Lesson Plan

Discovering Plants and Animals

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Discovering Plants and Animals lesson plan also includes:

Exploring the backyard, the school yard, the gardens, and the Internet, small children discover the world around them. The bugs, animals, and plants are alive, but is the lawn mower? An engaging activity that will help them understand the difference between living and non-living things, as well as some of the changes in nature.

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CCSS: Adaptable
NGSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Have kids cut out pictures from magazines of living and non-living things to paste onto construction paper
  • Make a colorful vocabulary chart for children to look at the words they are learning: living, non living, life cycle, habitat, nature/environment, garden, record, observe
  • Hand out magnifying lenses for little hands to use as they explore
Classroom Considerations
  • Schedule a trip to the zoo or petting zoo to explore animals in their habitat
  • Be ready to answer the questions about Barney, Mickey Mouse, and other characters. Are they living or non living?
  • Be aware of allergies if you are bringing live animals into the classroom
  • Instead of just showing photos of non living and living things, have children search for them on a tablet or computer as a way to reinforce 21st century skills
Pros
  • STEM activities for preschoolers
  • Science exploration for small children
  • Well written, step-by-step resource 
Cons
  • None