Grade III Lesson Plan Living and Non-Living Beings

Lesson Plan: Living and Non-Living Things

Grade: III
Subject: Science (Environmental Studies)
Topic: Living and Non-Living Things
Duration: 40 minutes
Date: April 2, 2025
Curriculum: CBSE (aligned with Grade III EVS and science outcomes)

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Differentiate between living and non-living things based on characteristics (e.g., growth, movement, breathing).
  2. Identify examples of living and non-living things in their surroundings.
  3. Explain at least two characteristics of living things (e.g., they grow, they need food).
  4. Classify objects as living or non-living using a simple chart.

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saL8acHZJ8Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p51FiPO2_kQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZEUWTUi1YI

 

Materials Required

  • Pictures or real objects: a plant, a stone, a toy car, a bird (picture), a pencil.
  • Chart paper with two columns: "Living Things" and "Non-Living Things."
  • Flashcards with characteristics: "Grows," "Moves," "Breathes," "Needs Food," "Does Not Grow."
  • Whiteboard and markers.
  • Worksheets with a table for classification and space for drawing.
  • Pencils and crayons.

Lesson Structure

1. Warm-Up Activity (5 minutes)

Objective: Engage students and introduce the topic.

  • Activity: "Guess What I Am!"
    • Say: "I grow, I need water, and I have leaves. What am I?" (Answer: A plant.)
    • Then: "I don’t move, I don’t eat, and I’m hard. What am I?" (Answer: A stone.)
    • Ask: "What’s different about a plant and a stone?" (Let students share ideas.)
  • Transition: "Today, we’ll learn about living things—like plants—and non-living things—like stones—and what makes them special!"

2. Introduction to Living and Non-Living Things (10 minutes)

Objective: Teach the characteristics of living and non-living things.

  • Explanation:
    • Say: "Living things are alive—they grow, move, breathe, and need food or water. Non-living things are not alive—they don’t grow or need anything."
    • Show the flashcards and explain:
      • "Grows": "Plants and animals get bigger over time."
      • "Moves": "Birds fly, people walk—but stones don’t!"
      • "Breathes": "We breathe air, so do animals."
      • "Needs Food": "Living things eat or drink to stay alive."
      • "Does Not Grow": "A toy or rock stays the same."
  • Demonstration:
    • Hold up the plant and say: "This is living. It grows and needs water. Does it breathe?" (Yes, through leaves.)
    • Hold up the stone: "This is non-living. Does it grow or move?" (No.)
    • Ask: "Is a bird living or non-living? Why?" (Living—flies, eats.)

3. Main Activity: "Sort It Out" (15 minutes)

Objective: Practice classifying living and non-living things.

  • Setup: Divide students into small groups (4-5 each). Give each group a set of objects/pictures (plant, stone, toy car, bird, pencil).
  • Instructions:
    • Say: "Work together to decide if each thing is living or non-living. Write it in the right column on your worksheet."

    • Provide a worksheet with a table:

      text

      CollapseWrapCopy

      Living Things | Non-Living Things --------------|-------------------              | 

    • Example: Bird goes under "Living Things," pencil under "Non-Living Things."
    • Ask them to write one reason (e.g., "Bird moves," "Pencil doesn’t grow").
  • Facilitation:
    • Walk around, asking: "Why did you put the plant here? What does it do?"
    • After 10 minutes, have one student from each group share one example and reason with the class.

4. Wrap-Up and Reflection (7 minutes)

Objective: Reinforce concepts and encourage real-world application.

  • Activity: "Draw and Tell"
    • Give each student a worksheet with space to draw one living thing and one non-living thing.
    • Ask them to label them and write one characteristic (e.g., "Dog – Moves," "Book – Doesn’t Grow").
    • While they draw, ask: "What’s one living thing you see every day? What about non-living?"
  • Discussion:
    • Say: "Everything around us is either living or non-living. How can you tell them apart?" (Expect answers like "Living things grow.")

5. Closure (3 minutes)

  • Recap: "Today, we learned that living things grow, move, and need food, while non-living things don’t. You’re great at spotting them! Next time, we’ll explore more about living things."
  • Homework (optional): "Look around your home and find one living thing and one non-living thing. Tell me about them tomorrow!"

Assessment

  • Formative Assessment:
    • Check worksheets for correct classification and reasons (e.g., "Plant – Living – Grows").
    • Listen to group sharing for understanding of characteristics.
  • Participation: Note students who explain their choices clearly.

Teaching Aids and Strategies

  • Visual Aids: Flashcards and chart paper for concept clarity.
  • Hands-On: Objects/pictures for interactive sorting.
  • Questioning: Prompt with "Why?" to deepen thinking.
  • Group Work: Collaborative task to encourage discussion.

Alignment with CBSE Curriculum

  • This lesson aligns with the CBSE Grade III EVS curriculum, which introduces basic scientific concepts like living and non-living things, their characteristics, and observation skills, as per NCERT guidelines.

Extensions (Optional)

  • Take a 5-minute "Classroom Hunt": Students find and list living (e.g., a classmate) and non-living (e.g., a chair) things.
  • Discuss borderline cases (e.g., "Is a seed living?") to spark curiosity.

Notes for Teachers

  • Use simple examples students know (e.g., dogs, rocks).
  • Encourage all answers, even if partial—focus on reasoning.
  • Keep the pace lively with enthusiasm for their discoveries.