Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - JHS 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify the four stages of the housefly's life cycle.
• Describe each stage of the life cycle.
• Arrange the stages in the correct order.
• Understand the importance of this cycle for health and hygiene.

Lesson summary

In Ghana, houseflies are common around homes, markets, chop bars, refuse dumps, toilets, and animal pens. They feed on waste and can carry germs that cause diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid. Understanding the life cycle of the housefly helps learners know how flies multiply, where they breed, and how to control them to protect family and community health.

Lesson notes

Key Terms Life cycle: The series of stages an organism passes through from birth to adulthood and reproduction. Metamorphosis: A major change in body form during development. Complete metamorphosis: Development with four distinct stages: egg → larva → pupa → adult. Larva (maggot): The worm-like feeding stage of the housefly. Pupa: The resting/changing stage where the larva transforms into an adult inside a protective case. The Housefly Life Cycle (Complete Metamorphosis) Houseflies undergo complete metamorphosis, meaning the young one does not look like the adult. The stages are: Stage 1: Egg Where eggs are laid: On decaying organic matter such as: rubbish dumps, rotting food, faeces, animal dung, uncovered waste bins, dirty gutters What eggs look like: Tiny, white, rice-like eggs (often laid in clusters). What happens: Eggs hatch into larvae (maggots). Why this stage is important: If we remove breeding places (filth), flies cannot lay eggs. Stage 2: Larva (Maggot) Appearance: Soft, white, legless, worm-like. Behaviour: The larva feeds actively on decaying matter. Importance: This stage grows fast because it eats a lot. Maggots are often found in rotting food, faeces, dung, and wet rubbish. What happens next: The larva stops feeding and changes into a pupa. Stage 3: Pupa Appearance: A brown, capsule-like case (often called a “puparium”). Behaviour: The pupa does not feed; it is a resting and changing stage. What happens: Inside the pupa, the body is reorganised into an adult fly (wings, legs, eyes form). Why it matters: Even if you don’t see movement, the fly is developing inside. Stage 4: Adult Housefly Appearance: Has wings, six legs, compound eyes; can fly. Behaviour: Feeds on liquids and soft food; often lands on faeces and then on food. Can carry germs on its legs and body hairs. Reproduction: Adults mate; females lay eggs, starting the cycle again. Correct Order of the Stages Eggs → Larva (maggot) → Pupa → Adult → (lays eggs again)

You can show it as a cycle with arrows: Egg → Larva → Pupa → Adult → Egg

Evaluation guide

• Identify and describe the stages of the life cycle of the housefly.
• Show the order of the stages of the life cycle of the housefly e.g.
• eggs  larva  pupa  adult. Arrange flashcards or the cut-outs to
• illustrate the stages.