Characteristics Of Living Things

National Standards: Next Generation Science Standards (4-LS1-1), Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2)

Materials: 5 objects (2 living things, 2 non-living things, 1 ambiguous item), chart paper, markers, pencils, paper

Warm-up: Display the 5 objects to the class and ask the students to think about what makes something alive. Pose the open-ended question: "How can we tell if something is living or non-living?"

Direct Instruction: Begin by defining living things and discussing the characteristics of living things (growth, reproduction, response). Use the objects to demonstrate the differences between living and non-living things. Create a chart on the board or chart paper to categorize the objects.

Guided Practice: Divide the students into small groups and provide them with additional objects to classify as living or non-living. Encourage them to discuss and justify their choices. To actively engage the students, have them create a skit or tableau to represent their classification.

Independent Practice: For independent practice, students will work on a project where they select a living thing and create a poster that highlights its characteristics of life. They can include drawings, facts, and examples of growth, reproduction, and response.

Closure: To close the lesson, have a class discussion about the different projects and what they learned about the characteristics of living things. As a closure activity, have each student write down one thing they learned and one question they still have about living things.

Assessment: The assessment for this lesson will be based on the student's participation in the discussion, their ability to classify objects as living or non-living, and their completed project poster.

Differentiation for students with special needs:

• Provide visual aids and hands-on materials for students with visual impairments.
• Offer sentence starters or graphic organizers for students who struggle with writing.
• Provide additional support or simplified instructions for students with cognitive impairments.
• Allow for extra time or breaks for students with attention or sensory processing issues.