Alive or Not Slides Grade 1 Science
🔍 Secret Mission
Nature Detectives!
What is Living and what is Non-Living?
🌱 Plant
•
🐰 Animal
•
🪨 Rock
🔍
How Do We Know It Is Living?
4 Big Clues
🍎
1. Needs Food & Water
Living things eat and drink to get energy.
💨
2. Needs Air to Breathe
Animals, people, and plants need fresh air.
🌱
3. Grows and Changes
They start small and get bigger over time!
🐣
4. Makes Babies or Seeds
Living things create new life like them.
⭐ Remember: If it can grow, breathe, and drink, it is LIVING!
🌿
Living Things All Around Us!
Examples
🌻
Plants & Trees
Drinks water from soil.
🐿️
Animals & Bugs
Eats nuts and berries.
👧🏽
You and Me!
We eat food every day.
Can plants move from place to place? No, but they still grow and drink!
💬
Scientist Talk: Living Things
Sentence Stem
Say it like a scientist:
“A ______ is living because it ______.”
🌟 Teacher Model:
“A bird is living because it eats worms.”
💡 Word Bank Clues:
grows bigger drinks water needs air
🪨
What is Non-Living?
Cannot Do These!
Non-living things were never alive. They do not have needs!
🪨
Rock
❌ No eating
🚗
Toy Car
❌ No growing
🪵
Park Bench
❌ No breathing
💧
Puddle
❌ No babies
❓ Can a toy robot move with batteries? Yes, but it does NOT grow or breathe air! It is non-living.
💬
Scientist Talk: Non-Living Things
Sentence Stem
Say it like a scientist:
“A ______ is non-living because it cannot ______.”
🌟 Teacher Model:
“A rock is non-living because it cannot grow.”
💡 Word Bank Clues:
grow bigger breathe air drink water
⚡
Detective Challenge: Turn & Talk!
With Your Partner
🐛
Caterpillar
Living or Non-Living?
Hint: Does it eat leaves and grow?
⚽
Soccer Ball
Living or Non-Living?
Hint: Does it breathe or eat food?
🌳
Oak Tree
Living or Non-Living?
Hint: Does it need water and grow?
Use your sentence stem: “A caterpillar is living because it...”
🎒
Nature Walk Mission Rules!
Step Outside
👀
1. Eagle Eyes
Look up high in trees and down low in the grass for signs of life!
🤲
2. Gentle Hands
We observe with care. Do not pull leaves off plants or harm bugs.
✏️
3. Record Clues
Draw and check off what you find on your Detective Sheet!
Let’s go outside and find 3 Living Things and 3 Non-Living Things! 🚀
Nature Detective Walk Activity 🔍
Grade 1 Science • Field Investigation
Nature Detective: Living Things!
Name:
Date:
💡 Living Clues: Needs water & food 💧 • Breathes air 💨 • Can grow 🌱
Part 1
🌿 Step 1: Spot & Check! (Find at least 3)
Put a checkmark in the box
🐜 Crawling Bug Ant or beetle
🌱 Green Plant Grass or flower
🌳 Tall Tree With bark & roots
🐦 Flying Friend Bird or butterfly
🎨 Step 2: Draw Your Favorite Living Find
Draw details: leaves, legs, colors
[ Draw what you discovered in nature here ]
Where was it?
💬
Step 3: Scientist Sentence Stems
Fill in the blanks to explain why your discovery is living:
1. I observed a outside.
2. It is living because it can .
Word Bank: grow drink water breathe air move
🪨
Grade 1 Science • Field Investigation
Nature Detective: Non-Living Things!
Part 2
Outdoor Hunt
💡 Non-Living Clues: Does not breathe ❌ • Does not drink water ❌ • Does not grow ❌
🔍 Step 1: Spot & Check! (Find at least 3)
Put a checkmark in the box
🪨 Smooth Stone Pebble or rock
🪵 Dry Stick Fallen on ground
💧 Water Puddle Or wet mud
🪑 Park Bench Or school fence
🎨 Step 2: Draw Your Favorite Non-Living Find
Notice its shape, texture, and size
[ Draw what you discovered in nature here ]
What is it made of?
💬
Step 3: Scientist Sentence Stems
1. I observed a outside.
2. It is non-living because it cannot .
Word Bank: eat food grow bigger breathe air
🎖️
Official Nature Detective Badge
I used my scientist eyes to explore the natural world!
Teacher Stamp:
Living Things Stem Worksheet 🌱
Grade 1 Science • Classifying & Explaining
Living or Non-Living?
Name:
Date:
🌱 Living: Grows, drinks water, breathes air. 🪨 Non-Living: Never alive, does not grow or eat.
A Circle the Correct Label
Look at each picture and choose
🐱 Kitten
Living Non-Living
🚲 Bicycle
Living Non-Living
🌻 Sunflower
Living Non-Living
🧸 Teddy Bear
Living Non-Living
🐝 Honeybee
Living Non-Living
🪨 Pebble
Living Non-Living
B Complete the Scientist Sentence Stems
Use the words in the word box
water grow breathe air eat food
A tree is living because it drinks to stay alive.
A puppy is living because it will into a big dog.
A rock is non-living because it cannot .
A toy car is non-living because it does not need to .
C Write Your Own Scientist Sentence!
Pick any animal or object
A
is living because it
Nature Detectives Teacher Guide 📋
Grade 1 Science • Teacher Guide
Nature Detectives: Living & Non-Living
Pacing: 55-60 min
Unit: Living Things
Standard: NGSS 1-LS1-1 / Life Science Foundations
Focus: 4 Needs of Living Things, Oral Sentence Frames & Sorting
Learning Goals
Identify the 4 characteristics of living things (eat, drink, breathe, grow).
Contrast with non-living objects (cannot grow or eat).
Use structured sentence frames orally and in writing.
Observe, record, and sort living & non-living items.
Prep & Materials
Alive or Not Slides displayed on whiteboard.Nature Detective Walk Activity (clipboards).Alive Or Not Sorting Game (cut-out cards & mats).Living Things Stem Worksheet (pencils, crayons).
Instructional Timeline
Time
Phase
Teacher & Student Actions
10 min
Hook & Mystery Slides
Present Slides 1–3. Introduce the 4 Big Clues (food, water, air, grow). Children do gesture chant.
10 min
Sentence Stem Modeling
Slides 4–7. Choral read stems. Model: “A dog is living because it drinks water.” Partner Turn & Talk.
20 min
Outdoor Nature Walk
Slide 8 rules. Walk to schoolyard/garden. Students find 3 living & 3 non-living items, check off and draw.
15 min
Sorting Game & Sheet
Partner card sort with oral stems on Alive Or Not Sorting Mat , then complete independent worksheet.
Modeled Scientist Talk Routine
Teacher: “Class, look at this green oak tree. Can it run across the soccer field? No! But is it living? Let’s test our 4 clues: Does it need water? Yes! Does it need air and sun? Yes! Does it grow from a tiny acorn? Yes! So say it with me:”
“An oak tree is living because it needs water and grows bigger!”
🌳
Facilitation & Management
Nature Walk Protocol & Differentiation
Part 2
Outdoor Walk Protocols & Safety
1. Physical Boundaries
Establish clear visual boundaries (e.g., between the big tree and fence). Use a call-and-response chime.
2. Buddy System
Pair students so each child has an observation buddy to discuss findings before checking their box.
3. Leave No Trace
Remind students: “Take only pictures (drawings), leave only footprints.” Do not pick live blooms.
Common Grade 1 Misconceptions & Coaching
Misconception: “Moving things are alive (Clouds, Wind, Flowing Water, Cars).”
Teacher Response: “Clouds and rivers move, but do they eat food or have baby clouds? No! Only living things grow and reproduce.”
Misconception: “Plants are not alive because they don't have faces or walk.”
Teacher Response: “Plants drink water with their roots and breathe air through leaves. They grow from seeds! They are very much alive.”
Differentiation & Game Center Adaptations
ELL / Emerging Readers
In the sorting game, have partners point to picture cues and chorus the bold sentence stems together.
Use physical gestures for the 4 clues (rub belly for food, deep breath for air, reach up for grow).
Advanced / Center Extension
Have students create 2 new cards for the sorting game from things they found during the nature walk.
Prompt them to justify borderline objects like fallen leaves (*once living*).
Worksheet Answer Key: Part A: Kitten (L), Bicycle (NL), Sunflower (L), Teddy Bear (NL), Honeybee (L), Pebble (NL).
Part B: 1. water • 2. grow • 3. breathe air • 4. eat food
Alive Or Not Sorting Game 🧩
Grade 1 Hands-On Science • Partner or Solo Game
Alive or Not? Detective Sorting Mat
Name:
Partner:
🎮 How to Play: Cut out your 12 cards from Page 2. Sort each card into the right zone! Game Mat
🌱
Living Zone
Needs Food & Air
Card 1
Card 2
Card 3
Card 4
Card 5
Card 6
🗣️ Say aloud when placing:
“A [card] is living because it can grow & drink!”
🪨
Non-Living Zone
Does Not Grow
Card 1
Card 2
Card 3
Card 4
Card 5
Card 6
🗣️ Say aloud when placing:
“A [card] is non-living because it cannot eat or breathe!”
🏆
Game Check: Did you explain every card with your sentence stem?
Yes! | Score: ___ / 12
✂️
Cut Along The Dashed Lines
Detective Game Cards (12 Cards)
Page 2 of 2
Cards Sheet
✂️ Cut carefully along the dashed lines with child safety scissors. 👥 Play with a buddy: Flip, explain with the stem, and place on mat!
🦋 Butterfly Eats nectar & flies
🪨 Rock Cannot grow or eat
🐶 Puppy Drinks water & barks
🤖 Toy Robot Uses batteries, no air
🌻 Sunflower Needs sun & water
🚲 Bicycle Made of metal, no food
🐟 Goldfish Swims & breathes water
🌧️ Rain Cloud Moves in sky, not alive
🌳 Oak Tree Grows tall with leaves
🏀 Basketball Bounces, cannot grow
🪱 Earthworm Wiggles in soil & eats
🖍️ Crayon Wax tool, never alive
💡 Teacher Tip: Laminate the sorting mat and cards for a reusable science center station! 6 Living • 6 Non-Living
Nature Detective Exit Ticket 🎟️
Grade 1 Science • Quick Check
Nature Detective Exit Ticket
Name:
Date:
⭐ Show what you learned as a Nature Detective today! 4 Questions
1 Circle the ONE LIVING thing:
1 Point
🪨 A. Rock
🦋 B. Butterfly
🚗 C. Toy Car
2 What does a living bunny need to stay alive?
1 Point
🔋 A. Batteries
🥕 B. Food & Water
⛽ C. Gasoline
3 Fill in the Sentence Stems:
1 Point
Word Box: grow breathe
A bird is living because it can bigger.
A rock is non-living because it cannot air.
4 Draw 1 Non-Living Thing and Finish the Sentence:
1 Point
[ Draw non-living object ]
It is non-living because it does not need
How do you feel about living vs. non-living?
🤩 Got it! 🙂 Almost! 🧐 Need help
🔑
Teacher Assessment Guide
Exit Ticket Answer Key & Rubric
4 Points Total
Formative Assessment
Correct Answers & Common Misconceptions
Question 1: Identification Correct: B. Butterfly
Rationale: The butterfly eats nectar, breathes air, and grows from a caterpillar. ⚠️ Watch out for C (Toy Car): Students who equate moving with living often choose the car. Remind them that cars need batteries/fuel, not food and water.
Question 2: Needs of Living Things Correct: B. Food & Water
Rationale: All living organisms require water and nutrition to survive and produce energy.
Question 3: Sentence Stems 1. grow • 2. breathe
Rationale: Checks receptive scientific vocabulary within scaffolded frames. Both words must be correctly placed for 1 point.
Question 4: Drawing & Application Acceptable: Rock, bench, pencil, toy
Rationale: Student draws any non-living object and justifies with: water, food, air, to grow, or to eat . Accept phonetic spelling for Grade 1.
Formative Mastery Rubric
Mastery (4 / 4)
Accurately distinguishes living from non-living; uses sentence stems to articulate needs (food, water, air, growth). Ready for extension.
Approaching (2 - 3 / 4)
Identifies living things but struggles to explain why using the 4 clues. Provide small-group sorting practice with sentence cards.
Needs Reteach (0 - 1 / 4)
Confuses movement with life. Reteach using concrete physical props (e.g., live plant vs. toy car) and the 4 Clues gesture chant.
Instructional Follow-Up: Pair struggling students with peers during the Alive Or Not Sorting Game center.
