Interestingly enough, movement is not a characteristic of living things. The first activity in a series of 20 introduces learners to the concepts of living versus non-living things and then focuses on biologists and what they study. Through short readings and discussions, pupils determine the characteristics of life and examples of what biologists study.

Concepts

living things, non-living things, characteristics of life

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Place learners in groups of two to three to complete the activity
• Bring in examples of living and non-living things and allow pupils to handle the samples

Classroom Considerations

• Activity is best for upper elementary through sixth graders

Pros

• Activity is simple and requires no materials
• There is a self-assessment at the end for scholars to determine if they achieved all five objectives

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.2