Talking about death as part of a life cycle is often ignored or spoken about in hushed tones in early childhood. Books with "life cycle" in the title often do not include the death of the living organism in the information about the cycle. The concept of a complete life cycle does not appear in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (the recent document that guides the writing of the "Next Generation Science Standards") until grades 3-5 (NRC 2012). In this article, Peggy Ashbrook suggests that observing a living organism throughout a life cycle can get children ready for a more complete understanding of life cycles by grade 5. Classroom investigation of seed sprouting and plant growth of a plant with a short life cycle can introduce the concepts related to living organisms before the gardening begins.