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Seventh Grade
Inquiry Activity

Description of Activity

Title: Grouping Your World.

Students will classify objects into three categories and form criteria for each group. This activity will introduce students to classification methods, and to the distinction between living, dead, and non-living matter.
This activity will last about 45 minutes.

You will need the following materials:

Provide about ten examples each of living, non-living and dead items. Following are some suggestions:

  Living	    Non-Living		  Dead

live animals	  plastic objects	 pressed plants
bacteria	  metal objects		  dead animals (insect)
houseplants	  rocks or minerals   	wooden objects (dead tree)
fungi		  magnets		 leather goods

Background Information

Living organisms, as we know them have the following characteristics: they respire, digest, grow, respond to stimuli, and reproduce.

Dead organisms have had the above characteristics but do not any longer. Non-living organisms do not have all of the living characteristics, though they may posess some of them.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Ensure Inquiry
Don't tell the students the classification groups; let them develop their own.
Encourage students to create classified groups by telling them there are no right or wrong answers.

Invitation to Learn

Introduce Activity with a Question
Encourage curiosity by displaying all objects (living, dead, and non-living) for students to see. Tell students they will place these materials into three groups, and write them into three tables. Because the whole class will be using ` the same objects, the students may not be able to physically break them into three groups, but write them only. They will write criteria for why objects are placed into each of these groups.

Inquire of the students: How will you separate all of these items into three groups?

Safe Operating Procedures
If you provide bacteria as one example, follow asceptic techniques.

Summary of Learning

Assesment of Learning
Students will present their classification groups as a table to the class, describing and defining them. Teacher should direct the discussion to explain the characteristics of living, dead, and non-living matter, and the reasons for classification systems.

Sample multiple choice questions:

Which of the following would ensure a good classification system?
a. grouping objects with like characteristices
b. grouping objects with unlike characteristics
c. grouping objects with interrelated characteristics
d. grouping objects with only one characteristic

What key characteristic determines if something is living?
a. contains silicon
b. contains carbon
c. consumes oxygen
d. consumes iron

Lead students in a discussion on the nature of science, tying this activity to the core objectives. You may start with questions such as "What purpose does it serve to classify objects?" or "Judging from our knowledge of living and non-living things, is it possible to create something that is alive?"

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This document was submitted for posting to the Internet by the State Science Specialist. Any questions concerning content should be directed to that individual.

Updated September 17 1997 by Michelle Dumas