Online games allow children to learn about frog and butterfly life cycles while still having fun. Sheppard Software, for example, teaches both cycles as a matching game. Second graders must correctly match the cycle sequence in order to gain a perfect score. Each mistake is counted in the final score, and the player will be asked to try again. Both games are interactive and include sound effects.
"The Very Hungry Caterpillar," written by Eric Carle, is a well-known children's book that provides second graders with an enjoyable lesson on the butterfly life cycle. The story starts with a caterpillar that has just hatched from its egg and follows its journey to becoming a butterfly. Carle uses lively coloring and tissue paper collages that attract children's eyes. Teachers can use "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" as an introductory lesson on life cycles.
"From Tadpole to Frog" is a children's book that describes a frog's life cycle from an egg to a full-grown bullfrog. The book features colorful watercolor illustrations that will help maintain a child's interest. The text is aimed toward beginning readers, and children can learn and practice their reading skills at the same time. Second grade teachers can also use the book as a review material on life cycles. "From Tadpole to Frog," by Wendy Pfeffer, won the Best Children's Science Book award in 1994.
Second graders can learn the life cycle by observing the process before their eyes. Educators can provide this opportunity by ordering caterpillar larvae so children will be able to track the process. Butterfly eggs can be obtained from a butterfly farm or nature store. Some sources will provide special student kits that include rearing cages and pupation chambers. Teachers should choose the appropriate supplies for their class.
Teachers can teach the frog cycle through observation, by taking their students on a field trip to a nearby pond. A field trip can be fun and exciting experience for second graders. Children will love being outside of the classroom, and will learn how the frog life cycle works. Full-grown frogs will be harder to find, but tadpoles will be easier to identify in the water.