You will learn
- Sort things into living and non-living.
- Give reasons for their sorting using signs of life.
- Say that some things, such as wood, once lived.
- Say that non-living things never grow or need food.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Living things show signs of life.
- Non-living things never do.
- Some things, like wood, once lived.
- Give a reason when you sort.
Words to know
alive and showing signs of life
never alive, so it does not grow or need food
alive before, but not alive now
what we say to explain why
1. Discover: The picnic
At a picnic, Kofi and Ama look around. They see grass, ants, a bird, a rock, a plastic bottle and a wooden stick. “The grass, the ants and the bird are alive,” says Kofi. “The rock and the bottle are not.” “What about the stick?” asks Ama. “It came from a tree,” says Kofi. “It once lived, but it is not alive now.”
Think: How did Kofi decide?
2. Understand: Three groups
Idea 1: Living things
Living things grow, need food, water and air, have young and react. Plants, animals and people are living things.
Idea 2: Non-living things
Non-living things were never alive. Rocks, water, plastic bottles and spoons do not grow or need food.
Idea 3: Once living
Some things, such as a wooden stick, a dry leaf or a sheet of paper, came from living things. They once lived but are not alive now.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Sort the picnic
Grass, an ant, a rock and a bottle.
- Grass grows: living.
- An ant moves and eats: living.
- The rock and the bottle do not grow: non-living.
Answer: Living: grass and ant. Non-living: rock and bottle.
Example 2 (We do it together): A wooden stick
Is a wooden stick alive?
- Does it grow now? No.
- Did it come from a tree? Yes.
- So it once lived.
Answer: It is not alive now, but it was once part of a living tree.
Example 3 (You try): Give a reason
Is water living?
Show the steps and answer
- Does water grow? No.
- Does it eat or breathe? No.
- Does it have young? No.
Answer: No. Water shows no signs of life, so it is not living.
Did you know?
Soil looks non-living but it is full of tiny living things. Many are so small that we need a microscope to see them.
Why this matters
Sorting living and non-living things shows us how nature works.
4. Explore: Living or not living sort
Work in groups with pictures or safe objects from outside.
- Collect or look at ten things.
- Sort them into three groups: living, non-living and once living.
- Say a reason for each one.
- Check with another group.
Think about it: what did you notice?
Which things were hard to sort? We use signs of life to decide.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- It is living because it ___.
- It is not living because ___.
- It once lived because ___.
- My reason is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Is a rock living?
No.
Question 2. Is grass living?
Yes.
Question 3. Was a wooden stick once living?
Yes, it came from a tree.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Is a rock living?
- Is grass living?
- Was a wooden stick once living?
- Does a plastic bottle grow?
- Name one living thing.
Level 2: Grow
- Sort: bird, spoon, flower, stone.
- Why is a dry leaf not alive now?
- Name something that once lived.
Level 3: Stretch
- Ama says sand is alive because it moves in the wind. What do you say?
- Give three reasons a dog is living.
- Explain the difference between non-living and once living.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Where do you see living and non-living things together?
Show a sample answer
In a garden: plants and insects with stones and soil.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: A tree or a seed does not move much, but it is alive.
Fix: Once-living things were alive before. Non-living things never were.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can sort things into living and non-living.
- I can give reasons for their sorting using signs of life.
- I can say that some things, such as wood, once lived.
- I can say that non-living things never grow or need food.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Living things show signs of life.
- Non-living things never do.
- Some things, like wood, once lived.
- Give a reason when you sort.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Plants as living organisms. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name two living things and two non-living things. [4 marks]
- Give one reason a tree is living. [1 mark]
- What does once living mean? Give an example. [2 marks]
- Why is a rock not living? [2 marks]
- A friend says wind is alive because it moves. What do you say? [1 mark]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Two living things [2]; two non-living things [2]
- It grows, needs water or makes seeds [1]
- Was alive before but not now [1]; wood, paper or a dry leaf [1]
- It does not grow [1]; it does not need food or react [1]
- Moving is not enough. Wind does not grow or need food [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Is a rock living?
- Is grass living?
- Was a wooden stick once living?
- Does a plastic bottle grow?
- Name one living thing.
- Sort: bird, spoon, flower, stone.
- Why is a dry leaf not alive now?
- Name something that once lived.
- Ama says sand is alive because it moves in the wind. What do you say?
- Give three reasons a dog is living.
Homework
Find three living things, three non-living things and one once-living thing at home or outside. Look only. Draw them in three groups.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Is a rock living? | No. | 1 |
| 2. Is grass living? | Yes. | 1 |
| 3. Was a wooden stick once living? | Yes, it came from a tree. | 1 |
| 4. Does a plastic bottle grow? | No. | 1 |
| 5. Name one living thing. | Any plant or animal. | 1 |
| 6. Sort: bird, spoon, flower, stone. | Living: bird and flower. Not living: spoon and stone. | 1 |
| 7. Why is a dry leaf not alive now? | It does not grow or react any more. | 1 |
| 8. Name something that once lived. | Wood, paper, a dry leaf or a shell. | 1 |
| 9. Ama says sand is alive because it moves in the wind. What do you say? | Wind moves sand, but sand does not grow or need food. | 1 |
| 10. Give three reasons a dog is living. | Any three: it grows, eats and drinks, breathes, has puppies or reacts. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 No.; 2 Yes.; 3 Yes, it came from a tree.; 4 No.; 5 Any plant or animal.. Level 2: 1 Living: bird and flower. Not living: spoon and stone.; 2 It does not grow or react any more.; 3 Wood, paper, a dry leaf or a shell.. Level 3: 1 Wind moves sand, but sand does not grow or need food.; 2 Any three: it grows, eats and drinks, breathes, has puppies or reacts.; 3 Non-living things were never alive. Once-living things were alive before..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Sort things into living and non-living | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Give reasons for their sorting using signs of life | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Say that some things, such as wood, once lived | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say that non-living things never grow or need food | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “If it is not moving, it is not alive.” A tree or a seed does not move much, but it is alive.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use two groups first, living and not living, and add the once-living group later.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns to sort things into living, non-living and once living, with reasons. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Play “living or not living?” on a walk.
- Ask for a reason each time.
- Talk about things that came from trees, such as wood and paper.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: sort things into living and non-living; give reasons for their sorting using signs of life; say that some things, such as wood, once lived; say that non-living things never grow or need food.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. Pictures or safe objects (a leaf, a stone, a spoon, a wooden stick), chart paper, pencils and crayons. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Collect safe objects and pictures. Write three headings on the board: living, not living and once living.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the picnic story and ask, “Which things are alive?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach the signs of life and the three groups, using the stick as an example.
Guided activity (10 min). Groups sort objects or pictures and give a reason.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners draw their groups and explain two choices.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Does it show signs of life? Did it come from a living thing?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “If it is not moving, it is not alive.” A tree or a seed does not move much, but it is alive.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use two groups first, living and not living, and add the once-living group later. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 2, topic 3; Next Generation Science Standards, from molecules to organisms; Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, living and non-living things; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.