Kindergarten   Science   Lesson   –   Madelon   Cheatham,   Science   Specialist
Objective:    Students   will   distinguish   between   living   and   nonliving   things.
Students   will   recognize   characteristics   that   all   living   things   must   have.
Students   will   know   that   organisms   that   have   died   are   considered   living   things.
Time:   One   Class   Period
Materials:
QuickTime   Video ‐  “Is   It   Alive?”     Available   at   Teacher   Domain   http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.colt.alive/
Two   worksheets   attached
Green   leaves   or   a   plant;   brown   leaves   or   dead   plant   (extensions   require   other   materials)
Background   Information:
It   is   clear   to   most   people,   even   very   small   children,   that   icicles   are   not   alive.
They   are   cold,   they   don't   move,   except   to   drip   or   to   fall   to   the   ground   when   they   break;   they   don't   reproduce.
It   is   also   clear   that   household   pets   and   people   are   alive,   especially   when   you   see   them   run,   jump,   or   respond   to   you.
Those   are   fairly   easy   examples.
But   how   can   you   determine   if   a   clock   or   a   seed   is   living   or   nonliving?
A   clock   is   nonliving,   but   its   hands   move,   it   makes   noise,   and   it   responds   when   you   turn   its   dials   or   press   its   buttons.
That's   more   lifelike   than   an   icicle.
What   about   a   seed?
Even   though   we're   told   that   it   holds   the   potential   for   life,   it   looks   about   as   lively   as   a   stone.
As   you   can   see,   the   distinction   between   living   and   nonliving   is   not   always   clear ‐ cut.
Some   inanimate   objects   have   characteristics   of   living   organisms,   while   many   living   organisms,   on   the   face   of   it,   seem   utterly   lifeless,   and   this   can   be   confusing   to   young   children.
How   does   one   distinguish   between   living   and   nonliving   things?
The   scientific   definition   of   living   includes   those   things   that   are   alive   or   have   ever   been   alive  ‐‐  including   what's   left   of   a   tree   that   died   years   before.
Likewise,   the   seed,   which   appears   lifeless   and   may   remain   dormant   for   years   before   finally   germinating,   qualifies   as   living.
In   contrast,   nonliving   things   are   not   alive,   nor   have   they   ever   been.
What   does   it   mean   to   be   alive?
According   to   biologists   living   organisms   are   characterized   by   seven   "signs   of   life":   1)   living   things   have   highly   organized,   complex   structures;   2)   living   things   maintain   a   chemical   composition   that   is   quite   different   from   their   surroundings;   3)   living   things   have   the   capacity   to   take   in,   transform,   and   use   energy   from   the   environment;   4)   living   things   can   respond   to   stimuli;   5)   living   things   have   the   capacity   to   reproduce   themselves;   6)   living   things   grow   and   develop;   and   7)   living   things   are   well ‐ suited   to   their   environment.
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Lesson   Procedure:
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Show   the   video   “Is   It   Alive?”
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Tell   students   to   watch   and   think   about   whether   they   believe   each   thing   is   alive   or   not   alive.
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Discuss   with   the   students   what   they   believe   the   characteristics   of   living   things   are.
Let   them   provide   examples   and   talk   about   what   they   have   seen   on   the   video.
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Give   students   the   sheet   “Classifying   Living   and   Nonliving   Things”   and   tell   them   to   put   a   check   in   each   box   that   is   correct   about   the   objects.
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If   students   cannot   read   the   information   do   the   checklist   as   a   group.
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Discuss   their   choices.
Extension:
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Show   the   students   a   living   plant   and   ask   if   it   is   alive.
Discuss   why   it   is   a   living   thing.
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Next,   show   them   a   dead   plant   or   leaf   and   ask   if   it   is   alive.
Students   may   think   that   it   is   not,   or   may   say   it   is   dead.
Explain   that   anything   that   was   ever   alive   is   considered   a   living   thing,   even   if   it   is   no   longer   alive.
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Give   students   the   sheet   “Is   It   Alive?”   and   tell   them   to   circle   all   the   objects   that   are   living.
Discuss   their   choices.
Note:   The   feather   and   the   roast   turkey   may   be   confusing   to   children.
Remind   them   that   if   something   was   once   alive   or   a   part   of   a   living   thing   then   it   should   be   circled.
Assessment:
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Make   zipper   bags   that   contain   living   and   nonliving   items   and   let   the   students   sort   them   into   two   groups.
Items   that   can   be   placed   in   the   bag:   pencil,   coin,   rocks,   plastic   toys,   leaves,   moss,   seeds,   flower   buds,   dead   insect,   feathers.
You   may   substitute   picture   cards   if   you   wish.
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Give   the   students   a   large   sheet   of   paper   and   tell   them   to   divide   the   chart   in   half   and   label   one   side   living   and   one   side   non ‐ living.
Give   them   magazines   and   tell   them   to   cut   out   pictures   of   objects   and   glue   them   to   each   side   of   the   chart.
Literature   Connection:
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Read   the   poem   “Hey   Diddle,   Diddle”   and   provide   a   picture   or   poster   if   possible.
Ask   the   children   to   name   the   living   and   nonliving   things   in   the   poem.
Other   poems   may   be   read   also,   “Humpty,
Dumpty”   etc.
Provide   pictures   with   each   poem.
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Read   a   book   of   your   choice   and   ask   students   to   name   the   living   and   nonliving   things   in   the   book.
There   are   many   books   that   can   be   used   for   this   activity.
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Circle   All   the   Objects   That   Are   Alive?
________________________________Name
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