IIT/Field Museum – High School Transformation Project
Lesson: Characteristics of Living Things
Glencoe Biology: The Dynamics of Life
Unit 1, Ch 1, Sec. 1.1, What is Biology?, Sec. 1.2 The Methods of Biology
Context of Lesson
This lesson will occur after the first introductory day of biology class during which students have been
introduced to what they will learn during the year. The purpose of this lesson is to immediately engage
students in the process of science by “doing science”, to reinforce students’ understanding of the
characteristics shared by all living things, and to introduce students to one of the ways scientists
investigate the natural world. Students will examine several unknown substances to determine if these
items are living or not. They will conduct simple tests on the unknowns, gathering data and drawing
conclusions from their data.
Main Goals/Objectives
As a result of this activity, students will be able to:
 Summarize the characteristics of living things.
 Begin to understand the process of scientific inquiry, such as: questioning, hypothesizing,
designing an investigation, collecting and analyzing data, reporting results, and evaluating
competing explanations.
 Distinguish and define experiment related terms, such as dependent and independent
variables, experimental and control groups, and constants.
 Learn basic rules of safety in the laboratory and in the field.
 Explain that repeating investigations is essential to validating scientific claims.
 Identify limitations of an investigation including possible sources of error.
Nature of Science: Integrated Theme
 Distinguish observations from inferences, explain that inferences should be based on
observations, and explain that the development of scientific knowledge involves both
observations and inferences so scientific knowledge is partially inferential.
 Explain that scientists’ background knowledge influence their doing inquiry so they may have
different observations and interpretations of the same phenomena.
Scientific Inquiry: Integrated Theme
 Explain that scientific investigations all begin with a question, but do not necessarily test a
hypothesis.
 Explain that there is no single scientific method and provide at least two different methods.
 Explain that inquiry procedures are guided by the question asked.
 Explain that all scientists performing the same procedures may not get the same results.
 Explain that inquiry procedures can influence the results.
 Explain that research conclusions must be consistent with the data collected.
 Explain that scientific data are not the same as scientific evidence.
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Notes to the Teacher
Most likely this will be the students’ first laboratory experience and they will need some guidance about
how to act during a laboratory, i.e. only start once all instructions have been given, don’t touch anything
unless instructed.
This may also be the students’ first experience with a more open-ended laboratory. They will likely feel
uncomfortable with the open-ended nature of the procedures. The teacher should encourage the
students, without leading them to a conclusion. When students are stuck, here are some ways the
teacher can respond:
 Tell me what you’ve talked about as a group. Walk me through what you’ve done so far.
 Let’s read through the instructions. Point out where you get stuck.
 Let’s take a look at what you have available. How might you use X?
The students are used to looking to the teacher for answers. The teacher can encourage the students to
look to their lab partners, and themselves, as well as other resources such as the text, for ideas on how
to proceed.
Facilitation
The lesson can be completed in 2.5 class periods. The first two days involve student’s conducting
experiments. The remaining ½ class period involves a teacher demo and a debriefing of the lab,
including the analysis questions.
Day 1: Student experimentation
Materials
Student copies of the lab
Unknown substances: such as sand, brown sugar, Fast Plant seeds, and table salt, leaf discs (using a
hole-puncher make discs of leaf tissue from healthy leaves), and any other substances the teacher
would like to try such as Euglena, pond water, algae, electronic wind-up toy (just one for the whole
class), etc.
At each table of two students:
Approximately 2 teaspoons of all five unknown substances in small containers
Hand lens
Containers, ie: small jars (baby food etc.), beakers, test tubes, graduated cylinders, Petri dishes
Paper towels
Water
Light Source
3 plastic spoons
Bell Ringer
1. Have Transparency 1 “Characteristics of Life” on the overhead (see Glencoe text pg. 3). Instruct
students to take out their notebooks and answer the questions at the bottom of the transparency. Take
five minutes to discuss student answers to the questions.
Hand out student Laboratory sheets and introduce the lab. If the teacher wishes, this lab can be
conducted by groups of four students or groups of three students. This lab should not be conducted as a
class demo. The main goal is to have students be active investigators of the characteristics of life, not
observers.
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Students will move to lab stations. At each lab station each pair of students will find 5 small jars holding
samples of their unknowns, labeled 1-5. Students should not be told what any substance is. This is a
good opportunity to distinguish between observations and inferences. Students will record their
observations on each substance in Data Table A.
After students finish making their observations, bring them together and share their data. Use this
discussion to help students see the importance of making complete observations. Also, emphasize the
difference between observations and inferences. Only observations should be recorded in the data
table.
Explain to students that they will conduct experiments to determine which, if any, of the substances are
alive. Based on what they learned about what factors an object must possess to be considered alive,
have them predict which of the five substances is living. Under the heading Hypothesis, have students
write their prediction as to which of the substances is living. (At this point the if…. then form for writing
hypotheses should be introduced. Take a quick class poll to see how many students think each
substance is alive.) It is likely that students will have different hypotheses about unknowns 1-5.
Post a list of the Characteristics of Living things that students can refer to as they complete the lab.
Allow students to pick three of the unknowns to test. It would be ideal for students to test all five
unknowns but due to time constraints, each group of two students will test three unknowns. Encourage
students to brainstorm different ways to test for the characteristics of life. Circulate from group to group
to discuss possible tests. Acknowledge good ideas and discuss what materials would be needed. Note to
students that sometimes availability of materials limits scientists’ experiments so some tests they think
of won’t be possible.
Students can proceed to set up their tests. The teacher circulates around the room monitoring student
progress and asking questions such as: What are you trying to find out? What is your hypothesis?, Which
substances do you think are alive? Why do you think that substance is alive? Why don’t you think that
substance is not alive? Describe the procedures you are using. Name the equipment you are using with
the correct name. When relevant refer students back to the list of characteristics of living things on the
wall chart or overhead. Be sure to encourage them to think out loud about what they are doing and
about the questions students might have. On the overhead, keep a list of excellent questions students
raise. Leave room on the overhead and ask students to come up and add answers to the questions if
they like. In some cases the set-ups should be left overnight to allow time for things to happen.
Any tests that are not finished should be conducted on Day 2. Allow adequate time for clean up.
Homework
Come up with a list of at least 10 living things you observe for the next 24 hours. Humans can be used
only once. Make a list of any things you used to think were alive, but now realize aren’t AND/OR which
you though were not alive, but now realize are alive. Answer the following: Is a car alive? Why or why
not? Be sure to use the characteristics of living things to defend your ideas.
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Day 2: Continued Student Experimentation
Materials (same as day 1)
Bell Ringer:
Have students share their lists of living things with their neighbor. Ask each group to share a living thing
that was seen. Ask students to share one thing that they’ve changed their minds about.
Students can then move to their lab stations. They should first check to see if anything happened with
any tests left overnight and record their observations in the appropriate data table. They can then set up
any new tests. Students should be permitted to work for the entire period and should finish their
analysis questions with the help of their partner.
Homework
Those that do not finish their analysis questions during class should complete them for homework.
Day 3: Teacher Demo and Lab De-brief
Materials
Wall poster of Characteristics of Living Things
1 beaker
100 ml warm water (no warmer than 100 d.F !!!!)
1 tbsp sugar
1 package yeast (equal to approx. 3 tsp)
at each desk of two students: 1 tsp yeast in small container
Student copies of the lab
Bell Ringer
Instruct students to examine the yeast at their desk. Then ask them to answer to the following
questions in their notebooks: What is yeast? Is it alive? Ask the students what they thought and why.
Once the teacher has discussed the students’ ideas, conduct the following demo. In a beaker mix warm
water, sugar and yeast. Let the beaker sit somewhere visible for 5 min. During the time you are waiting,
compile students’ data. Students who need to make final observations should do so now.
Using the overhead or board and possibly a template of the students’ data table, compile student
results. This can be done one substance at a time or one test at a time. As students share their results
discuss possible reasons different students got different results, i.e. sources of error.
Lab De-brief
When all results are posted, return to the yeast. Ask the students to make observations about the yeast.
Has what they’ve seen changed their opinion about whether yeast is alive or not?
Go back through the list of characteristics of living things and ask whether each of the unknowns meets
the criteria to be alive. Go back and look at the question asked at the beginning of the lab. Using the
evidence gathered from the lab, have students answer the question under the new heading Conclusion.
Look at the hypothesis stated at the beginning of the lab. Does the data support or reject the
hypothesis? Have students write “The data does/or does not support the hypothesis”. Emphasize to the
students that it does not matter whether their hypothesis is correct or incorrect. What is important is
that their conclusion is based solely on the evidence they collected in the lab. This should spark a
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discussion of why their hypothesis was incorrect and what further experiments can be conducted. Were
there errors in the procedures they employed, the techniques they used, the measurements they made?
Discuss why it is important to carry out many experiments to verify results. Then, if evidence continues
to show that a hypothesis or understanding is incorrect, then it is necessary to change our
understanding. Our knowledge and understanding of how nature works is constantly changing as new
evidence is collected.
It is important to discuss the discussion questions together so students understand how to approach
such questions and can see the variety of responses shared by their classmates.
1. Were you able to predict which unknowns were alive? Why? Why not?
Answers will vary considerably. Some students will have known that the radish seeds are alive because
they are seeds and they know seeds grow. Always go back to the list of Characteristics of living things
and compare the evidence to the criteria.
2. Have you proved that some of the substances are not alive?
No, they do not have proof. The tests performed did not permit us to determine whether or not they are
alive. In order to give a definite answer we would need to perform more tests directly created to
address specific characteristics.
3. If you cannot say for sure that any substance is alive, what evidence do you need to make such a
determination? What would you have to do to gather this evidence?
See answer to Question 2.
4. How could you change the experiment you did to be able to answer the question “Which of the five
substances is living?”
The point of these questions is to reinforce the content knowledge of the characteristics of living things
and the necessity to only draw conclusion from the evidence presented, that it is important to replicate
experiments, and that our knowledge of science changes as new evidence is collected.
5. Think about the data you collected and the conclusions you were able to draw from that data. What
further tests/procedures could you conduct to be able to make a more definite decision as to whether a
substance or organism is alive?
This is a good time to discuss how why scientists publish the results of their research and the importance
of the publishing process to the progress of science.
Homework
As a homework assignment, have students design an experiment using one test to determine one
characteristic of living things. For example, You are walking down the block and your foot slips on a blob
of “stuff” Your friend shrieks, “It’s alive!” Is it? Select one of the characteristics of Living Things. Using
the format we used in the lab we did in class; design an experiment to determine if the “stuff” meets
those criteria for being alive.
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Extensions
 This lesson could be followed with a lesson in which students read published articles to see how
the process actually works and to reinforce the idea that the study of science is important to all
citizens.
 To reinforce what is the study of biology, the teacher can have students observe the photos on
pp 2, 4, and 5.
 The yeast demo could be conducted by pairs of students.
 All students can conduct tests on all five substances
Accommodations/Adaptations
For challenged learners:
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Paired with regular students during lab.
Word concept map for words in “New Vocabulary, p. 3 and other words found difficult to grasp.
May be allowed to answer questions orally
Will answer questions # 1,2,4,and 7 at end of lab.
Teacher Learning Platform
During their professional development teachers will be coached in running student laboratories,
scientific inquiry and the nature of science.
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Characteristics of Living Things
Is it Alive?
Name ____________________________
Lab Partner (s) _________________________ ______________________________
Procedures
1. Observe each of the five unknowns carefully.
2. In Data Table A record as many details you can observe as possible. Some things to notice are:
color, shape, texture, weight, and odor.
Data Table A
General Appearance of Unknowns
Unknown
Color
Shape, Texture
Odor
Weight
(light or heavy)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
Question/Object
Determine which, if any, of the unknown substances is living and provide evidence to support your
conclusion.
Hypothesis
2. Using the list of the Characteristics of Life and the materials provided below, brainstorm some ways to
determine whether the unknowns are alive. Describe your ideas below and share them with your
teacher.
Materials
Hand lens
Paper towels
Water
Sugar water
Light Source
Plastic glove
Cotton balls
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3. You will perform the test on your unknowns. In Data Tables B record which test you perform.
Carefully observe what happens and record your observations in the data table.
Data Table B Test (write a description of the test in the space below):
Test:
Unknown
Day 1 Observations
Day 2 Observations
# ___
# ___
# ___
# ___
# ___
Conclusions:
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Day 3 Observations
Analysis Questions (use the back of your lab to write out your answers)
1. Was your hypothesis, guess about which substances are alive, correct as to which of the unknowns is
alive?
2. What further tests could you perform to give you more evidence or proof to support your conclusion?
3. Would there be an advantage to collecting the data from all the classes in your school who did this
experiment? Why or why not?
4. If you cannot say for sure whether a substance is or is not alive, what additional evidence would you
need to make an accurate determination or decision?
5. How could you change the experiment to help you better answer the question,
“Which, if any, of the five substances is alive?”
6. Have you changed your mind about characteristics are necessary to consider something to be alive? If
so, what made you change your mind? Do you think scientists ever change their minds about ideas they
have held? Should they ever change their minds? If not, why? If yes, when is it ok?
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