Kindergarten · Science · week 10

Living or nonliving sort

Sort familiar objects into living and nonliving groups, and explain the reason for each choice.

Living things need food and water, and they grow. A plant, a dog, and a person are all living things. Nonliving things, like a rock or a toy car, do not need food or water, and they do not grow.

Moving can trick you. A car moves, but it does not eat, drink, or grow on its own, so it is nonliving. A plant does not move around, but it eats sunlight, drinks water, and grows, so it is living.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Gather a few safe household objects plus something living, like a houseplant, and sort them together.
  • Ask the three test questions every time: does it need food or water, and does it grow?
  • Gently correct the "if it moves, it is alive" idea using a toy car or a cloud as an example.
  • Go outside and find one more living thing and one more nonliving thing together.
Talk about it:
  • How do you know if something is alive?
  • Can you name something nonliving that moves, like a car or a toy?
  • What is something living in our house?

Mastery looks like: They correctly sort at least six items into living and nonliving groups and give a real reason for at least one.

Common stumbles: Assuming anything that moves is alive, such as cars or clouds; forgetting that plants are living even though they do not move around.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Science for this learner.
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