St.

Paul University Surigao

St. Paul University System

8400, Surigao City, Philippines

Name: Eder, Quennie Rose M. Date: 10/31/2020

Course: Bachelor in Elementary Education Score:

TOPIC: LIVING THINGS

Living things may be distinguished from non-living things in their ability to carry on life
processes such as movement, respiration, growth, responsiveness to environmental
stimuli and reproduction. This view of living may be appropriate at this age but has some
limitations and can lead to the alternative conceptions above. For example movement in
plants is not apparent to students and consequently they may not consider plants living.

TITLE: CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS

All living organisms share several key characteristics or functions: order, sensitivity or
response to the environment, reproduction, growth and development, regulation,
homeostasis, and energy processing. When viewed together, these eight characteristics
serve to define life.

EXPLORATORY STAGE
Students will collect objects from the schoolyard on a scavenger hunt and classify them
into groups of their choosing. Students will articulate their classification system.
Teachers can then use this discussion to open up issues such, ‘Is it alive?’, ‘Was it ever
alive? Such a discussion can elicit student ideas and highlight the difficulties associated
with determining if objects are living. Further discussion ideas could include a rock and
the small animal. Students could take digital photos and create a montage.
 TALKING POINTS
Place a rock and the small animal on a table in the front of your class. Tell the
students that they are going to explore what makes something living today.
Explain to the students that there are two objects on the table. One is living,
and one is not living. Ask the students to tell you which one is living, and which
one is not living. Write the names of the two items on the board and write
"living" and "non-living" under the appropriate item. Explain that you're
going to read a story to the students and that afterward, they're going to make a
chart of non-living and living things.

 Scientific Enquiry

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (10 minutes)

Read the book Is It Living or Nonliving to the students. After reading the book, ask
the students what they have learned about living things. Start a list on the
whiteboard of characteristics that make something living. Ask the students to
volunteer to give answers for characteristics of living things, and write the answers
on the board

 Puzzle

What are some characteristics of living things? What are some characteristics of
nonliving things? What makes living things different from nonliving things?

 Scientific Enquiry
Encourage the students if they are living or nonliving. Ask students if their pets
at home are living or nonliving. Ask students to identify what they need to
survive. Write "food," "water," "shelter," and "air" on the board. Explain to
students that today they will be learning about living and nonliving things.
  Formative Assessment
Observe whether students are able to correctly classify living and nonliving
things in the sorting activity. Listen to assess whether students are able to ask and
answer questions if they will be learning about living and nonliving things.

Something to think about

What do you think is the purpose of talking points? Is there any idea you want to
add to the talking points?

Re-describing Stage
Use children’s ideas as points for discussion. Encourage students to determine whether the seeds
inside a seed packet are alive or not alive. Ask students whether or not specific objects in a
picture of an ecosystem are alive: water, rock, sun, tree, soil, animals or plants. Ask students
what things they need in order to stay alive.

 Scientific Enquiry
Have students in need of enrichment draw objects on a paper that are living.

 Assessment and Further Learning

Ask the students with the questions: What is alive? What is not alive? Encourage
students to share their journal pictures describe and compare how each looked
and acted, and share what they observed. Rock and goldfish. Remind students
that when they compare, they tell how things are alike and different. Discuss what
makes each living or non-living. Have students list the three types of living
things: animals, plants, and people. Have them share what living things need to
survive.

Something to think about

How are you the same as a cat? What do living things need to
survive?