Objective

By the end of this lesson, Leisline will be able to distinguish between living and non-living things, understand their characteristics, and identify examples from her surroundings. She will also gain insights into how living things interact with non-living things in their environment.

Materials and Prep

• Paper and pencil for note-taking and drawing
• Access to a window or outdoor space for observation
• A list of questions to guide observation and discussion
• Optional: A smartphone or tablet to take pictures (if available)

Before the lesson, ensure that Leisline is familiar with basic definitions of living and non-living things. Prepare a few questions to prompt her thinking during activities.

Activities

• Nature Walk:

  Take a walk outside or look out the window to observe the environment. Leisline can list or draw examples of living and non-living things she sees, such as trees, animals, rocks, and water.

• Sorting Game:

  Using the items she found during the nature walk, Leisline can create two columns on a piece of paper: one for living things and one for non-living things. She can write or draw the items in the appropriate columns.

• Characteristics Chart:

  Leisline can create a chart comparing living and non-living things. She can list characteristics of each category, such as "grows," "needs food," or "can move" for living things, and "does not grow," "does not need food," or "cannot move" for non-living things.

• Interactive Discussion:

  Engage in a discussion about how living things depend on non-living things. Leisline can think about questions like "How do plants need sunlight?" or "Why do animals need water?"

Talking Points

• "Living things are defined by certain characteristics, such as the ability to grow, reproduce, and respond to their environment."
• "Non-living things do not have these characteristics. They can be natural, like rocks and water, or man-made, like toys and buildings."
• "Living things depend on non-living things for survival. For example, plants need sunlight and water to grow."
• "Every living thing has a role in its ecosystem. Think about how animals and plants interact with their non-living environment."
• "Can you think of ways that non-living things can affect living things? For example, how does weather impact animals and plants?"