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HABITAT LEARNING LAB:

Field Investigation: Living or Non-living

Students learn how to identify and compare living and non-living things, and then use these patterns to analyze their observations in the Habitat Lab.

Click on the maroon links to access free educational materials:

Lesson Plans | ALSDE Standards Taught

Activity Page: (Word Doc / PDF) with Answer Page

Outdoor Activity Materials: activity pages, clipboards, pencils (garden trowels & magnifying glasses optional)

Step 1: Engage through Discussion

Engage the students and capture their interests with an Interactive Q&A (or as PDF) that allows you to click through the questions one at a time. You can gauge your students’ understanding of the topic as they answer the questions.

Print and use the Q&A Info Sheet (or as Word Doc) to anticipate the next question in the Interactive Q&A and to guide the conversation with the students. (Note: For the PowerPoint (PPT), click “Slide Show” & “From Beginning” to display the questions and answers separately.)

Use these tools to continue the discussion:

Step 2: Explore with Literature

As you read this book, you can further explore the topic and discuss your students’ experiences and knowledge around the topic:

What’s Alive? (Let’s Read & Find Out Science Series: Level 1) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
(ISBN: 978-0064451321)

Step 3: Explain with an Educational Video

Use this educational video to help explain the topic in more detail:

Sesame Street’s “Who’s Alive?” (3:15 min.)
@ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giWqEPNLtBo

Use this educational video to help explain the topic in more detail:

Sesame Street’s “Who’s Alive?” (3:15 min.)
@ https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=giWqEPNLtBo

Step 4: Elaborate with a Field Investigation in the Habitat Lab

Students apply what they have learned as they investigate the topic in your Habitat Lab and record their real-world observations on their Living of Nonliving Field Investigation Activity Page (or as Word Doc).

Activity Tips

  • Review the Habitat Lab Rules with students before going outside.
  • Let the children use garden trowels to dig in the soil for animals such as worms, and give them magnifying glasses to use.

Procedure

Outdoor Discovery:

  1. Have students look for one example of a living thing, draw a picture of it, and write what it is called.
  2. Then have them look for one example of a non-living thing, draw a picture of it, and write what it is called.

Indoor Discussion:

  1. Ask the students to answer the questions to prove that the living thing is living.
  2. Then ask them to answer the questions to prove that the non-living thing is not living.
  3. Discuss how ALL living things (plants and animals) grow, move and change, whereas non-living things do NOT grow, move or change (unless we alter them…like sharpening a pencil).
  4. Discuss how ALL living things (plants and animals) breathe, eat and drink, whereas non-living things do NOT breathe, eator drink.

Optional Extension:

Step 5: Evaluate with an Assessment Activity

Review and assess the students’ observations and answers on their activity page: Answer Page

Evaluate the students’ understanding of the topic with one of the following assessment tools:

Questions? Contact us.