Living vs Nonliving

FOCUS QUESTION* (Big Idea)

How do we know if something is living? What characteristics make something living or nonliving?

 

PREDICTION/ HYPOTHESIS*

The predictions from the chart may be things such as:

_ I think a living thing has to eat and drink to stay alive because I know I  am a living thing and that is what I have to do to stay alive.

_ I think a non-living thing can survive anywhere because it doesn’t need food or water to stay alive.

-I think living things will grow because I grow

 

PLANNING  

-        After we have made our predictions as a whole class using the pictures on what non-living things are and living things are as a class, we will pass out the paper plates, gummy worms, paper clips and real worms.

-        Students will be instructed to observe and use their senses (not taste) to discover the characteristics of the earthworm and gummy worm. Instruct students not to eat the gummy worms

 DATA*

Type of Worm	What does it feel like?	What does it smell like?	What do you see?	How many paper clips long?	Living or Non-living- Why?
Earthworm
Gummy Worm

 

CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE*

Claim: I claim that living things have to have oxygen to survive.	Evidence: The earthworms come out of the dirt.
Claim:  I claim that living things will grow.	Evidence: I know this because our earthworms were different sizes.
Claim: I claim that all living things need some form of food and water to survive.	Evidence:  The gummy worm does not need food or water and it is not living

 

CONCLUSION/REFLECTION*

          As the students fill in their chart in groups the teacher will prepare a chart on the board that represents what we predicted about living and non-living things and our new ideas based on what we observed during our investigation.

-          What is the difference between earthworms and gummy worms?

-          How are they similar? Different?

-          Who has longest earthworm? Why are they different sizes?

-          Do you think the earthworms and gummy worms eat and drink? Why or why not?

 

**QUESTIONS:   What new questions do you have to extend your learning