Alive, Dead or Not?

Overview

This 20-minute lesson is designed for Year 3 pupils and aligns with the National Curriculum for Science in England, focusing on identifying and describing living things and their characteristics. Pupils will explore what makes something “living,” be introduced to the acronym MRSGREN to describe the seven life processes, and differentiate between living, dead, and never been alive objects.

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National Curriculum Links

Programmes of Study: Science – Year 3

• Identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat
• Identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection, and movement (linked to understanding living organisms)
• Identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants and trees
• Recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways
• Explore and use classification keys to help group, identify, and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment

Key Stage 2 – Science: Working Scientifically

• Asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them
• Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings and labelled diagrams

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the session, the pupil will be able to:

• State all seven characteristics of a living organism using MRSGREN.
• Name a variety of living things (plants and animals).
• Identify and give examples of things that are non-living and have never been alive.
• Distinguish between living, dead, and never been alive objects.

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Resources

• Large laminated MRSGREN poster (Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition)
• Three labelled sorting trays/baskets: Living / Dead / Never Been Alive
• A selection of objects, pictures or toy examples (e.g., leaves, feather, rock, plastic toy, dead twig, live insect model)
• Whiteboard and marker
• Worksheet for drawing and writing examples (optional)

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Lesson Structure

1. Engage – 3 minutes

• Begin by asking: "What does it mean to be alive?" and "Can stones or toys be alive?"
• Show a few objects (live plant leaf, feather, plastic toy, dead leaf). Ask the pupil to categorise into what they think is alive or not.
• Introduce the idea that scientists use seven life processes to decide if something is living. Write MRSGREN on the board.

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2. Explore & Explain – 10 minutes

• Go through MRSGREN step-by-step, with simple and age-appropriate explanations for each characteristic:

  • Movement: Living things can move (even plants move parts).
  • Respiration: Living things breathe or get energy (animals breathe in oxygen).
  • Sensitivity: Living things respond to their surroundings (plants bend towards light).
  • Growth: Living things grow bigger or develop.
  • Reproduction: Living things can produce babies or new plants.
  • Excretion: Living things get rid of waste.
  • Nutrition: Living things need food to get energy.

• Use the MRSGREN poster as a visual aid, pointing to each one with examples.

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3. Activity – 5 minutes

• Place all objects/pictures/toys mixed on the table.
• Ask the pupil to classify them into three baskets labelled: Living, Dead, Never Been Alive.
• For each object chosen, ask the pupil which life process applies or why it belongs in that category. For example:
  • Dead twig → once living but no longer showing life processes.
  • Rock → never been alive; doesn’t move, grow, or respire.
• Reinforce through questioning, e.g., "Why doesn’t this toy go in the living basket?"

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4. Review & Assess – 2 minutes

• Ask the pupil to list the seven life processes aloud.
• Ask for three examples of living things and two examples of never been alive things.
• Use questions to address misconceptions, e.g., "Is a battery living? Why or why not?"
• Record answers if using worksheet or whiteboard.

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Extension Idea (Optional if time allows)

• Draw or write about an object the pupil finds outside that fits into one of the three categories. Label which life processes it shows or why it fits the category.

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Differentiation

• For additional challenge: introduce simple dichotomous keys to help identify living things.
• For scaffolded support: use fewer objects and more visual prompts, repeat MRSGREN several times with examples.

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Final Notes

This lesson prioritises clear scientific language appropriate for Year 3, with an emphasis on active learning through sorting activity and visual aids. Engaging with MRSGREN early supports foundational knowledge crucial for later understanding of biology. The hands-on approach promotes curiosity and critical thinking in line with the Working Scientifically aims within the National Curriculum.