Look at the tray at the front of the room. On it you will see a plant, a photo card of a snail, a leaf, a feather, a stone and a plastic toy.
Which ones are alive right now? Which ones used to be alive? Which ones were never alive?
Turn to the person beside you and whisper your guess. We will sort them with careful noticing.
We will sort into three groups. Meet them one at a time as your teacher holds each object.
Living: alive right now, like our plant.
Once-living: used to be part of something alive, like a dry fallen leaf.
Never-living: was never alive and never came from a living thing, like a stone.
What can we notice to help us decide? Call out one idea to the class.
At your table group, sort every item into one of the three hoops: living, once-living or never-living.
For each item, say what you notice that makes you sure. If you disagree, look again together before you place it.
We will look carefully with a magnifier at the front of the class.
Watch the snail photo card and the plastic toy side by side. What new clue can you spot about surface, colour or shape?
Call out what you notice. We will draw and write on the journal page later.
Your trays are sorted. Now the ones that are harder than they look.
Every card here has been made into something. Use the two questions: Is it alive right now? and Did it come from something that was alive?
Say what made you sure. If your group changes its mind, say what changed it.
Living, once-living or never-living? The hard ones
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