C.M. Beg

What do an ice cream cone, bicycle, and alarm clock all have in common? That's exactly what young scientists will find out as sort these pictures and learn about the differences between living and non-living things.

Very young scientists circle the things on the learning exercise that they think are living things. Most of the pictures are of non-living things. A handy learning exercise to use during any initial discussion about living vs. non-living...

It's alive! Or is it? Through a series of shared readings, whole class activities, and independent exercises children explore the difference between living and non-living things, creating a pair of printable books...

Students determine that environments have living and nonliving parts. They discuss what makes something a living thing and something a nonliving thing. They make a chart and list characteristics of living things and nonliving things.

Have kids in grades K-2 discuss how they know a tree is alive. The worksheet provides simplistic background information and an observation check list. They check off the ways that they can tell an oak tree is a living thing. Note: The...

Students explore the similarities and differences between living and nonliving things and learn four characteristics that all living things share (they have needs, they are made up of parts, they respond to change, they reproduce)....

This is a free downloadable teacher's guide (PDF) to teach young children (grades K-2) about living things and their needs.

This is a pre-assessment to be done at the beginning of a unit on the needs of living things. Students draw themselves and what they need to survive. The lesson can be downloaded in PDF format.

A post-assessment at the end of a unit on the needs of living things. The lesson materials can be downloaded in PDF format.

First graders identify the characteristics of living and non living things. In this living and non living things lesson plan, 1st graders look through bags and categorize items that they see.