Living or Non-Living? A Science Adventure!

Science Grades 1st Grade 3:37 Video
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Lesson Description

Explore the amazing world of living and non-living things! Learn how to tell the difference and discover the special things that make living things alive.

Video Resource

LIVING Things and NONLIVING Things (Science Learning Video for Kids)

Learning Time Fun

Duration: 3:37
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Living things need food, water, and air.
  • Living things can move, grow, and change.
  • Non-living things do not need food, water, or air.
  • Non-living things do not grow or change on their own.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the characteristics of living things.
  • Students will be able to differentiate between living and non-living things.
  • Students will be able to provide examples of living and non-living things.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students what they think makes something alive. Show pictures of different objects (e.g., a plant, a rock, a puppy, a toy car) and ask which ones they think are living and why. Introduce the video.
  • Video Viewing (7 mins)
    Play the "Living Things and Non-Living Things" video from Learning Time Fun. Encourage students to pay attention to the characteristics of living and non-living things.
  • Class Discussion (8 mins)
    After the video, review the key characteristics of living and non-living things. Use examples from the video (bear, microphone, flower, table, you). Ask students to provide their own examples.
  • Activity: Living or Non-Living Sort (10 mins)
    Divide students into small groups. Provide each group with picture cards of various objects (animals, plants, rocks, toys, etc.). Have students sort the cards into two categories: Living and Non-Living. They should explain their reasoning for each card.
  • Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Review the main concepts of the lesson. Ask students to share one thing they learned about living and non-living things. Preview the upcoming quiz.

Interactive Exercises

  • Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt
    Take students on a short nature walk around the schoolyard (or use provided pictures). Have them identify living and non-living things they see, and explain why they categorized them that way. Provide a checklist for them to mark off items as they find them.
  • Drawing Activity
    Have students draw a picture of a living thing and a non-living thing. They should label the pictures and write a sentence explaining why each item belongs in its category.

Discussion Questions

  • What are some things that living things need to survive?
  • What are some things that non-living things are made of?
  • Can something that used to be living become non-living? (e.g., a log)
  • How can you tell if something is a living thing?

Skills Developed

  • Observation
  • Critical Thinking
  • Categorization
  • Scientific Reasoning

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which of these is a living thing?

Correct Answer: A flower

Question 2:

Living things need...

Correct Answer: Food and water

Question 3:

Which of these does NOT grow?

Correct Answer: A cloud

Question 4:

A chair is a...

Correct Answer: Non-living thing

Question 5:

Which living thing needs the sun to grow?

Correct Answer: A plant

Question 6:

Living things can...

Correct Answer: All of the above

Question 7:

A book is a...

Correct Answer: Non-Living Thing

Question 8:

We need _____ to breathe.

Correct Answer: Air

Question 9:

Which animal can move?

Correct Answer: A cat

Question 10:

Which of these requires nutrients?

Correct Answer: A dog

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A ______ needs food and water to live.

Correct Answer: dog

Question 2:

A _____ does not grow.

Correct Answer: rock

Question 3:

Living things can _____.

Correct Answer: move

Question 4:

Non-living things do not need ______.

Correct Answer: food

Question 5:

A tree needs ______ to grow big and strong.

Correct Answer: sun

Question 6:

We breathe ______ to live.

Correct Answer: air

Question 7:

Humans are considered ______ things.

Correct Answer: living

Question 8:

A _____ is a non-living thing in the classroom.

Correct Answer: desk

Question 9:

Animals reproduce, meaning they make more of ______

Correct Answer: themselves

Question 10:

Water is an important need for ______ things.

Correct Answer: living

Educational Standards

1.LS1.1:Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.* 1.LS3.1:Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.

Teaching Materials

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