Life cycles are a series of stages through which living things grow, change, reproduce and eventually die. The various stages are always represented in a circle as it is continuous. The focus for this program will be on animal life cycles.

No prior knowledge is required.

How can we use Sphero Bolts to show the various stages of an animal’s life cycle?

In this program students will:

• Define the term life cycle
• Learn the life cycle of an animal – insect, frog, reptile, bird or mammal
• Explore the various stages of an animal’s life cycle
• Learn how to use the Sphero Bolts to draw & describe the various stages of their animal’s life cycle
• Move their Sphero Bolt around in a circle.

Students will:

• Draw the various stages of their animal’s life cycle and animate their images using Matrix Animation on iPads with Sphero Bolts
• Use suitable animal sounds to enhance their animated images on iPads with Sphero Bolts
• Type in information about each stage of their animal’s life cycle.
• Move their Sphero Bolts around in a circle during the various stages of their animal’s life cycle.

Science – Science understanding

• Plants and animals have different life cycles; offspring are similar, but not identical, to their parents (VC2S4U02)

Science Inquiry

• Observations can be used as a basis for posing questions to identify patterns and relationships, and to predict the outcomes of investigations (VC2S4I01)

Science – Planning and conducting

• Observations, including formal measurements, can be made and recorded by following procedures to use familiar scaled instruments and digital tools as appropriate (VC2S4I03)

Science – Processing, modelling and analysing

• Data and information can be organised and represented to identify patterns and simple relationships by constructing tables, graphs and visual or physical models (VC2S4I04)

Science – Communicating

• Observations, findings and ideas can be communicated for an identified purpose and audience by using scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate (VC2S4I06)

Design and Technologies – Data, information and privacy

• Use the core features of common digital tools to create, locate and communicate content, following agreed conventions for a diverse audience (VC2TDI4D03)

Digital Technologies – Creating digital solutions

• Follow, describe and represent algorithms involving sequencing, comparison operators (branching) and iteration (VC2TDI4C02)

Critical and Creative Thinking – Questions & possibilities

• Simple strategies for generating new ideas and possibilities, including repurposing or rearranging (VC2CC4Q03)