PDF

Living and Non-Living Detectives: A Two-Day Adventure

To understand the basic characteristics of living things (they grow, breathe, need food/water, and can move on their own).
To confidently sort objects into "living" and "non-living" categories.
To create a project that shows her understanding of the difference between living and non-living things.

Day 1: The Great Nature Hunt

A small bag or bucket for collecting items
Computer or tablet for the PowerPoint and optional video
Your "Alive or not alive" PowerPoint presentation
Two pieces of paper or two containers (like shoebox lids)
A marker
Optional Video Suggestion: "Living and Non-living Things for Kids" by Homeschool Pop (Search on YouTube)
Optional Book Suggestion: What's Alive? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

Engage with a Question: Start by saying, "Mirabelle, today we are going to be science detectives! Our mission is to figure out the secret code that decides if something is living or non-living. Look around the room. Can you point to something you think is alive?" (She might point to you, herself, or a plant). "Great! Now, can you point to something that is NOT alive?" (She might point to a chair, a book, etc.).
Introduce the "Rules" of Life: Say, "You are a great detective already! There are special rules for things that are alive. Let's learn them. Living things do a few special things:"
- They GROW and change. (Show a baby picture of her vs. now).
- They need FOOD and WATER. (Point to her lunch or a glass of water).
- They BREATHE air. (Take a deep breath together).
- They can MOVE on their own. (Wiggle your fingers and toes).
Use the PowerPoint: Go through your "Alive or not alive" PowerPoint. For each slide, ask, "Let's test it. Does it grow? Does it need food? Does it breathe? Does it move by itself? Is it living or non-living?" This makes it interactive and reinforces the rules.

Prep for the Mission: Label one piece of paper or container "LIVING" and the other "NON-LIVING". Say, "Detective Mirabelle, it's time for our first mission. We are going on a nature walk in our yard (or a nearby park) to find clues. Your job is to collect small things you find in this bag."
Go on the Hunt: Walk outside together. Encourage her to pick up interesting things like a leaf, a twig, a flower, a cool rock, a feather, an acorn, etc. Talk about what you see. "Ooh, look at that bird! Do you think it's living? Why?" (It moves, it needs food). "What about that big rock? Is it living?" (No, it doesn't grow or eat).

Sort the Clues: Come back inside and empty the collection bag. Pick up one item at a time.
Ask the Detective Questions: For each item, ask the key questions. For a leaf, say, "This leaf came from a tree. Was the tree it came from living?" (Yes!). "What about this rock? Does a rock need to eat snacks to grow bigger?" (No!).
Categorize: Have her place each item on the correct piece of paper or in the correct container. Celebrate her great detective work at the end!

Large piece of construction paper or cardstock
A marker
Child-safe scissors
Glue stick
Your "Live, Once Alive, or Never Alive Sorting Cards" printable
Old magazines, grocery store flyers, or printed pictures from the internet (of animals, plants, cars, toys, etc.)
Optional Resource: Your "Living and Nonliving Things Board Game"

Quick Review: Say, "Good morning, Detective Mirabelle! Do you remember the four secret rules for something to be alive?" (Grows, needs food/water, breathes, moves).
Introduce "Once Alive": Use your sorting cards. Show her a picture of a living thing (like a cow), a non-living thing (like a rock), and a "once alive" thing (like a wooden chair or a hot dog). Say, "This is a tricky new clue for our detective work. Some things, like this wooden chair, aren't alive *now*. They don't grow or eat. But it was *made* from something that was living—a tree! We call this 'once alive'."
Quick Sort: Quickly sort a few of the cards together into three piles: "Living," "Non-Living," and "Once Alive" to check her understanding. Keep it brief and fun. For today's main project, you will focus only on "Living" and "Non-Living" to keep it clear.

This project is perfect for her portfolio as it's a clear, creative demonstration of her learning.

Prepare the Canvas: Take the large piece of construction paper and draw a line down the middle with the marker. Write "LIVING THINGS" on one side and "NON-LIVING THINGS" on the other.
Explain the Task: Say, "Your final mission today is to create a collage of our world. You are going to look through these magazines and cut out pictures of things you find. If it's a living thing, you will glue it on the living side. If it's non-living, you'll glue it on the non-living side."
Create!: Let her take the lead! Sit with her and help her cut if needed, but let her make the choices. As she picks a picture, ask her, "Great choice! Tell me why you think a car is non-living," or "A flower, excellent! How do you know it's a living thing?" This verbal explanation reinforces the concepts. You can use some of the pictures from the sorting card printable as well.
Showcase the Work: When she's finished, praise her beautiful and smart work! Hang it up somewhere special.

Play the Game: If she had fun and wants to do more, now is a great time to pull out the Living and Nonliving Things Board Game. It's a fun way to reinforce the lesson without any pressure.
Look in a Book: Open the 'My Encyclopedia of Very Important Things' and flip to a page about animals or plants. Ask her to point out the living things. Then flip to a page about machines or buildings and ask her to point out the non-living things.