Summary: Living and Nonliving is actually five activities in one inquiry. In How Do I Observe My World?, students use their senses to record and collect data. In How Do I Classify Things in My World?, students practice classifying objects as living or nonliving. In Is it Real Or Pretend?, students group objects as real or pretend. In What is Living?, students discover the needs of living things. In What Is Living Outdoors?, students compare indoor and outdoor discoveries. The Family Page extends this learning to the community by inviting parents and students to classify living and nonliving things at home.

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Day 1: How Do I Observe My World? (45 min.)

Ready...

• Find copies of Welcome to a River of Grass by Jan Yolen and What is a Scientist? by Barbara Lehn (see Related Resources).
• Copy a class set of the following:
  • What Scientists Do student page (see Ready to Print).
  • How Do I Observe My World? student page (see Ready to Print). Note: There are different versions of this page for grades K-1 and 1-2.
    Note: A large chart version or overhead transparency of the above pages is recommended.
• Collect pencils and crayons for drawing and illustrating.
• Gather hand lenses (one for each student).
• Gather yarn and cut a 32" piece of string, yarn, or rope for each pair of students. Make circles by tying together the two ends of each 32" piece. Note: The circles will be used to define student observation spaces.

Get Set...

• Introduce the activity to your students by gathering them to read What is a Scientist? (see Related Resources).
• Discuss the tasks of a scientist:
  • ask questions
  • use senses
  • draw
  • write
  • measure
  • count
  • observe details
  • experiment
  • sort
  • test predictions.
• Review the steps of the scientific method.
  • Look with your eyes
• Ask what you want to know
• Think about how to find out
• Test your idea
• Tell what you learned
• Direct students to draw the steps of this scientific method using the What Scientists Do student page (see Ready to Print).

• Gather students to read Welcome to a River of Grass.
• Group students into pairs and review how good scientists take turns and share discoveries.
• Review how to use a hand lens.
• Explain how the string circle will be positioned on the ground to locate the discovery zone for each team.
• Remind students how to respect nature with actions and voices.
• Define the location for the outdoor discovery and discuss the following procedures:
  • Use your eyes, ears, and noses
  • Do not touch or taste anything
  • Show respect for living things
  • Take turns and work with a partner
  • Never run, scream, or yell while doing science discovery

Suggestion: Instruct students to use a raised arm with "thumbs-up" to signal an exciting discovery so that animals and other people are not disturbed.

Go!!

• Distribute the How Do I Observe My World? (K-1) or How Do I Observe My World? (1-2) student page and complete according to the directions below (See Ready to Print).

• Direct students to line up with one string circle and two hand lenses for each group.
• Travel outdoors to a grassy area and direct each team to position the string to define a discovery zone.
• Direct students to use their hand lens and senses to observe their section of grass for 8-10 minutes.
• Return to the classroom and carefully put tools away.
• Record and discuss student discoveries on chart paper, the board, or an overhead transparency using the How Do I Observe My World? student sheet as a guide.
• Create a new chart page entitled "Questions We Have" and discuss student questions resulting from their investigations.
• Reinforce the idea that scientists often discover new questions to investigate when they observe.
• Discuss ways students could investigate these discoveries (e.g., Observation--Students discover ladybugs on a pine tree. Question--They wonder if they will be there tomorrow. Investigate--Observe the pine tree tomorrow during class or recess.)
• Distribute Family Page (see Ready to Print). Students will extend their discoveries by searching for living and nonliving objects at home.

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Day 2: How Do I Classify Things in My World? (45min.)

Ready...

• Gather a copy of What's Alive? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (see Related Resources).
• Scan and print, or photo copy page 10 (one for every two students) from What's Alive literature resource.
• Collect five different kinds of wrapped candy and paper lunch bags (enough for student pairs to share one bag).
• Prepare a bag of assorted candy samples (10-12 pieces) for each student pair.
• Copy a class set and make an overhead transparency of the Sort and Classify Chart (see Ready to Print).
• Prepare a large chart paper display as follows:
  • Make a chart labeled Prediction.
  • Make a two columned chart labeled Living / Nonliving.

Get Set...

• Introduce the activity by telling students they will learn how to classify objects in the world.
• Group students into pairs.

Go!!!

• Ask the partner pairs to work together using the Sort and Classify Chart to find one way to sort the candy samples in their bag into two different groups.
• Ask students to clear their chart and discover another way to sort the candy samples.
• Repeat the sorting process two more times and discuss several ways candy can be classified.
• Explain that scientists sort and classify things in our world.
• Direct students to return the candy to their bags.
• Collect candy bags.
• Brainstorm and predict the way scientists classify things in our world and record student responses on the Prediction chart paper.
• Gather students together to read aloud pages 1-12 of What's Alive?
• Ask students how they think people, flowers/trees, cats, and birds are alike.
• Discuss how scientists group everything in our world into two groups: living and nonliving.
• Continue reading What's Alive? As characteristics of living things are introduced, record characteristics of living things on the Living/Nonliving chart paper.
• Partner-Pair students and have them look at the student copies of What's Alive? (page 10). Direct students to identify three living and three nonliving items.

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Day 3: Is it Real or Pretend? (45 min.)

Ready...

• Gather the book Gray Rabbits Odd One Out by Allen Baker (see Related Resources).
• Collect an animal, plant, rock, puppet, and cartoon (Garfield, etc.). Note: It is ideal to have a matching animal and puppet (i.e., puppet bird and actual bird). This activity can be conducted outside where plants and animals such as birds, ants, etc. can be referenced without needing to collect them.
• Copy a class set of the Real or Pretend? student page and make an overhead transparency or chart paper copy, or if outside, model completion of this page by displaying a student sheet on a clipboard as students complete it (see Ready to Print).
• Create two circles (about as big as a hula-hoop circle) on the ground (inside or outside) where you will gather students. Label one Real and the other Pretend.

Get Set...

• Gather students together.
• Share the animal and the puppet with students.
• Compare how the animal and the puppet are alike and different.
• Discuss the terms real and pretend
  • real--true and not imaginary
  • pretend--imaginary or make-believe, as in ideas, situations, characters, etc.

Go!!!

• Decide which (the animal and the puppet) real and which is pretend, and discuss reasoning.
• Read Gray Rabbits Odd One Out. As you read the book, determine if the rabbit is real or pretend. As he sorts items in the playroom, discuss if the "Odd One Out" is real or pretend and why.
• Distribute the Real or Pretend? student page. Use the following dialogue as you guide students through this activity

The teacher will...	The students will...
Hold up the puppet and make it talk.	Decide if the puppet is really talking or if this is pretend and mark/color the box (pretend) on their student sheets. Reinforce that although puppets are used for pretending, the puppet itself is a real object.
Hold up the animal and discuss that it needs SWAFS--space, water, air, food, shelter	Decide if the bird (animal) is real or pretend and mark/color the box (real) on their student sheets.
Hold up the plant and discuss that it needs LAWNS--light, air, water, nutrients, and space	Decide if the plant is real or pretend and mark/color the box (real) on their student sheets.
Hold up the cartoon. Share and discuss the cartoon story.	Decide if the cartoon story is real or pretend and mark/color the box (pretend) on their student sheets. Reinforce that although cartoons are used for pretending, the paper and ink used to make them are real objects.
Hold up the rock. Discuss that it is not alive, but is part of the Earth.	Decide if the rock is real or pretend and mark/color the box (real) on their student sheets.

• Direct students to return to their seats and color the real and pretend boxes on their student sheets. Note: Use one or two colors (one for real and another for pretend) based on teacher discretion.
• Extend the activity by encouraging students to bring in something "real" and something "pretend" from home for sorting the next school day.

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Day 4: What is Living? (45 min.)

Ready...

• Gather a copy of Salamander Room by Ann Mazer (see Related Resources).
• Purchase a pound of real worms from a bait shop and a large bag of gummy worms.
• Collect paper plates (one set per student table).
• Copy Salamander Habitat student pages (see Ready to Print).

Get Set...

• Review yesterday's Real or Pretend? lesson.
• Group students into pairs.
• Distribute a live worm and a gummy worm on separate plates to each team.

Go!!!

• Observe both worms for five to seven minutes.
• Discuss observations among partners.
• Discuss which of these items is living and which is not living. Discuss that even though the gummy worm can move in reaction to being touched, it is not living because it does not need food, air, water, and it does not reproduce.
• Gather to read Salamander Room. Review the needs of living things as food, air, and water are introduced to the boy's room.
• Consider and discuss the implications of keeping living things. Compare the difference of having a stuffed animal and a real animal as a pet.
• Introduce the word habitat -- another word for home. A habitat provides food, air, water, and shelter.
• Pair-share the best solution: Should the boy keep the salamander indoors or return it to its outdoor setting? Why?
  Note: Do not try to convince students of one point of view. Accept that responses will vary.
• Evaluate by having students draw their decision, including the needs of living things on the Salamander Habitat student sheet (see Ready to Print).

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Day 5: What is Living Outdoors? (45-60 min.)

Ready...

• Gather a copy of In the Woods: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George (see Related Resources).
• Copy a class set of the Living/Nonliving student sheet and make an overhead transparency (see Ready to Print).
• Copy a class set of the unit assessment: Classifying Living and Nonliving Things (see Ready to Print).

Get Set...

• Review the needs of living things.

Go!!

• Distribute the Living/Nonliving student sheet and discuss.
• Direct students to use the Living/Nonliving student sheet to locate and draw two living and two nonliving things in the classroom.
• Brainstorm and predict if students will find more living things indoors or outdoors. Direct students to identify their predictions on the Living/Nonliving student sheet.
• Gather students to read In the Woods: Who's Been Here?
• Repeat the rules for outdoor discovery.
  • Use your eyes, ears, and noses
  • Do not touch or taste anything
  • Show respect for living things
  • Take turns and work with a partner.
  • Never run, scream, or yell while doing science discovery

Suggestion: Instruct students to use a raised arm with "thumbs-up" to signal an exciting discovery so that animals and other people are not disturbed.

• Travel outdoors to discover and discuss living and nonliving things.
• Return indoors. Use the Living/Nonliving student sheet to circle evidence of more living or nonliving things.
• Evaluate student learning by completing the Classifying Living and Nonliving Things assessment (See Ready to Print).

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Want Something More???

• Check out Related Resources.
• Continue outdoor discovery to observe how living things change over time.
• Keep an outdoor discovery journal to draw seasonal changes in a designated area.