Misconception 3

Plants are not classified as living things (Department of

Education and Training, 2014).
About
It is a common misconception among children that plants are not living things (Department
of Training and Education, 2014). Research suggests that some students believe if
something is able to move or grow (such as the sun, wind, lightning or clouds) it is alive. In
contrast, others are of the impression plants and animals are non-living. Kerr, Beggs &
Murphy (2006) & Osborne & Freyburg (1985) say that some difficulties arise in the
terminology as students focus on the activity that takes place within a location. They
understand living in relation to where and how people live, and also often do not
recognise that trees, vegetables and grass are plants because everyday use of the word
plant, refers to something in the garden. Without a real life context, it is difficult to build
this knowledge.

Scientific View
There is no absolute definition of living and non-living organisms (Deakin University
Australia, 2015). Living things such as plants, are defined based on the factors universally
considered elementary for life such as movement, breathing, reproduction, respiration,
sensitivity, elimination, nutrition and growth (Australian Science Teachers Association,
2013). Skamp (2004) says this must be taught in depth to ensure the misconception is
eradicated and that the elements need to be directly experienced by the students in order
for them to acknowledge them. Research suggests the strongest way to develop a
conceptual understanding on this topic is to compare living and non-living things as well as
considering hard to classify objects such as a dead log or fire (Skamp, 2004 & Kyle,
Desmond, Family & Shymansky, 1989).

Links to the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2015)

Year Level
Content Description

Year 3
Science Understanding (Biological Science)
Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and
can be distinguished from non-living things (ACSSU044)

Elaborations

recognising characteristics of living things such as growing,

moving, sensitivity and reproducing

recognising the range of different living things

sorting living and non-living things based on characteristics

exploring differences between living, once living and products

of living things

Teaching Strategies and Suggestions

Critical teaching ideas

Plants are living things

Identifying the characteristics of a plant

Understanding plants are living things based on possessing the following

characteristics: movement, breathing, reproduction, respiration, sensitivity,
elimination, nutrition and growth (Australian Science Teachers Association, 2013).

Engage

Class scavenger hunt to collect photographs of living and nonliving samples. Drop them into a PowerPoint and classify to create an E-Book. Teacher
can print the slides as cards for students to re-visit, catch up or use as a wall display
in a graphic organiser. Create a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the items.
Sorting helps to clear up misconceptions between living and non-living (Department
of Education and Training, 2014).
Engage the students by asking if they are alive and what characteristics something
must have to be classified alive. Ask students if plants are alive. Conduct an
experiment to test what happens when placing white flowers into coloured water
(follow the tutorial in the link below) to test for signs of life.

http://paintcutpaste.com/color-changing-carnations/

Explore

Show the video to show how plants produce food, move and reproduce:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zyvs34j. Reinforce by playing a time-lapse video
of sunflower seeds from seed back to seed again showing the full life cycle,
movement, disease and can open the discussion for how plants respond to their
environment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zst08tm9s6M. Consolidate this
information by completing a scientific checklist of what factors determine life (as
listed above) and checking it off throughout to make clear the connection to the
misconception (Australian Science Teachers Association, 2013). This checklist is to be
referred to with all the activities.

Conduct the Grass Heads experiment (link below for tutorial) to demonstrate growth
and reinforce life. Students record the measurements each day and draw a diagram.
Describe what happened and why.

http://lifeasmama.com/10-activities-make-your-kids-summer-unforgettable/

Explain

Dissect a plant and complete the worksheet highlighting the parts of a plant which
give it life and their functions (link to worksheets below). This process provides an
explanation to assist students thinking about how a plant works and what makes it
alive (Deakin University Australia, 2015).

Explore

https://www.superteacherworksheets.com/pinterest/pz-parts-of-a-plant.html

Elaborate

Conduct an investigation of the life of a plant by growing Lima Beans in CD cases (link
to instructions below). Test variables by splitting students in groups of light/no light

oxygen/sealed and water/no water. The students record observations on the

worksheet by taking measurements, diagrams, labelling, commenting on the life
signs and cycle of the plant as well as charting and comparing results at the end. This
investigation proves plants are living, explores the life cycle of a plant and also the
factors which affect life. Deakin University Australia (2015) says that investigating
plant growth from a seed can combat this misconception.

http://www.2busybrunettes.com/2012/03/08/its-time-to-spill-the-beans/

Compare living and non-living things (eg. plants to fire and a dead log) (Australian
Science Teachers Association, 2013 & Skamp, 2004). Use a visualisation strategy
comparing leaving a car in a closed space for 50 years as opposed to a plant what
would happen? (Open Learn Works, 2015).

Evaluate

Students track their learning journey, engage in a multitude of activities, customise

their learning, present their findings and increase creativity by creating a scientific
portfolio of evidence supportive of plants as living things such as the one below. The
link is provided to download this template which can be altered to suit the class.

www.clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/lifecycleofplantsandflowers.html