Grade 1 Living and Non-Living Things

Lesson Plan: Living and Non-Living Things

Grade: I
Subject: Science (Environmental Studies)
Topic: Living and Non-Living Things
Duration: 40 minutes
Date: April 3, 2025
Curriculum: CBSE (aligned with foundational EVS outcomes)

Learning Objectives

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

  1. Understand that living things move, grow, or need food, while non-living things do not.
  2. Identify simple examples of living things (e.g., plants, animals) and non-living things (e.g., toys, stones).
  3. Describe one difference between living and non-living things using basic words.
  4. Sort objects into living and non-living categories with guidance.

Materials Required

  • Real or picture objects: a small potted plant, a stone, a toy car, a picture of a dog, a pencil.
  • Chart paper with two columns: "Living Things" and "Non-Living Things" (with pictures like a tree and a chair).
  • Flashcards with words and images: "Plant," "Dog," "Stone," "Toy."
  • Blank sheets and crayons for drawing.
  • Whiteboard and markers.
  • A puppet (e.g., a bird or animal) for storytelling (optional).

Lesson Structure

1. Warm-Up Activity (5 minutes)

Objective: Engage students and introduce the concept playfully.

  • Activity: "Move Like Me!"
    • Say: "Let’s move like animals! Can you hop like a frog?" (Hop around.)
    • Then: "Can a chair hop? No! Why not?" (Expect: "It’s not alive.")
    • Ask: "What things move or grow around us?" (Expect: "Dogs," "Trees.")
  • Transition: "Today, we’ll learn about things that are alive—like frogs—and things that are not—like chairs!"

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

Objective: Teach the basic difference between living and non-living things.

  • Explanation:
    • Say: "Living things are alive—they can move, grow, or eat. Non-living things are not alive—they don’t move or grow."
    • Show the plant and say: "This plant is living. It grows with water."
    • Show the stone: "This stone is non-living. It doesn’t grow or move."
    • Use flashcards:
      • "Dog" (Living) – "It runs and eats."
      • "Toy" (Non-Living) – "It doesn’t move by itself."
  • Demonstration:
    • Hold up the toy car and move it: "I can move this car, but does it move on its own? No, it’s non-living!"
    • Point to the plant: "This grows taller. It’s living!"
    • Ask: "Is a pencil living or non-living? Why?" (Non-living—it doesn’t grow.)

3. Main Activity: "Sort the Things" (15 minutes)

Objective: Practice identifying and sorting living and non-living things.

  • Setup: Place the objects/pictures (plant, stone, toy car, dog picture, pencil) on a table. Divide students into small groups (4-5 each).
  • Instructions:
    • Say: "Let’s be detectives! Look at these things and decide: Is it living or non-living? Put it in the right group!"
    • Show the chart paper with "Living Things" (tree picture) and "Non-Living Things" (chair picture).
    • Guide them:
      • "Does it move or grow? Yes? It’s living!"
      • "Does it stay the same? Yes? It’s non-living!"
    • Example: Place "Dog" under "Living Things" and say: "Dogs run, so they’re living!" Place "Stone" under "Non-Living Things": "Stones don’t move!"
  • Facilitation:
    • Walk around, asking: "Why did you put the plant here? Does it grow?"
    • After sorting, have one student from each group show one item and say: "This is [item]. It’s [living/non-living] because…"

4. Wrap-Up and Reflection (7 minutes)

Objective: Reinforce learning and connect to their world.

  • Activity: "Draw Your Favorite"
    • Give each student a blank sheet and crayons. Say: "Draw one living thing and one non-living thing you like!"
    • Example: "I’ll draw a bird—it’s living because it flies. And a ball—it’s non-living because it doesn’t grow."
    • While they draw, ask: "What’s one living thing at home? What’s one non-living thing?" (Expect: "Cat," "Table.")
  • Discussion:
    • Say: "Living things are special because they move or grow. What’s one living thing you saw today?"

5. Closure (3 minutes)

  • Recap: "Today, we learned that living things—like plants and dogs—move or grow, but non-living things—like stones and toys—don’t. You’re super detectives! Next time, we’ll learn more about living things."
  • Homework (optional): "Look at home and tell me one living thing and one non-living thing tomorrow!"

Assessment

  • Formative Assessment:
    • Observe group sorting to see if students correctly place items (e.g., plant in "Living," toy in "Non-Living").
    • Check drawings for one living and one non-living item (e.g., tree and chair).
  • Participation: Note students who share reasons during sorting or discussion (e.g., "Dogs move!").

Teaching Aids and Strategies

  • Visual Aids: Flashcards and chart paper for clear examples.
  • Hands-On: Sorting activity for active learning.
  • Questioning: Simple prompts like "Does it grow?" to encourage thinking.
  • Playful Approach: Movement and drawing to keep it fun and engaging.

Alignment with CBSE Curriculum

  • This lesson aligns with the CBSE Grade I EVS curriculum, which introduces basic environmental awareness, including distinguishing living and non-living things, as per NCERT’s foundational goals.

Extensions (Optional)

  • Puppet Story: Use a puppet (e.g., a bird) to say: "I’m alive—I fly and eat! My friend Stone doesn’t move." Ask: "Is Bird living?"
  • Outdoor Peek: If possible, take a 5-minute walk outside to spot living (e.g., birds) and non-living (e.g., benches) things.

Notes for Teachers

  • Use simple words like "alive" and "not alive" to match Grade I vocabulary.
  • Be patient with responses—focus on effort, not perfection.
  • Keep objects safe and familiar to avoid confusion (e.g., no tricky items like seeds yet).