Living Things (1:35-2:00 PM)

2b Matter 1, pp. 16-17 text; p. 4 syllabus: 1.2.4, 1.2.5

 

• Objectives:
• Students will distinguish between living things (organisms) and non-living things   1.2.4
• All objects are living or non-living.
• All living things (organisms) can do all 7 life activities:     grow, move,     reproduce,     respire (breathe),     excrete,     feed, sense (feel) things
• Students will outline differences between plants and animals   1.2.5
• 2 examples of living things (organisms): plants (produce own food), animals (take in food from outside)

 

• Previous knowledge:
• All living things are made from cells
• Functions of specific cell organelles
•  Differences between plant and animal cells, including differences in organelles present in each 
• View of plant and onion slides under a microscope.
• Photosynthesis in plants

 

•  Teacher/Learner Activities:
• In 2 minutes, write as many living and non-living things as you can in 2 columns in your notes.  (Write the 2-column display on the board.)
• Have students brainstorm things that ALL living things can do. 
• NO BOOKS ALLOWED!
• (That means that anything that has cells can do these things, including plants and animals.)
• Alternate:  Call on raised hands, Use random call method
• Write student responses on the board, grouping ideas together as necessary
• Be sure to ask if anyone disagrees (by finding a counterexample)
• Ask guided questions to help students figure out all 7 life activities
• On the board, write or narrow student responses to the 7 life activities:
• 1.  Can it grow?
• 2.  Can it move?
• 3.  Can it reproduce?
• 4.  Does it respire (breathe)? 
• 5.  Does it excrete (get rid of waste)?
• 6.  Does it feed (need energy)?
• 7.  Can it sense (feel) things?
• Discuss: Any living thing is called an organism.  To be living, things must be able to do all 7 life activities on the board.                Have students think about the living things they wrote in their lists and ask questions if they are unsure of how an organism performs any of the 7 life activities.
• Ask students to help answer the questions


• . . . Teacher/Learner Activities:
• Aloud, have students name 5 examples of living things (including plants and animals) and 5 examples of non-living things. 
• Examples could be as follows: yeast, palm tree, oyster, empty seashell, car, etc.
• Briefly discuss differences between plants and animals in terms of feeding, movement, and the other 5 life activities.
• Feeding- plants make own food, animals get food from outside
• Movement- animals move from place to place, and plants don’t.
• Make a table on the board and discuss.  Students will copy the table in their notes. 

             

All Matter (All Objects) must be living or non-living

Living Things (Organisms)	Non-living things
Can perform all 7 life activities: [growing, moving, reproducing, respiring (breathing), excreting, feeding, sensing (feeling) things] 2 examples:  Plants- Produce own food Animals- Take in food from outside	Cannot perform all 7 life activities

• Have students tell me how to fill in the table. 
• List as many differences as you can between plants and animals.

Plants	Animals
Cells have more organelles than animal cells (cell wall, chloroplast, vacuole) Make own food by photosynthesis Do not move from place but move in place (tree leaves turn toward the sun to absorb sunlight for photosynthesis) Grow out of the ground Usually green Etc.	Take in food from outside, including plants and animals Cannot make own food Can move from place to place Do not grow out of the ground Many different colours, besides green, exist May rely on plants for food (FOOD CHAIN) Without plants, animals that eat plants (herbivores) would starve If animals that eat plants starve, then animals that eat those animals would starve, and so on.  Etc.

 

• Core Points:

• All things are living (organisms) or non-living and can be distinguished by whether or not they can do all 7 life activities:  growing, moving, reproducing, respiring (breathing), excreting, feeding, sensing (feeling) things
• Plants (produce own food) and animals (take in food from outside) are both examples of living things but have many differences.

 

• Evaluation/ Closure:     
• Alternate between calling on students who raise their hands and calling on the others at random. 
• Name 1 of the 7 life activities, until all 7 are named. 
• Name 1 difference between plants and animals, until at least 3 good answers are given, including food and movement.
• Give a couple examples of plants and animals