Identifying Living and Nonliving Things
Identifying Living and Nonliving Things
Identifying Living and Nonliving Things
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Teach your students about living and nonliving things with this interactive lesson that keeps your class
engaged
as they learn!
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to ask and answer questions about living and nonliving things to clarify their
thinking and
classifications.
2 Hula hoops
Zoehfeld
Schemm
Introduction (5 minutes)
Ask students to identify what they need to survive. Write "food," "water," "shelter," and "air" on the
board.
Explain to students that today they will be learning about living and nonliving things.
Ask students to think of a question, or something they want to know, about living and nonliving things.
Remind students that questions start with who, what, when where, why or how. Allow students think
time, and choose student volunteers to ask questions. Write questions on the board (e.g., How do you
Check whether the class is able to answer any of their questions following the video. Allow students to
turn and talk to a partner to answer the following comprehension questions about key details from the
video:
As you read the text, invite students to turn and talk to a partner to ask and answer questions about
what
they see in the illustrations. Write example questions on the board such as:
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Ask students questions about key details from the text such as:
Then, sing the following song together to the tune of Frere Jacques:
It is living!
It is living!
I know why!
I know why!
It's alive!
It's alive!
Now, place two hula hoops on the ground. Label one "living" and one "nonliving." Present the class with
various living and nonliving objects such as a banana, a truck and a plant.
Have each student come to the hula hoops and place objects in the hula hoop in either the living or the
nonliving category. Have students repeat chorally, "Is a ____ living or nonliving?"
Model looking at an item, and asking a question to clarify whether the object is living or nonliving. Think
back to the information presented in the video and ask, "Does this object grow and change?"
Continue until every student has had a chance to ask questions to clarify whether their object is living or
nonliving. Allow students to take turns answering the questions, and classifying the objects.
Differentiation
Enrichment:
Have students in need of enrichment draw objects on a paper that are living.
Support:
Read additional books about living and nonliving things to students who are struggling with the concept.
Assessment
Observe whether students are able to correctly classify living and nonliving things in the sorting activity.
Listen to assess whether students are able to ask and answer questions about key details from the read
Have each student go around the room and find a nonliving object. Remind students to ask a question,
"Is
this living or nonliving?" Have students then answer their question using information and details from
the