Living and Nonliving Things – What are living things? – Living things eat, grow, breathe, and have babies. – What are nonliving things? – Nonliving things do not eat, grow, breathe, or have babies. – Characteristics of life – Living things move, need food, and grow. Nonliving things do not. – Classifying our world – We’ll look at objects and decide if they’re alive or not. | This slide introduces first graders to the concept of living and nonliving things, which is a fundamental part of the classification topic in science. Start by explaining that living things are those that have certain characteristics such as eating, growing, breathing, and reproducing. Nonliving things do not have these characteristics. Provide examples of each and encourage students to think of their own examples. Use simple language and real-life comparisons to help them understand. During the class, engage the students in an activity where they classify objects in the classroom or from pictures into living and nonliving categories. This will help them apply what they’ve learned in a practical way.

Exploring Living Things – Living things grow and change – They need food and air – Living things can have babies – Examples: dogs, trees, people – Think of your pets or plants at home! | This slide introduces the concept of living things to first graders. Emphasize that living things are unique because they can grow, need food and air to survive, and can create offspring. Use relatable examples like dogs, which many children may have as pets, trees they see outside, and even themselves to make the concept more tangible. Incorporate an interactive element such as a simple song about living things to make the learning experience engaging and memorable. The song should reinforce the characteristics of living things and can be a fun way for students to remember the information.

Exploring Nonliving Things – Nonliving things traits – They don’t eat, grow, breathe, or reproduce – Examples of nonliving items – Rocks, water, toys are nonliving – Nonliving things and movement – Can they move without help? – Understanding nonliving nature | This slide introduces the concept of nonliving things to first graders. Begin by explaining the characteristics that define nonliving things, emphasizing that they do not require food, do not grow, cannot breathe, and do not have offspring. Provide tangible examples that children can relate to, such as rocks, water, and their own toys, to illustrate the concept. Engage the students with the question of movement, prompting them to think about whether nonliving things can move on their own and under what circumstances (e.g., a rock rolling down a hill). This will help them differentiate between living and nonliving things and understand that movement is not solely a characteristic of living things. The discussion will set the foundation for further exploration of the natural world around them.

Let’s Compare: Living vs Nonliving Things – Living things need food and water – Like animals and plants – Living things move on their own – Like walking or growing – Nonliving things don’t need food – Like rocks and water – Nonliving things can’t move alone – Like a ball needs a push | This slide is designed to help first graders understand the basic differences between living and nonliving things. Emphasize that all living things require food and water to survive, which is something nonliving things do not need. Highlight that living things have the ability to move by themselves, such as a dog walking or a plant growing towards the sun, whereas nonliving things require an external force to move, like a ball that only moves if you push it. Encourage the students to think of more differences they may know and be ready to discuss these in the next class. This will help them to engage with the material and think critically about the world around them.

Activity Time: Scavenger Hunt! – Explore the classroom – Draw 3 living things – Plants, animals, or insects you find – Draw 3 nonliving things – Books, pencils, or chairs around you – Share and explain your choices | This activity is designed to help students distinguish between living and nonliving things through exploration and creativity. Encourage the students to walk around the classroom and look for examples of living things like a classroom plant, a pet fish, or even their classmates. For nonliving things, they can look at classroom objects such as a backpack, a desk, or a clock. After they have made their drawings, facilitate a discussion where each student shares their work and explains their reasoning. This will help reinforce their understanding of the characteristics that define living and nonliving things. Possible variations of the activity could include a hunt outside the classroom, drawing from memory, or grouping items based on their characteristics.

Review: Living vs. Nonliving Things – Living things have life – They grow, eat, breathe, move, and reproduce – Nonliving things do not – They don’t grow, eat, breathe, move, or reproduce – Why know the difference? – Helps us understand and care for our world – Examples: Plants and Rocks – Plants grow and need water, Rocks don’t grow or need anything | This slide is a recap of what we’ve learned about the differences between living and nonliving things. Emphasize the characteristics that define living things, such as growth and the ability to reproduce. Contrast these with nonliving things, which do not exhibit these characteristics. Discussing the importance of this distinction helps students appreciate the diversity of our environment and the specific needs of living organisms. Use everyday examples like plants (living) and rocks (nonliving) to make the concepts relatable and easier to grasp. Encourage students to observe objects around them and classify them as living or nonliving based on the characteristics discussed.

Class Activity: Living or Nonliving? – Play a sorting game with pictures – Decide: Living or Nonliving? – Is it a plant, animal, or neither? – Place pictures in correct category – Learn to classify with fun! – Understanding characteristics of life | This interactive class activity is designed to help first graders understand the concept of classification by distinguishing between living and nonliving things. Provide a variety of pictures that include plants, animals, and inanimate objects. Guide the students to ask questions like ‘Does it grow?’, ‘Can it move on its own?’, or ‘Does it need food or water?’ to determine if the picture represents something living. For nonliving things, they might consider if it’s man-made or natural but lacks characteristics of life. Set up a game board with two labeled areas for ‘Living’ and ‘Nonliving’ and have the students place each picture in the correct category. This hands-on activity will reinforce their learning and make the concept of classification more tangible. Prepare to assist and encourage students as they work through the sorting game, and be ready to discuss why each item belongs in its category.

Goodbye and Great Work! – Fantastic job learning today! – Observe living & nonliving things – Look around, what do you see that’s alive or not? – Keep exploring your world – Excited for more science fun! | This slide is meant to conclude the lesson on living and nonliving things. It’s important to praise the students for their hard work and encourage them to continue observing their surroundings to reinforce the day’s learning. Remind them to look for characteristics of living things like movement, growth, and breathing, and compare them to nonliving things which do not have these characteristics. This will help solidify their understanding of the concept. Let them know that their observations are valuable and that you’re looking forward to hearing about them in the next class. End the lesson on a positive note, expressing excitement for future science lessons to keep them engaged and curious.