Lesson Plan

SPED 435/ED 427

Topic: Living and non-living things

Standards:
LS1-K-2. Use classification supported by evidence to differentiate between living and
non-living items. (Further Explanation: Use chart or Venn diagram to sort objects or
pictures into living and not-living items.)

K.MD Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each
category and sort the categories by counting

ICT.K-2.1.d With guidance from an educator, students explore a variety of technologies

that will help them in their learning and begin to demonstrate an understanding of how
knowledge can be transferred between tools.

Objective: SWBAT classify living and non-living things into separate categories by
analyzing what living and non-living things are with an 80% accuracy rate.

Student-Friendly Objective: I can sort living and non-living things.

Assessment Plan: Students will classify pictures into living and non-living categories by
themselves.

Materials Needed:
• Smartboard and markers
• Assessment Sort
• Living things Chart
• Pencil/crayons
• Glue sticks

Key Vocabulary:
Living: Alive (can move by itself, grow, breathe, food/water)
Non-living: Not alive (can’t move, grow, breathe, food/water)
Survive: Stay alive
Scientist Skills: We are studying science so we must use our eyes and ears to learn about
the world

Anticipatory Set
• Students will watch the video of the different types of fish and we will then discuss
what we see the fish doing and what we see in their surroundings.
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkc1wmNnTm0&list=PLTAbVjelbBTFt6elttZwi4H
UtEAnU93Xe

Instructional Inputs:
• I will remind students that I can’t hear them if their hand is not raised and only the
person called on should be talking.
• A living thing is something that can move by itself, breathe and grow and needs
food and water!
• A non-living thing is something that does not move by itself, breathe or grow.
• We are going to determine if this is a living or non-living thing by answering some
questions. If the answer is yes, we will mark the box with a checkmark, if the
answer is no, we will mark the box with an X.
• Deeper Thinking questions:
o What do living things need to survive?
o What is the difference between needs and wants?
o How are living/non-living things decided?
o Do we need non-living things?

Modeling/Guided Practice:
• I will explain what a living and non-living thing is by having the students stand up
and do the actions with me. I will say a living thing can move, show me how you
jump! A living thing can grow, let’s start small and then grow just like I did! A
living thing can breathe let’s all take a deep breath! And a living thing needs food
and water to survive! Show me how we drink and eat our food! We will do these
motions one more time and will now sit down.
• “Boys and girls now that we know what a living thing is, which is? (Students will
answer it can grow, breathe, move, and eat! We are going to use our scientist
skills (eyes and ears) to find out more about living and non-living things! Are you
ready?
• When we look at this chart, we see pictures of many different items, we are
going to use what we know to decide if this is a living or non-living thing.
• The first picture is of a fish, so we go to the first box and it asks does it move?
Boys and girls does a fish move? That’s right it does so we are going to put a
checkmark down on our paper! (I will be doing this on the board) Put a
checkmark on your paper. If the thing we are looking at does not
move/eat/breathe then we put an X. Now I will call someone to the board to
help us with this next question! (This will continue until all pictures have been
evaluated.)
 • When we reach the end of the questions there is a section that says, “What is
it?” Here we must decide if it is a living thing! Let’s see does it have all the items
checked off? It does! so that means we circle the word living!
• I will ask questions to check for understanding by asking:
o Based on the answers to our questions is this a living thing or a non-living
thing?
o When a student gets called to the board, I will ask the children to give the
student a thumbs up or thumbs down based on if they agree with the
child’s answer.
Closure:
• I will ask the students, “Boys’ and girls’ what items did we learn that are non-
living things?” “What are non-living things?”
• I will ask the student to go find an item that is non-living in the classroom and
then ask a few students what items they chose and why it is non-living.

Independent practice/application:
• Students will sort the pictures into the categories of living and non-living things.
Students will do this independently and must be completed before they are able
to go outside.

Differentiation
• For learners that are struggling they will be given the opportunity to ask a
neighbor for help.
• For students who understand the activity they will be allowed to move ahead.
• For students who finish early they will have the opportunity to read a book from
the library and identify living and non-living things they find or color their
pictures.
Transition:
• I will give students a 3-minute warning and then when the three minutes are up,
I will tell the students to put their materials away and stand behind their desk so
they can be excused for recess.