Its Alive!

Zoological Society of Milwaukee

Field Trip Packet -- K4-1st Grade
--------------------------------------------------------------The Zoo is full of wonderful things to see! Some things
at the Zoo are living, and some things are non-living.
Help your students classify living and non-living items
based on their unique characteristics.
Objectives:
Understand characteristics of living and non-living items
Recognize that living things grow, reproduce, and use energy
Classify things as living or nonliving, based on those criteria
Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards:
V.B.EL.4 Uses the attributes of objects for comparison and patterning
V.C.EL.1 Uses observation to gather information

This curriculum packet provided by the Zoological Society of Milwaukee County and the Ladish Company Foundation.

Teacher Background Information

The world is made up of living and non-living things. Young children often have difficulty
characterizing things as living or nonliving. They may describe anything that moves as alive or
living. They may not yet understand the cycle of life, and therefore classify anything that has
died as not alive or non-living. Living and non-living are scientific terms, children are often
more familiar with the terms living or dead.
In science, the term living is used to describe anything that is or has ever been alive; the term
non-living is used to describe anything that is not, nor has ever been, alive. Scientifically, there
are seven activities which make living things different from non-living things. These are the
seven characteristics of living things:
Nutrition - Living things take in materials from their surroundings that they use for growth or
to provide energy.
Respiration - Respiration is the release of energy from food substances in all living cells.
Living things break down food within their cells to release energy for carrying out the
following processes.
Movement - All living things move. Most animal movement is obvious, but plants move too
in different ways. Some movements may be so slow that it is very difficult to see.
Excretion - Excretion is defined as the removal of the waste products of metabolism and
substances in excess from the body of an organism.
Growth - Growth involves using food to produce new cells. The permanent increase in cell
number and size is called growth.
Reproduction - All living organisms have the ability to produce offspring.
Sensitivity - All living things are able to sense and respond to stimuli around them such as
light, temperature, water, gravity and chemical substances.
To simplify things for younger children, the following characteristics can be used. Living things
reproduce and grow, they need food and water and they can use energy to move. Non-living
things do not grow, do not eat, and do not move. Some non-living things occur naturally
(rocks, water). Other non-living things are made by people (houses, toys).

It's Alive: Field Trip Packet

Zoological Society of Milwaukee

Classroom Activity
Supplies:

Various pictures of living and non-living items

(include something that is dead, but still living such as a leaf or log)

Display or felt board

Have students make a list of things that are living. Then ask students to list items that are nonliving. Explain to students the characteristics of living things and the characteristics of nonliving things. Explain that non-living things are not alive and were never alive. Display pictures
of various living and non-living items. Ask students to think about which ones are living and
which ones are non-living. With the first item, model the process of scientific inquiry for
students. Ask questions: Does [item] reproduce and grow? Does it eat? Does it use energy?
For example, a dog is a living thing because: a dog can have puppies, a dog eats food, and a dog
can use energy to run. A chair is not a living thing because a chair will never have a baby chair,
a chair does not get bigger, a chair does not eat, and a chair cannot use energy. As you go
through the items, put pictures on the correct side of a t-chart. Once all items are placed on
the chart, review to make sure all items are correct.

Classroom Extensions
Give each student a bag and have them go outside and collect ten items (rocks, leaves, etc.).
Clear classroom tables and have students sort items into living (including previously living) and
non-living items.
Have students cut apart magazines/catalogs to find pictures of items that are living and nonliving. Glue pictures onto a large piece of paper to make a collage of living things and a collage
of non-living things.
Show a photograph or picture from a book. Have students list all the living and non-living
things they can find.
Observe an animal in the classroom or show an animal video. Grow a plant in the classroom.
List the characteristics of living things that you observe (animals using energy [moving around],
plants reproducing [making seeds], etc.).
Make a list of objects that move. Are they living things? Cars can move, but are they alive?
Non-living things cannot move on their own, only living things can.

It's Alive: Field Trip Packet

Zoological Society of Milwaukee

Song - Are You Living?

(from Are You Living? by Laura Purdie Salas sung to the tune of Are You Sleeping?)
Available for download at: www.capstonekids.com/sciencesongs

Are you living? Are you living? Do you eat? Do you sleep?
If you need to breathe air, move from here to there, then youre living, youre living.
Is it growing? Is it growing? Toward the sky? Green and high?
If it needs damp ground and sunshine all around, then its a plant. Its a plant.
Is it moving? Is it moving? Can it fly? Gallop by?
Living things need dinner, or they get much thinner. So they need to drink and feed.
Are you thinking? Are you thinking? Do you cry? Wonder why?
People have emotions, thoughts and clever notions, feelings, too. Yes, we do!
Are you living? Are you living? Are you not? Are you not?
I breathe in and grow so, heres the fact I now know: Im alive! Im alive!

Additional Resources
Are Trees Alive? - Debbie Miller
Are You Living? - Laura Purdie Salas
Is It a Living Thing? - Bobbie Kalman
Its Alive Sunnie Kim

Living and Non-Living Angela Royston

Living and Non-Living Carol K. Lindeen
Living Things: Is it Alive? Sally Hewitt
What's Alive? - Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

Internet Resources
Science videos: www.sesamestreet.org/videos (search videos: alive)
Sorting game: www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/variation.shtml
Explore living things in Wisconsin: dnr.wi.gov/eek/

Zoo Activity
Supplies:

What Can You Find at the Zoo?

worksheet: What Can You Find at the Zoo?

writing implements or stickers

Directions: Encourage your students to find as many living

and non-living things that they can at the Zoo. During a short
visit to the zoo, try to get bingo; during a longer visit, see if
students can fill their entire game board.

Directions: Draw an "X" through all the living and non-living things that you can find at the zoo.

Living Things at the Zoo

Non-Living Things at the Zoo

tiger

zookeeper

octopus

flower

moose

barn

rock

bench

carousel

signpost

snake

cow

grass

bat

penguin

truck

door

bucket

table

umbrella

fish

rhino

girl

duck

frog

garbage

map

vending

fence

cup

turtle

armadillo

tree

bear

boy

sink

playground

sky-glide

cabin

train gate

gorilla

plant

zebra

lizard

lion

window

train

rope

wagon

hat

It's Alive: Field Trip Packet

Zoological Society of Milwaukee

WhatCanYouFindattheZoo?
Directions:Markoffallthelivingandnonlivingthingsthatyoucanfindatthezoo.

LivingThingsattheZoo

NonLivingThings attheZoo

tiger

zookeeper

octopus

flower

moose

barn

rock

bench

carousel

signpost

snake

cow

grass

bat

penguin

truck

door

bucket

table

umbrella

fish

rhino

girl

duck

frog

garbage

map

vending

fence

cup

turtle

armadillo

tree

bear

boy

sink

playground

skyglide

cabin

traingate

gorilla

plant

zebra

lizard

lion

window

train

rope

wagon

hat