Lesson 1 of 21
Lesson Title: What are living and nonliving things?
AZ Teaching Standard(s):
SG1S1C3PO1: Organize (e.g. compare, classify, and sequence) objects, organisms and events according to various characteristics.
Lesson Outcome:
TSW classify things as living and nonliving.
TSW will identify parts of an environment that have living and nonliving things.
Evidence:
Tree map of living and nonliving things using pictures and/or words.
Big Idea: Living things need each other to survive.
Materials: SMARTBoard technology, photographs, Tree Map using pictures and/or words (see attached).
Sub-Objective
TSW tell the critical
attributes of living
things.
TSW use critical
attributes of living
and nonliving
things to classify
photographs on a
tree map.
TSW use critical
attributes of living
and nonliving
things to classify
pictures on a tree
map.
Teacher Actions
 Have students look at a photograph of a
Participant Actions
 Participate in discussion.
meadow (e.g. SMARTBoard technology).
√ for Understanding
 Paraphrase or summarize a
classmate’s thinking.
 Ask students to visualize the types of
plants and animals that would live in the
environment.
 Record student responses on chart
paper.
 Tell students that:
1. Living things are alive.
2. Living things grow and change over
time.
3. Plants and animals are examples of
living things.
 Tell students that:
1. Nonliving things do not grow and
change over time.
Important: Make the distinction between
“nonliving” and “once living”.
 Display photographs of living and
nonliving things using SMARTBoard
technology.
 Have student volunteers classify objects
in photographs as living and nonliving
and move to appropriate spot on tree
map.
 Students must explain classification using
critical attributes.
 Have students sort pictures into living
and nonliving on a tree map.
 Monitor student work.
 Ask students to explain decisions using
knowledge of critical attributes.
 Participate in discussion.
 Participate in classifying photographs
 Paraphrase or summarize a
classmate’s thinking.
with a tree map.
 Identify items as living or nonliving.
 Explain thinking using critical attributes
of living and nonliving, when
questioned.
 Compare and contrast sort with
a partner using critical
attributes as justification for
decisions.
Name: ______________________________________
Date: _______________________________
Directions: Sort the pictures as living or nonliving using their critical attributes.
Living and Nonliving
Living
Nonliving
Explain: Pick one of the items you classified as living and explain why below.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Name: ______________________________________
Date: _______________________________
Directions: Sort the pictures as living or nonliving using their critical attributes.
Living and Nonliving
Living
Nonliving
Explain: Pick one of the items you classified as living and explain why below.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________.
apple
leaf
pencil
squirrel
bus
paperclip
girl
backpack
flag
tree