Sorting Animals and Their Life Cycles

Science · Organisms & Life Processes · ages 7-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

An ant has no backbone. What group does it belong to?
- Vertebrate
- Invertebrate
- Mammal
Which animal is a vertebrate?
- Salmon (a fish)
- Spider
- Butterfly
A frog is an amphibian.
Circle one: True False
A caterpillar turns into a pupa, then becomes a butterfly. What is this process called?
- Complete metamorphosis
- Gestation
- Incomplete metamorphosis
Which group does a spider belong to among invertebrates?
- Insect
- Amphibian
- Arachnid
A grasshopper hatches, becomes a nymph, then an adult, without ever forming a pupa. What is this called?
- Complete metamorphosis
- Incomplete metamorphosis
- Gestation
Ben says: 'A snake feeds its babies milk, just like a dog does.' What is wrong with what Ben said?
- Snakes are reptiles and do not make milk; only mammals do
- Dogs do not make milk either
- Nothing, both feed milk
A puppy grows inside its mother, then is born alive. A moth grows inside an egg, hatches as a larva, then changes inside a pupa. Which statement is correct?
- The moth uses gestation; the puppy uses metamorphosis
- Both use gestation
- The puppy uses gestation; the moth uses metamorphosis

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Invertebrate · No backbone means the ant is an invertebrate.
Salmon (a fish) · A fish has a backbone, so it is a vertebrate. Spiders and butterflies do not have backbones.
True · Frogs start life in water and are amphibians, one of the five vertebrate groups.
Complete metamorphosis · Passing through egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages is complete metamorphosis.
Arachnid · Spiders have eight legs and belong to the arachnid group. Amphibians actually have backbones, so they are vertebrates, not invertebrates.
Incomplete metamorphosis · Skipping the pupa stage, where the nymph already looks like a small adult, is incomplete metamorphosis.
Snakes are reptiles and do not make milk; only mammals do · Only mammals produce milk for their offspring. Snakes are reptiles, and reptiles do not make milk for their young.
The puppy uses gestation; the moth uses metamorphosis · Mammals like the puppy grow inside the mother during gestation. Insects like the moth change shape through metamorphosis instead.