Is It Alive? Exploring Living and Non-Living Things

Science Grades 2nd Grade 8:12 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn to identify the difference between living and non-living things by exploring their needs for water, growth, and food. This lesson uses a fun video and interactive activities to help 2nd graders understand these essential concepts.

Video Resource

Living and Non-living Things for Kids

Homeschool Pop

Duration: 8:12
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Living things need water.
  • Living things grow and develop.
  • Living things need food (or a way to get food).

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify three characteristics of living things.
  • Students will be able to differentiate between living and non-living things based on these characteristics.
  • 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 it means for something to be 'alive.' Show pictures of various objects (e.g., a rock, a plant, a pet) and ask them to guess which are living and why. Introduce the concept of needing water, growing, and needing food as clues.
  • Video Viewing (7 mins)
    Watch the Homeschool Pop video "Living and Non-living Things for Kids" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW5VbMEDRJk). Encourage students to pay attention to the three clues the video presents for identifying living things: needing water, growing, and needing food.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After watching the video, review the three clues. Ask students for examples of living things they saw in the video and explain why they are living based on the clues. Also, ask them about the non-living examples.
  • Activity: Living or Non-Living Sort (10 mins)
    Divide students into small groups. Provide each group with picture cards of various objects (e.g., sun, car, flower, dog, mushroom, cloud). Have them sort the cards into two categories: 'Living' and 'Non-Living.' Discuss their choices and reasoning as a class.
  • Wrap-up & Review (3 mins)
    Quickly review the three characteristics of living things. Ask students to name one thing they learned in the lesson.

Interactive Exercises

  • Living/Non-Living Scavenger Hunt
    Have students walk around the classroom or playground and identify living and non-living things. They should write down their observations and explain why each item fits into its category.
  • Plant Growth Experiment (Optional - Ongoing)
    Plant seeds in two separate containers. Water one container regularly and do not water the other. Observe and record the differences in growth over a week or two. This demonstrates the importance of water for living things.

Discussion Questions

  • What are some things that all living things need?
  • How are plants different from animals in how they get their food?
  • Can you think of something that moves but isn't alive? Why is it non-living?
  • Why is water important for living things?

Skills Developed

  • Observation
  • Classification
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reasoning

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which of these is something that all living things need?

Correct Answer: Water

Question 2:

Which of these is NOT a living thing?

Correct Answer: A rock

Question 3:

What is it called when plants use sunlight to make their own food?

Correct Answer: Photosynthesis

Question 4:

Which of these things needs food to live and grow?

Correct Answer: A dog

Question 5:

What is one way that living things change over time?

Correct Answer: They get bigger

Question 6:

Which of the following gets its food by absorbing it?

Correct Answer: A fungi

Question 7:

A robot dog can move on its own, but it is not alive because it doesn't need what?

Correct Answer: Water or Food

Question 8:

What is one clue to know if something is a living thing?

Correct Answer: Needs Water

Question 9:

What do little elephants grow up to be?

Correct Answer: Big Elephants

Question 10:

Is a car living or non-living?

Correct Answer: Non-Living

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

All living things need ________.

Correct Answer: water

Question 2:

Living things ________ and get bigger.

Correct Answer: grow

Question 3:

Plants make their own food using ________.

Correct Answer: sunlight

Question 4:

A ________ is something that is non-living.

Correct Answer: rock

Question 5:

A dog is an example of a _______ thing.

Correct Answer: living

Question 6:

________ are a type of fungi.

Correct Answer: Mushrooms

Question 7:

Fungi ________ their food.

Correct Answer: absorb

Question 8:

Plants turn sunlight into food by a process called ________.

Correct Answer: photosynthesis

Question 9:

Mold is a type of ________.

Correct Answer: fungi

Question 10:

All living things need ________ to grow.

Correct Answer: food

Educational Standards

2.LS2.1:[Standard] Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow. 2.LS4.1:[Standard] Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

Teaching Materials

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