# Lesson 122: Nonliving things around us

🔬 SCIENCE (40 Lessons) • 🟢 A. Living and Nonliving

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## Objective

I can spot nonliving things around me and tell how they are different from living things. I can say that nonliving things do not grow, do not breathe, and cannot move by themselves.

## Materials

- Small objects from around the home or classroom (toy car, rock, cup, book, ball, pencil, etc.)
- Pictures of living things (plants, pets, people) and nonliving things (chair, bike, phone, etc.)
- Pencil and notebook or scrap paper

## Mini-lesson — What are nonliving things?

In science we talk about living things and nonliving things.

Living things (like people, pets, and plants):

- Grow and change.
- Breathe and need air.
- Need food and water.
- Can have babies or new young.
- Can move by themselves (animals) or grow toward light (plants).

Nonliving things:

- Do not grow or have babies.
- Do not breathe or eat.
- Cannot move by themselves — they only move if they are pushed, pulled, or carried.
- Can still change (break, melt, get hot or cold), but they never become living.

Examples of nonliving things

- A toy car, a ball, a chair, a rock, a book, or a cup.
- They are useful, fun, and important, but they are still nonliving.

To decide if something is nonliving, ask: "Does it grow? Does it breathe? Can it move by itself?" If the answer is no to all three, it is nonliving.

Picture strip: Living vs nonliving on the same street

Who is living? What is nonliving?

Sorting objects

## Guided Practice — Find nonliving things around you

You will look around your room, home, or classroom and find nonliving things. Use the questions to help you decide.

1. Look carefully: Slowly look around the space. Point at different things you see (for example: a chair, a window, a bag, a toy).
2. Ask the three questions: For each object, ask: "Does it grow? Does it breathe? Can it move by itself?"
3. Decide: If the answer is no to all three, it is nonliving.
4. Make a short list: Choose 5 nonliving things you can see and write them in your notebook (for example: chair, door, pencil, book, toy car).
5. Add a reason: Next to each object, write or say one reason it is nonliving (for example: "The chair does not grow" or "The toy car cannot move by itself").
6. Compare with living things: Choose one living thing nearby (a person, a plant, or a pet) and say how it is different from one of the nonliving objects on your list.
7. Use the tracing pad: Choose words like rock, chair, toy, or nonliving from the dropdown and trace them slowly while you say the word out loud.

Tracing Pad
Lines
Trace
Pen

## Practice 1 — Sort pictures: living or nonliving?

Look at (or draw) pictures of different things: a cat, a tree, a rock, a toy car, a flower, a book. Make two groups on paper: "Living" and "Nonliving".

- Write or draw each thing in the correct group.
- Check each one: "Does it grow? Does it breathe? Can it move by itself?"
- Fix any that are in the wrong group.

## Practice 2 — Nonliving things in one room

Choose one room (your bedroom, kitchen, or classroom). Make a quick map or list of 10 nonliving things you can see.

1. Write the name of each nonliving thing (for example: desk, door, lamp).
2. Next to each word, draw a tiny picture.
3. Circle your three most important nonliving things in that room and say why they are helpful.

## Practice 3 — Can it start moving by itself?

Talk through each idea and decide if it sounds like a living thing or a nonliving thing.

- A ball rolling only when you kick it.
- A toy car that moves when you push it.
- A leaf that moves because of the wind.
- A dog that walks across the room to you.

Explain: which ones are nonliving (they need a push, pull, or wind) and which one is living (it moves by itself).

## Quick Check — Nonliving things around us

Answer each question about nonliving things. Think about whether each thing can grow, breathe, or move by itself.

1) Which best describes a nonliving thing?

It grows and has babies. It needs food and water. It does not grow or breathe.
Nonliving things do not grow or breathe like living things do.

2) Which object is nonliving?

A cat A rock A tree
A rock does not grow, breathe, or have babies. It is nonliving.

3) A toy car rolls across the floor. Why is it still nonliving?

It only moves when someone pushes it. It can eat and drink. It grows into a big car.
The toy car cannot move by itself. It needs a push, so it is nonliving.

4) Which set shows only nonliving things?

Dog, tree, flower Cat, rock, chair Rock, chair, book
Rocks, chairs, and books are all nonliving objects.

5) Which question does NOT describe a nonliving thing?

"Does it grow?" "What food does it like?" "Can it move by itself?"
Nonliving things do not eat food, so this question does not fit them.

6) A book, a pencil, and a cup are all…

Nonliving things. Living things. Babies of plants.
They are objects we use, but they are all nonliving.

7) Why is a chair nonliving?

It can walk to the door. It does not grow or breathe. It has baby chairs.
Chairs do not grow or breathe, and they do not have babies.

8) Which is nonliving but can still move?

A cat walking A tree growing A ball rolling after you kick it
The ball is nonliving. It rolls only after you kick it.

9) A plant is living and a rock is nonliving. What is one difference?

The plant can grow; the rock cannot. The rock needs water; the plant does not. Both can have babies.
Plants grow and change; rocks stay the same size unless broken.

10) Which picture would show a nonliving thing being useful?

A dog running. A child sitting on a chair. A tree growing taller.
The chair is nonliving and is helpful for the child.

11) A phone lights up and plays sound. Why is it still nonliving?

It is hungry. It breathes air. It does not grow or have babies.
Phones can change and light up, but they do not grow or have babies.

12) Which set mixes living and nonliving things?

Dog, tree, ball Rock, chair, book Cat, tree, flower
The ball is nonliving; the dog and tree are living.

13) Which sentence is true about nonliving things?

They need food every day. They can be picked up or pushed. They grow new leaves.
Nonliving things can be moved by us, but they do not grow or eat.

14) Why do we learn to tell living and nonliving things apart?

To understand how the world works and how to care for living things. So we never use objects again. Only to name toys.
It helps us care for living things and understand our environment.

15) Which best explains why a rock is nonliving?

It is quiet. It can roll down a hill. It does not grow, breathe, or have babies.
A rock can move if something pushes it, but it does not grow, breathe, or have babies.

## Assessment (parent/teacher)

Student can say what makes something nonliving (does not grow, breathe, or move by itself). Student can give several examples of nonliving things at home or school. Student can explain how a nonliving thing can move only when pushed, pulled, or carried. Student can compare a living thing and a nonliving thing using simple science words. Student can answer worded questions about nonliving things with a short explanation.

## Exit ticket (student)

😀 I can spot nonliving things around me and explain why. 🙂 I can find some nonliving things but still need more practice. 😅 Nonliving things still feel a bit tricky to sort.

#### Next time I will practise…

Sorting pictures into living and nonliving Explaining why a thing is nonliving Finding nonliving things in different places (home, school, outdoors)
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