Basic 2 · Science · Living and Non-Living Things
Sorting Living and Non-Living Things
In this topic you will collect things from the environment and sort them into living and non-living groups.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- State signs of living things
- Sort things into living and non-living groups
- Give reasons for your sorting
What you already know
- Parts of plants and animals
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Diversity of Matter
- Sub-strand
- Living and Non-Living Things
- Indicator
- B2.1.1.2.2 – Group things collected from the environment into living and non-living things
Introduction
On a nature walk you find a snail, a stone, a leaf on a tree and an empty can. Which are living? Which are non-living?
1. Signs of Life
| Sign | Example |
|---|---|
| breathe | a goat breathes air |
| feed | a hen eats corn |
| grow | a seedling becomes a tree |
| move | a snail crawls |
| reproduce | a hen lays eggs |
2. Sorting
| Living | Non-living |
|---|---|
| snail | stone |
| mango tree | can |
| ant | chair |
| person | plastic bottle |
Common mistake: A dead leaf or dry stick was once living, but it is not living now.
New words
- living
- Able to breathe, feed, grow, move and reproduce.
- non-living
- Not able to do the things living things do.
- reproduce
- To make young ones.
- sort
- To put into groups.
Summary
- Living things breathe, feed, grow, move and reproduce.
- Non-living things do not.
- We sort things by checking the signs of life.
Class activity: Nature Walk Sort
- Collect safe things from the school compound.
- Sort them into living and non-living.
- Give one reason for each choice.
You need: Local leaves, Twigs, Stones, Printed photographs of goats, Mango trees
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Which is living?
- A. Snail
- B. Stone
- C. Can
- D. Bottle
Show answer
Answer: SnailA snail feeds, grows and moves.2. Which is a sign of life?
- A. Growing
- B. Being hard
- C. Being shiny
- D. Being heavy
Show answer
Answer: GrowingLiving things grow.3. A stone is non-living.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueIt does not breathe or grow.4. A chair is living because it was made from a tree.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseThe chair cannot breathe or grow.5. To make young ones is to ______.
Show answer
Answer: reproduceLiving things reproduce.6. Give two reasons why a goat is living.
Show answer
Answer: Any two: it breathes, eats, grows, moves, has young ones.These are signs of life.
Homework
- List five living and five non-living things in your home.