Life Cycles — Answer Key
Part A: Sort the Words
Sort each word or number into the correct category box.
1. Sort each stage into the correct life cycle.
Chicken Life Cycle
chickegg with shellhen Plant Life Cycle
sproutflowerseed Chick, hen, and an egg with a hard shell are stages of a chicken growing up. Seed, sprout, and flower are stages of a plant growing from the ground.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A chicken hatches from an egg.
Every chicken begins life inside an egg. The chick breaks out of the shell when it is ready to hatch.
2. A baby chicken is called a chick.
Baby chickens have a special name: chicks. They are small and fluffy when they first hatch.
3. A hen sits on her eggs to keep them warm.
Eggs need steady warmth so the chicks inside can grow. The hen's body heat keeps them warm until they are ready to hatch.
4. A sprout pushes up through the soil toward the sun.
Seeds are planted in soil, so a new sprout has to push up through the dirt to reach sunlight above the ground.
5. An adult chicken that lays eggs is called a hen.
Female adult chickens are called hens, and only hens can lay eggs. Males are called roosters.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. A chick uses an egg tooth to crack open its shell.
True False
The egg tooth is a tiny hard bump on a chick's beak that helps it tap and break the shell. It falls off soon after hatching.
2. A plant can grow without any water.
True False
Plants need water along with sunlight and air to grow. Without water, seeds cannot sprout and leaves wilt and die.
3. Chickens go through metamorphosis like frogs.
True False
Chicks already look like small chickens when they hatch, so their body shape does not change dramatically. Frogs go through metamorphosis because tadpoles look very different from adult frogs.
4. A seed is the first stage of a plant life cycle.
True False
Every plant begins as a seed, which holds everything it needs to start growing. Once planted and watered, the seed sprouts into a young plant.