Alive or Not Alive?

Overview

This Year 3 Science Engage lesson introduces the question: How can we tell if something is living? Students explore a mystery collection and image prompts, sort examples using their initial ideas, discuss evidence and misconceptions, and record questions for later investigation. The teacher does not confirm classifications or teach the full scientific explanation during this lesson.

Learning intentions

• WALT share and compare our initial ideas about living and non-living things.
• WALT use observations to explain an initial classification.
• WALT ask questions that we can investigate later.

Success criteria

• I can make an initial choice about whether something is living or non-living.
• I can give an observation or reason for my choice.
• I can listen to another idea and record a question or wondering.

Curriculum links

• Australian Curriculum v9 Science Year 3 — AC9S3U01: “compare characteristics of living and non-living things and examine the differences between the life cycles of plants and animals”.
• ACARA content description: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum.html/learning-areas/science/year-3/content-description?subject-identifier=SCISCIY3&content-description-code=AC9S3U01
• ACARA curriculum homepage: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Mystery hook. Display a covered collection containing a potted plant, stone, seed, shell, toy butterfly, wooden item and photograph of a dog, or use a mystery image prompt. Reveal the items one at a time and ask, “Which might be alive, and what makes you think so?” Students make a silent initial choice before sharing with a partner. Do not confirm answers.

2. 10–22 min · Initial object sort. In pairs, students place picture or object cards under living, non-living or not sure. Invite students to explain one choice using “I think ___ because I notice ___.” Record a range of student ideas without correcting them.

3. 22–35 min · Notice and wonder. Show contrasting images such as a plant, person, butterfly, egg, seed, rock, flame and robot. Students contribute observations and wonderings. Ask, “What is similar?”, “What is different?”, “Which example is tricky?” and “What would you need to know to decide?” Record ideas and questions on a class Notice / Wonder chart.

4. 35–47 min · Surface thinking and misconceptions. Revisit the most debated examples, such as a seed, egg, flame or robot. Use a four-corners response—living, non-living, not sure or it depends—and invite students to move or show a response, then explain their reasoning. Highlight differing ideas without resolving them; note misconceptions and questions for later investigation.

5. 47–55 min · Class question board. Students write or draw one question they have about living and non-living things. Group similar questions and create a class inquiry board beginning with “We wonder…” Explain that these questions will guide future lessons.

6. 55–60 min · Revisit the mystery. Students choose one item they would now classify differently, or defend their original choice, and share what evidence or question influenced them. Collect the class’s initial ideas and wonderings for use in the next phase.

Resources

• Mystery collection: potted plant, stone, seed, shell, wooden item and toy butterfly
• Image prompts showing living, non-living and debatable examples, such as a dog, person, plant, butterfly, egg, flame and robot
• Picture or object cards for the initial sort
• Three response signs: living, non-living, not sure
• Sticky notes or wonder cards
• Large paper or digital board for the Notice / Wonder chart and inquiry question board
• Optional visual vocabulary cards: living, non-living, observe, evidence

Assessment

• Use student explanations during the mystery hook and object sort as formative evidence of prior ideas.
• Note classifications, reasoning and misconceptions during discussion, without confirming the scientific answer.
• Collect each student’s final classification, reason and question to inform the next lesson.

Differentiation

• Support diverse learners with real objects, clear photographs, gestures, visual vocabulary and repeated modelling of “I notice…” and “I think…”.
• Provide partner talk, home-language discussion where appropriate, sentence stems and options to point, sort, draw, dictate or record an audio response.
• Reduce the number of items, use high-contrast images and explicitly teach the response choices for students who need additional cognitive, language or sensory support.
• Check understanding privately as well as through whole-class movement, and allow students to respond without publicly defending an uncertain idea.
• Extend advanced learners by asking them to compare two difficult examples, identify an assumption in their reasoning and formulate a testable question for later investigation.

Extension

• Choose a debatable example, such as a seed, egg, flame or robot, and write or record two different arguments about its classification.
• Formulate a question that could help the class decide which characteristics are useful for distinguishing living and non-living things.