Living Secrets Activity Sheet Science Explorer Unit: Living World
Name:
Date:
🔍 Detective Clue: Living or Non-Living?
Use your 3 science clues to test what is alive!
Mission
Classify Objects
The 3 Golden Rules of Living Things
🌱
1. It Grows
Gets bigger with time
💧🍎
2. Needs Food & Water
Uses energy to stay alive
🐣
3. Makes Young
Makes baby organisms
Activity 1: Mystery Object Clue Test
Circle your answer for each clue
Picture
Does it grow?
Needs food & water?
Final Verdict
🐶 Puppy
YES NO
YES NO
LIVING NON-LIVING
🚗 Toy Car
YES NO
YES NO
LIVING NON-LIVING
🌳 Tree
YES NO
YES NO
LIVING NON-LIVING
🪨 Rock
YES NO
YES NO
LIVING NON-LIVING
💡
Detective Pro-Tip!
Scientists call any living thing an organism . Even a tiny bug or blade of grass is an organism!
Name:
Part 2
Step 1: Look at the 8 Mystery Pictures
Draw a line or write the letter in the right box
A 🐱
B ✏️
C 🌻
D 🧸
E 🐟
F 👟
G 🦋
H 📱
Step 2: Sort into the Right Category
🌱 LIVING THINGS
Needs food, water, and grows
🧱 NON-LIVING THINGS
Does not grow or need food
Step 3: Draw Your Favorite Living Organism!
Draw your picture here 🎨
My organism is:
Does it grow?
YES NO
Super Scientist Badge Earned! Living vs. Non-Living Science Investigation
Living Things Sorting Mats Station Sorting Mat Hands-On Investigation
Name:
ORGANISM OR OBJECT? SORTING MAT
Cut the cards on Page 2 along the dotted lines. Glue each card into its matching slot!
🌱 🐾
LIVING THINGS (ORGANISMS)
Needs food and water
Grows and changes
Makes baby organisms
Glue Card Slot 1
Glue Card Slot 2
Glue Card Slot 3
Glue Card Slot 4
Glue Card Slot 5
Glue Card Slot 6
🧱 ⚙️
NON-LIVING THINGS (OBJECTS)
Does not eat or drink
Does not grow on its own
Cannot make young
Glue Card Slot 1
Glue Card Slot 2
Glue Card Slot 3
Glue Card Slot 4
Glue Card Slot 5
Glue Card Slot 6
Cut cards on Page 2 and glue directly into matching slots above. Science Mat • Hands-on Lab
Cut-Out Deck 12 Precision Glue Cards
Cut on the dotted lines
✂️ Cut out each card along the dotted border. These fit the glue boxes on Page 1!
🐕
Dog
✏️
Pencil
🌳
Tree
🧸
Teddy
🐠
Fish
🪨
Rock
🐦
Bird
🚲
Bike
🐛
Bug
🥛
Cup
🌷
Flower
📱
Phone
Partner Talk: "I know it is living because..." Printable Science Cards
Living World Lesson Plan Teacher Facilitation Guide 5E Science Instructional Plan
Day 2 30-Min Block
Classifying: Living vs. Non-Living Things
Focus: What is an organism? Exploring the 3 Golden Rules of Living Things.
30-Minute Fast Track
Standards: LS1 & LS3
30-Minute Master Schedule
0:00 - 0:05 (5m) Hook & Video
0:05 - 0:12 (7m) Direct Visual Modeling
0:12 - 0:26 (14m) Hands-on Sort & Glue
0:26 - 0:30 (4m) Rapid Exit Check
Learning Objectives (SWBAT)
Define classify as sorting things that share traits.
Identify the term organism for any living thing.
Test objects against the 3 rules: Grows, Eats, Makes Young .
Media & Setup Prep
Video Hook: BrainPOP Jr. — "Living & Nonliving Things" .
⚡ Pacing Saver: Pre-cut picture cards for students with fine-motor delays so the full 14 min is spent sorting!
1 Engage: BrainPOP Jr. Clip & Quick Hook (5 Min) 0:00 - 0:05
Screen BrainPOP Jr. "Living and Nonliving Things" (cue directly to 1:00 to 3:00 to fit our 30-min window).
• Pause Point (1:15): Annie asks what living things need. Prompt scholars to identify food and water.
• Quick Poll (2:30): Is Moby the robot alive? "Does Moby grow bigger? No! Moby is a nonliving object!"
2 Explain: The 3 Golden Rules Visual Anchor (7 Min) 0:05 - 0:12
Direct teacher modeling with visual anchor cards and real classroom objects:
1. It Grows 🌱
Gets bigger with time (puppy to dog)
2. Needs Food 🍎
Needs water and food for energy
3. Makes Young 🐣
Can produce baby organisms
Key Science Word: Explicitly state: "Scientists call any living thing an organism . A tree is an organism, a bird is an organism, and you are an organism."
Day 2 Facilitation Plan • 30-Min Schedule • Page 1 of 2 Creature Detectives Curriculum
Lesson Delivery Application & Formative Check
Page 2
3 Elaborate: Tabletop Mat Sorting & Gluing (14 Min) 0:12 - 0:26
Station Activity (Tabletop Mat): Pairs use Living Things Sorting Mats . Students match each calibrated picture card (Dog, Tree, Rock, Phone, etc.) and glue it into the
Animal Kingdom Activity Sheet Animal Explorer Unit: Living World
Name:
Date:
🐾 Animal Superstars: What Is an Animal?
Explore how animals move, eat, and use special body parts!
Focus
Animal Kingdom
The 3 Animal Superstar Powers
🏃♂️💨
1. Animals Move!
Run, swim, fly, or slither
🥕🥩
2. Animals Eat!
Eat food for daily energy
👀🛡️
3. Special Parts!
Eyes, lungs, gills, or quills
Activity 1: Draw a Line to Match the Animal & Movement
Animals are mixed up—find their match!
🐸 Tree Frog
•
Uses wings to FLY high
🦅 Eagle
•
Uses fins to SWIM deep
🐍 Snake
•
Uses long legs to LEAP far
🦈 Shark
•
Uses its body to SLITHER smooth
Activity 2: Circle the ANIMALS (Put an X on the Plants)
🐰
Bunny
🌻
Sunflower
🦁
Lion
🌲
Pine Tree
💡
Remember: Plants and animals are both living organisms, but animals move around and must eat food to get energy!
Name:
Case File
🐱
Detective Mystery: "How Do You Know a Cat is an Animal?"
Test Whiskers against our animal science clues!
1
Can a cat move by itself?
Uses 4 legs to walk, run, and jump
YES NO
2
Does a cat eat food for energy?
Eats food from a bowl
YES NO
3
What does a cat use to breathe oxygen in the air?
Circle the body structure
LUNGS GILLS
4
Does a cat have sharp claws to climb and stay safe?
Special structures to survive
YES NO
Activity 3: Animal Super Structures!
🦔
Porcupine Quills
How do sharp quills help the porcupine?
Keeps hungry predators away
Helps it fly into trees
🐠
Fish Gills
Animal Superpowers Activity Cards Station Mat Creature Feature Lab
Name:
ANIMAL SUPERPOWER SORTING MAT
Cut the cards on Page 2 and glue each creature into its matching zone!
🌬️🫁
ZONE 1: BREATHES WITH LUNGS (AIR)
Lives on land or in sky
4 Slots
Glue Card Slot 1
Glue Card Slot 2
Glue Card Slot 3
Glue Card Slot 4
🌊🐟
ZONE 2: BREATHES WITH GILLS (WATER)
Swims underwater in sea
4 Slots
Glue Card Slot 1
Glue Card Slot 2
Glue Card Slot 3
Glue Card Slot 4
🛡️🦔
ZONE 3: SPECIAL SHIELDS & DEFENSE PARTS
Shells, quills, or spray
4 Slots
Glue Card Slot 1
Glue Card Slot 2
Glue Card Slot 3
Glue Card Slot 4
Cut cards on Page 2 and glue directly into matching slots above. Hands-on Animal Station
Creature Cards 12 Precision Glue Cards
Cut on the dotted lines
✂️ Cut out each animal card along the dotted border. These fit the glue boxes on Page 1!
🐕
Dog
🐠
Fish
🦔
Porcupine
🦅
Eagle
🦈
Shark
🐢
Turtle
🐈
Cat
🦀
Crab
🦨
Skunk
🐴
Horse
🐙
Octopus
🦐
Shrimp
Science Talk: "This animal breathes with..." Printable Animal Cards
Animal Kingdom Lesson Plan Teacher Facilitation Guide 5E Science Instructional Plan
Day 3 30-Min Block
Classifying: What is an Animal?
Focus: How animals move, eat food for energy, and use body structures to survive.
30-Minute Fast Track
Standards: LS1 & LS4
30-Minute Master Schedule
0:00 - 0:05 (5m) Animal Charades Hook
0:05 - 0:12 (7m) 3 Animal Powers & Parts
0:12 - 0:26 (14m) Creature Superpower Sort
0:26 - 0:30 (4m) Rapid Exit Check
Learning Objectives (SWBAT)
Identify animals as organisms that move and eat food .
Connect movement styles to body parts (wings fly, fins swim, legs run).
Distinguish structures for breathing (lungs for air, gills for water).
Core Vocabulary & Prep
Key Words: Animal, Movement, Lungs, Gills, Quills.
⚡ Pacing Saver: Pre-cut animal cards into baggies before class so partners get right to sorting and gluing!
1 Engage: 3-Minute Animal Charades (5 Min) 0:00 - 0:05
Action Hook: Call out 3 quick movements:
"Show me an Eagle!"
Flap wings high
"Show me a Shark!"
Hands swim deep
"Show me an Oak Tree!"
Roots stuck in ground
Key Question: "Trees are alive, but can they run to get food? No! ANIMALS are the living organisms that move and eat!"
2 Explain: 3 Animal Powers & Super Body Parts (7 Min) 0:05 - 0:12
Teach the 3 Animal Powers with anchor gestures:
1. Animals Move!
Fly, swim, leap, slither
2. Animals Eat!
Must eat food for energy
3. Body Armor!
Lungs, gills, quills, shells
Model difference between lungs (take in air on land) and gills (take in oxygen underwater).
Day 3 Facilitation Plan • 30-Min Schedule • Page 1 of 2 Creature Detectives Curriculum
Lesson Delivery Application & Formative Check
Page 2
3 Elaborate: Animal Superpowers Sorting & Gluing (14 Min) 0:12 - 0:26
Station Activity (Tabletop Mat): Pairs use Animal Superpowers Activity Cards . Students take the 12 calibrated animal cards and glue each card into:
Creature Quest Activity Mat Hands-On Game No Scissors Needed
Animal Kingdom Explorers • Station Activity
🦁 Creature Quest Adventure Board
Roll a die, move your counter, act out animal powers, and solve nature clues!
Play Style
1–4 Explorers
🎲
How to Play: Place your game token (counter, mini-eraser, or coin) on START . Roll a 1–6 die. Move that many spaces, perform the animal action, and answer the animal question with your team!
Tile 1
⛺
Start Camp
Place tokens here!
Roll Die
#2 Swamp 🐸
Tree Frog Leap
Action: Hop 3 times!
Q: Does a frog move with legs or fins?
Movement Clue
#3 Peak 🦅
Eagle Glider
Action: Spread wings & soar!
Q: What body part helps it fly?
Super Part
#4 Cove 🐢
Turtle Armor
Action: Tuck into your shell!
Q: How does a hard shell protect it?
Body Shield
#5 Forest 🐍
Snake Trail
Action: Slither side to side!
Q: How does a snake move with no legs?
Kinesthetic
#6 Clue 🔍
Living Checkpoint
Challenge: Name 1 plant & 1 animal!
Q: Which one walks to get food?
Brain Clue
#7 Savannah 🐆
Cheetah Dash
Action: Fast in-place sprint!
Q: Does an animal make or eat food?
Energy & Food
#8 Ocean 🐬
Dolphin Dive
Action: Wave dive motion!
Q: Do dolphins breathe air with lungs?
Underwater
#9 Thicket 🦔
Spiky Porcupine
Action: Puff out spiky quills!
Q: Why do predators stay away?
Defense
#10 Outback 🦘
Kangaroo Bounce
Action: 2 big spring hops!
Q: What body structure helps it jump?
Movement
#11 Canopy 🦎
Chameleon Freeze
Action: Camouflage statue freeze!
Q: How does hiding keep it safe?
Camouflage
Finish
🏆
Detective Camp
All superpowers solved!
★ Master Explorer! ★
Team Token Station: Cover Each Badge as You Perform It!
