Is It Alive? 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. 1
Lesson Procedure: Show the video Is It Alive? Tell students to watch and think about whether they believe each thing is alive or not alive. 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. 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. If students cannot read the information do the checklist as a group. Discuss their choices. Extension: Show the students a living plant and ask if it is alive. Discuss why it is a living thing. 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. 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: 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. 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: 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. 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. 2
3 Hey diddle, diddle the cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon, The little dog laughed to see such sport, And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Is It Alive? Circle All the Objects That Are Alive? Name 4
Classifying Living and Non Living Things Name Object need food and water? need air? grow? Reproduce young? Am I living? 5