Activity 01
Our Life Timelines
Pupils create a personal timeline with photos or drawings of themselves as a baby, a toddler, and now. They then work in groups to create a larger, generalised timeline of the human life cycle, from infancy to old age, placing picture cards or drawings at each stage.
Identify the main stages of the human life cycle.
Facilitation TipUse a long roll of paper or string across the classroom to make the timeline tangible and collaborative.
What to look forUse a 'Think-Pair-Share' activity where pupils discuss the question: 'What is one way a child is different from an adult?'. Listen to their conversations to check for understanding.
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Activity 02
Interview a Grandparent or Older Adult
As a homework task, pupils prepare a few simple questions to ask a grandparent, older relative, or trusted neighbour about their life. Questions could include 'What was school like for you?' or 'What is the biggest change you have seen in the world?'.
Explain how a person's abilities change from being a toddler to being a teenager.
Facilitation TipCo-create the questions in class to ensure they are respectful and appropriate for the children to ask.
What to look forPupils create a 'Life Stage Booklet'. Each page represents a different stage and includes a drawing and two sentences describing what a person in that stage might do or need.
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Activity 03
Needs and Abilities Sorting Game
In pairs, children are given a set of cards with different needs (e.g., 'needs help eating', 'can drive a car') and abilities ('learning to walk', 'sharing wisdom'). They must sort these cards under the correct life stage headings: Baby, Child, Teenager, Adult, Older Adult.
Compare the needs of a baby with the needs of a ten-year-old.
Facilitation TipEncourage discussion and justification for their choices, as some cards might fit into more than one category.
What to look forPupils complete a simple 'traffic light' self-assessment, colouring a circle red, orange, or green to show how well they feel they can name the stages of the life cycle.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Begin with the children's own experiences of growing, using photos or personal stories to make the concept relatable. Use a large visual timeline as a central anchor for the lesson, adding to it as you introduce each new stage. Ensure discussions are respectful and positive, framing all stages of life, especially old age, as valuable and important.
By the end of our journey, you will be able to map out the different stages of life and explain the incredible ways our bodies, minds, and abilities change as we grow.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Getting old just means you get sick and can't do anything.
While some older people have health challenges, many live very active, healthy, and independent lives. Old age also brings wisdom, experience, and more time for hobbies and family.
Growing up happens suddenly, like on your birthday.
Growing and changing is a gradual process that happens a little bit every day. Milestones like birthdays are ways we celebrate, but the changes themselves happen over long periods of time.
All adults are the same and all children are the same.
People are unique at every stage of life. While there are general patterns of development, everyone's abilities, interests, and experiences are different.
Methods used in this brief