Types of Metamorphosis

Take insect life cycles a step deeper with this quick Science Spotlight on the two kinds of metamorphosis. Students read about four insects — a butterfly, a beetle, a grasshopper, and a cockroach — and decide whether each goes through complete metamorphosis (four stages, with a resting pupa) or incomplete metamorphosis (three stages, no pupa).

The sort turns on one clear, observable test: does the insect rest as a pupa? That removes the guesswork — a butterfly rests in a chrysalis and a beetle rests as a pupa, so both are complete; a grasshopper and a cockroach hatch looking like tiny adults and simply grow, so both are incomplete. Every card's underline task points students straight to the pupa clue, and the word bank lists each insect's life stages so learners reason from the evidence rather than memorizing an answer.

The goal line makes the science honest: both kinds are metamorphosis — incomplete insects just skip the pupa. A clean answer key shows the insect, the correct choice, and the clue highlighted in red.

Built for grades 3–5 and aligned to NGSS 3-LS1-1, this makes a strong advanced companion to a life-cycles unit. Just print and teach as a warm-up or review.