You will learn
- List life processes.
- Sort living and non-living.
- Define biotic and abiotic.
- Explain why abiotic factors matter.
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 move, respire, sense, grow, reproduce, excrete and need nutrition.
- Biotic means living.
- Abiotic means non-living.
- Both affect an ecosystem.
Words to know
living parts of an ecosystem
non-living parts of an ecosystem
to release energy from food
to make more of the same kind
1. Discover: The living test
Aku has a list: stone, fern, beetle, water, mushroom. “Which are alive?” asks the teacher. Aku tests each for movement, growth and needing food. “Fern, beetle and mushroom,” she says. “The stone and water are non-living.”
Think: How did she decide?
2. Understand: Living and non-living
Idea 1: Life processes
Living things move, respire, sense, grow, reproduce, get rid of waste and need nutrition. Remember MRS GREN.
Idea 2: Biotic and abiotic
Biotic parts are living, like plants and animals. Abiotic parts are non-living, like water, soil, air, light and temperature.
Idea 3: Why abiotic matters
Plants need light and water. Animals need air and water. A change in abiotic factors changes the whole ecosystem.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Test
Fern.
- Grows.
- Makes food.
- Living.
Answer: A fern is living.
Example 2 (We do it together): Test
Stone.
- No growth.
- No needs.
- Non-living.
Answer: A stone is non-living.
Example 3 (You try): Sort
Water.
Show the steps and answer
- Abiotic.
- Needed.
- Non-living.
Answer: Water is abiotic.
Did you know?
Some desert seeds can stay alive for decades without water and sprout only after rain.
Why this matters
Knowing biotic and abiotic parts helps us understand how ecosystems work.
4. Explore: Alive or not?
Sort items into living, once-living and never-living.
- Collect items outdoors.
- Test for life processes.
- Sort into three groups.
- Explain each choice.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Dead leaves were once living but not alive now.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- ___ parts are living.
- ___ parts are non-living.
- Living things ___ and grow.
- Water is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What does biotic mean?
Living.
Question 2. What does abiotic mean?
Non-living.
Question 3. Name a life process.
Growth.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What does biotic mean?
- What does abiotic mean?
- Name a life process.
- Is water biotic?
- Is a beetle biotic?
Level 2: Grow
- Why do we test for life?
- Why do abiotic factors matter?
- Why is a dead leaf not alive?
Level 3: Stretch
- Sort items.
- Draw an ecosystem with labels.
- Explain MRS GREN.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Name three abiotic things.
Show a sample answer
Light, water, air.
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: It does not carry out all life processes.
Fix: It is abiotic.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can list life processes.
- I can sort living and non-living.
- I can define biotic and abiotic.
- I can explain why abiotic factors matter.
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 move, respire, sense, grow, reproduce, excrete and need nutrition.
- Biotic means living.
- Abiotic means non-living.
- Both affect an ecosystem.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Producers. 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.
- Define biotic and abiotic. [2 marks]
- List life processes. [3 marks]
- Sort items. [3 marks]
- Why do abiotic factors matter? [1 mark]
- Safety rule? [1 mark]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Biotic [1]; abiotic [1]
- Any three [1 each]
- 1 each
- Needed [1]
- Any [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
- What does biotic mean?
- What does abiotic mean?
- Name a life process.
- Is water biotic?
- Is a beetle biotic?
- Why do we test for life?
- Why do abiotic factors matter?
- Why is a dead leaf not alive?
- Sort items.
- Draw an ecosystem with labels.
Homework
List five biotic and five abiotic things in your home garden.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What does biotic mean? | Living. | 1 |
| 2. What does abiotic mean? | Non-living. | 1 |
| 3. Name a life process. | Growth. | 1 |
| 4. Is water biotic? | No. | 1 |
| 5. Is a beetle biotic? | Yes. | 1 |
| 6. Why do we test for life? | Sort correctly. | 1 |
| 7. Why do abiotic factors matter? | Needed by living things. | 1 |
| 8. Why is a dead leaf not alive? | No life processes. | 1 |
| 9. Sort items. | Table. | 1 |
| 10. Draw an ecosystem with labels. | Diagram. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Living.; 2 Non-living.; 3 Growth.; 4 No.; 5 Yes.. Level 2: 1 Sort correctly.; 2 Needed by living things.; 3 No life processes.. Level 3: 1 Table.; 2 Diagram.; 3 List..
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 List life processes | 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 Sort 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 |
| O3 Define biotic and abiotic | 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 Explain why abiotic factors matter | 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: “Fire is alive.” It does not carry out all life processes.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Sort biotic and abiotic parts.
- 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 sorts living and non-living things. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Sort things in your garden.
- Ask, “Alive or not?”
- Wash hands.
- 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: list life processes; sort living and non-living; define biotic and abiotic; explain why abiotic factors matter.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 2 habitat ideas: animals and plants live in habitats, need food, water and shelter, and depend on each other.
Materials. Notebooks, pencils. 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. Choose a safe area.
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). Show a stone and a beetle and ask, “Which is alive?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach biotic and abiotic.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners sort.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners explain.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Is it alive? How do you know?
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. “Fire is alive.” It does not carry out all life processes.
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. Sort biotic and abiotic parts. 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 3 Unit 9, topic 2; Next Generation Science Standards, interdependent relationships in ecosystems; Cambridge Primary Science Stage 3, living things and their environment; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet. These sources informed the lesson.