Living and Non-living Inquiry

Michelle Gilbert

Cohort 411

Kindergarten

Science
Step 1 – Desired Results

A. This lesson will help to develop the student's critical thinking skills through guided inquiry.
Students will learn through questioning and listening to one another. Learning about living and non-
living entities will help to develop a strong foundation of science. This lesson will set the building
blocks for further concepts of study such as the animal kingdom and cells. The essential question of
the lesson is: how do we know what is living and what is non-living?

B. General Learner Outcomes

C. Hawai‘i Content and Performance Standard (HCPS) III Standard and Benchmark

Topic Scientific Inquiry

Topic Interdependence
Benchmark SC.K.4.1 Identify differences between living and non-living things

D. Differentiation Plan
Oral Learners – Students will be participating in a group discussion and voicing their questions
or opinions
Auditory Learners – Students will be listening to the questions and discussion
Kinetic Learners – Student will be taking pictures of living and non-living objects and drawing
pictures of each
Visual Learners – Students will see the pictures on a projector after they are taken and see the
chart of living and non-living characteristics as they are named on chart paper

I also will be breaking the students into small groups to go outside to take their pictures.
Groups will be decided based upon behavior and group dynamic.

E. Hawai’i Teacher Performance Standard

Standard 6: Designs and provides meaningful learning experiences

A. Performance Task
Students will demonstrate complex thinking skills through class discussion and guided inquiry that
will help develop their critical thinking. A worksheet and reviewing the pictures that the students have
taken will help to develop these new concepts. A short story and a video, the next day, will help to
reinforce these concepts. I will assess if they have learned the concept of living and non-living through
a one-on-one question and answer in which I will ask them to name the differences between living and
non-living organisms.

B. Performance Criteria

MP DP WB
Student correctly Student gives at least two Student can only identify
identifies at least three characteristics of living one characteristic, or cannot
characteristics of living organisms and no more than identify any at all and/or
organisms and gives no one incorrect response gives incorrect responses
incorrect responses

Step 3—Active Learning Plan

Day 1:
Steps for Students Notes for Teacher
Day 1 Day 1
1. Students will come sit in the large group area 1. Have chart paper set up with two columns, one
2. Students will come up with characteristics of for living and one for non-living
living and non-living things by answering and 2. Call students to large group area
questioning 3. Ask students what are some of the
3. Students will give ideas and traits to put on characteristics of living and non-living things,
chart how do we know what is alive or not
4. Students will return to desks 4. Complete chart as students answer, write down
5. Work on worksheet all responses that students give.
6. As group is called go outside to take pictures 5. Ask questions based on their inquiry, such as: is
of living or non living things everything that moves alive, is everything that
7. Return to class to finish worksheet grows alive, etc.
8. Come back to large group area 6. Review completed chart
9. Look at pictures and answer whether they are 7. Explain activity of taking pictures, go over
living or non living rules, explain worksheet and give directions to go
back to desks
Day 2 8. Monitor students as they complete worksheets
1. Listen to story 9. Allow one group of desks (four) to go out at a
2. Watch video time with Ms. Moore to take pictures for 5
minutes. Ms. Moore will keep track of the time.
10. When groups are done outside and students are
 finishing worksheets call students back to large
group area
11. Go over again the list and ask the students if
there is anything they would like to change based
on what they have learned
12. Wrap up living and non living lesson by
showing the pictures on a projector that is hooked
to my computer with camera card inserted and
having them decide whether it is living or non
living.

Day 2
1. Show video – Living and Non-living Things by
School Videos
2. Read book – Living and Non-living by Angela
Royston
3. Look at our list again and see if the students
want to change anything else

C. Materials to have ready – chart paper, sharpie, tape, projector, computer, digital camera, worksheets

D. Approximate time needed for lesson – first day – 45 minutes. Second day – 20 minutes

E. Resources –
Diane Sugahara, mentor teacher
Kimberly Gomes, kindergarten teacher
Shannon Moore, teacher candidate
Video – Living and Non-living Things by School Videos
Book – Living and Non-living by Angela Royston