SELF- LEARNING

MODULE IN
SCIENCE 4
SECOND
QUARTER –
MODULE 4-5

NAME ___________________________________________________
GRADE and SECTION: ________________________________________
GRADE 4 WEEK 4 & 5
LIFE CYCLE OF ANIMAL
 Birth, growth, reproduction and death represent the four stages of the life cycle
of all animals. Although these stages are common to all animals, they vary
significantly among species. For instance, while insects, birds and reptiles are
born from an egg, mammals develop as embryos inside the mothers’ bodies.
 Most animals appear similar to their adult counterparts at birth. Some types of
animals, however, including most insects and most amphibians, go through
radical transformations during their growing stage. This process is called
metamorphosis. The entire life cycle of an animal can last from only several
days or weeks, as it happens with many insects, to more than a century, as in
the case of some tortoise species.
 The four stages of the life cycle of an animal are birth, growth, reproduction and
death. All animal species go through these stages, but they manifest differently
across the animal kingdom. Mammals are oviparous because their embryos
develop inside the mothers’ wombs, while other types of animals are viviparous
because their embryos develop in external eggs. Some reptiles are called
ovoviviparous because their embryos develop inside eggs that remain inside
their mother body until they hatch.
 Most animals appear similar to their adult counterparts at birth, but some types
of animals, including most insects, go through a radical transformation called
metamorphosis during their growing stage. Some animals can reproduce
asexually, but most animals reproduce through sexual reproduction, which
requires male and female gametes. After aging, animals end their life cycles by
dying. Animals’ life spans last from a few days to more than a century.

Types of Gestation
Animals are called viviparous when born from the mother's womb, or oviparous when
developed inside an egg external to the mother’s body. Some reptiles are called
ovoviviparous because their embryos develop inside eggs that remain inside their
mother body until they hatch. Embryonic development is similar in most vertebrates,
but it can last from 19 days in mice to well over a year in large mammals, such as
giraffes, whales and elephants.

Early Growth
Before reaching sexual maturity or adulthood, animals pass through a growing stage.
Some species, most common among invertebrates and amphibians, go through
metamorphosis during the growing period. Metamorphosis includes larval and pupal
stages. Butterflies, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, frogs and salamanders are some
examples of animals that undergo metamorphosis. Hormones, such as somatotropin,
induce growth in animals.

Creating New Life

Animals reproduce in sexually or asexually. While sexual reproduction involves male
and female gametes - the spermatozoid and the ovule - asexual reproduction depends
on a single individual to generate new life. Hydras, sponges, starfish and flatworms of
the class Turbellaria, know as planarians, can reproduce asexually, but most animals
depend on sexual reproduction to reproduce.
The End of Life
After aging, animals end their life cycles by dying. Loss of hearing and sight, lack of
energy, body weakness and illnesses are some signs of aging and often precede the
natural death of an animal in the wild. Predators are more likely to die natural deaths,
while prey species are likely to succumb to attack when they become too old to defend
themselves properly. Different species have distinct lifespans. Among birds, parrots
have the longest lifespans, living up to 100, while hummingbirds generally die before
they reach 10 years of age.
GRADE 4 WEEK 6
LIFE CYCLE OF PLANT
 The plant life cycle starts when a seed falls on the ground. There are many different kinds of
plant life, but the flowering plants, or angiosperms, are the most advanced and widespread
due to their amazing ability to attract pollinators and spread seeds. Flowers are more than
beautiful objects to look at or decorate with; they serve a very important purpose in the
reproduction of plants. The major stages of the flower life cycle are the seed, germination,
growth, reproduction, pollination, and seed spreading stages.

Seed Stage
 The plant life cycle starts with a seed; every seed holds a miniature plant called the embryo.
There are two types of flowering plant seeds: dicots and monocots. An example of a dicot is
a bean seed. It has two parts called cotyledons in addition to the embryo. The cotyledons
store food for the plant. Cotyledons are also the first leaves that a plant has-they emerge
from the ground during germination. Monocots have only one cotyledon-the corn seed is an
example. Both kinds of seeds have the beginnings of a root system as well. The hard outside
of the seed is called the seed coat and it protects the embryo. Some seeds are capable of
growing even after many years if they are kept cool and dry.

Germination
 When a seed falls on the ground, it needs warmth and water in order to germinate; some
seeds also need light. Dicots have seed coats that soften with moisture. After being planted
in the soil for a few days, the seed absorbs water and swells until the seed coat splits.
Monocots have harder seed coats that do not split, but stay in one piece. The stem, called
the hypocotyl, pushes through the soil along with the cotyledons, or seed leaves; this is
called germination, or sprouting. The tiny root pushes down and grows, looking for water and
nutrients. Soon the cotyledons fall off and the first true leaves emerge. It is important that the
seed is planted in the right place at the right time in order for it to germinate. Some seeds
need to go through a fire in order to sprout, such as prairie grasses. Some need to go
through the stomachs of animals, or be scraped. Different seeds have different needs!

Growth
 In order to complete the flower life cycle stage of growth, plants have to produce their own
food. This process is called photosynthesis. As soon as the leaves emerge, they start the
process of photosynthesis. Plants contain chloroplasts in the leaves which convert the
energy from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into sugars, which they use as food. The
plants store the sugars in the roots and stem. The root system continues to develop,
anchoring the plant into the ground and growing root hairs which help the plant to better
absorb water and nutrients. The stem grows longer towards the sun and transports water
and food between the roots and leaves. Sugars and starches are changed into energy used
to make new plant growth. New leaves grow from the top of the stem, or meristem. After a
while, flower buds develop. Some plants flower within days while it takes others months or
even years.

Reproduction
 Inside the bud, a tiny but complete flower forms. The sepals protect the bud before it opens.
Over time, the bud opens and blossoms into a mature flower and the sepals look like little
green leaves at the base of the flower. The flower is the sexually reproductive part of the
plant. The petals of the flower are often very noticeable, brightly colored, and strongly
scented in order to attract pollinators. This is a very exciting stage of the plant life cycle!
 The female part of the flower is called the pistil and it has four parts-- the stigma, style, ovary,
and ovules. The male part of the flower is called the stamen and it consists of the long
filament and the anther, where pollen is made. In the center of the flower, there is a long
slender tube that ends in a rounded oval. The tube is called the style. On the top of the style
is the stigma-its job is to catch pollen. It may be sticky, hairy, or shaped in a way that helps it
to better trap pollen. Sometimes several stamens surround the pistil. Once the pollen is
trapped it travels down the style to the rounded part at the end, called the ovary, where eggs
are waiting to be fertilized. The fertilized eggs become seeds in this stage of the flower life
cycle. In fruit producing plants, the ovary ripens and becomes fruit.
 Pollination
 Some flowers have only male parts, and some have only female parts. In others, the male
and female structures are far apart. These plants depend on insects, birds, animals, wind,
water, or other pollinators to carry pollen from the male flowers or male parts to the female
flowers or female parts. Without pollinators, there would be no seeds or new plants in these
plant species. . Even flowers that can self-pollinate benefit from being fertilized by pollen
from a different plant, which is called cross pollination, because cross pollination results in
stronger plants.
 Brightly colored petals, strong smell, nectar, and pollen attract pollinators. Flowers are
specially adapted to attract their specific pollinators. For example, the corpse flower smells
like rotting flesh in order to attract flies. Pollen sticks to the legs and wings of insects that go
from flower to flower for nectar and pollen, which they use as a food. Pollen sticks to the fur
of animals and even to the clothes of humans. Wind blows pollen which lands on other
flowers.

Spreading Seeds
 Seed spreading, or dispersal, is the final stage of the flower life cycle. Seeds are spread in
many ways. Some, like dandelion seeds, are scattered by the wind. Others rely on animals-
an example of this is the cockleburs that get stuck in the fur of animals and hitchhike to new
locations. Water lilies depend on water to spread their seeds. Humans spread many seeds
intentionally by planting gardens. Once the seeds fall to the ground, the plant life cycle starts
all over again.