiddos really enjoyed this project.
Reviewed on TPT
Katelyn L. –
Loved all the options and resources!
Verified review · Print version
Connect the Dots Learning Academy –
My students enjoyed this research unit.
Reviewed on TPT
Sarah M. –
This is great, thanks!
Reviewed on TPT
Hope Wilkes –
Love it.
Reviewed on TPT
Rachel J. –
Great project for my life cycle unit.
Reviewed on TPT
Samantha B. –
Easy to utilize.
Reviewed on TPT
Katherine V. –
My students enjoyed using this resource when researching life cycles.
Reviewed on TPT
Nicole S. –
This is a well organized and put together research unit. I like the option of adding my own questions.
Print version