Ant Life Cycle: First, Next, Then

Science is hugely fascinating for kids, but since I focus on math and literacy on the blog I need to find more ways to incorporate science into those two areas. So today we’re using the ant life cycle to focus on writing first, next, then, after that and finally!

What you’ll need

A copy of this printable (you’ll find a link at the bottom of this post)
Copy paper
Glue or a stapler
Scissors

Putting them together

Choose between the colour or black and white versions then make the book just by cutting one slit then folding into a tiny book. The flip book pages simply need to be cut out and then folded and glued together at the top.
Your kids can do most of this themselves and there are full instructions in the printable.

How to use

Ant Life Cycle Book

Read through the ant life cycle book and talk about each part of the cycle so that it’s understood. The text is:

First, there was a queen ant. Next, she laid lots of eggs. Then, the eggs hatched into larvae. After that, they turned into pupae. Finally, the ants emerged.

The second last page lists the difference between singular and plural: ant/ants, egg/eggs, larva/larvae, pupa/pupae.

The key words are in dotted text so children can trace over the words. I’ve included a comma after each word so it’s easier to remember that we always need to have a comma after these words when they’re used in this way.

Have a quick chat about the plural forms of these words, too, as larva and pupa are unusual and your child may never have seen this kind of pluralisation before, that is, by adding an ‘e’ at the end.

Hint: lots of English words were originally Latin. Many of these words now just use ‘s’ to become plural, but some words still use the Latin habit of adding an ‘e’. This is mostly seen with scientific-type words.

Ant Life Cycle Flip Book

This flip book was created to help kids really focus in on these key words we’re teaching. By reading the book first they’ll understand the life cycle but because, when it’s closed, the key words are all we see, it’s an opportunity to really hone in on this kind of writing.

Ask your kids to trace the words on the flip book and then close it and encourage them to retell the life cycle without looking at the pictures but starting each sentence with the key words. For eg, ‘First, a bee became queen. Next, she made lots of baby eggs. Then, she decided to go on a holiday.’ ???

Who knows what kids will say!

Then, use these key words as a template to create a story. For example: First, a bee flew to the park. Next, he made friends with a grasshopper. Then, he spotted an amazing bright red flower….

You get the picture! Use these little books as a stepping off point for gaining confidence in using these words accurately and effectively. Use them as prompt reminders when you’re working on this kind of writing task, no matter what the subject matter is.