Alive vs. Not

To prepare for our annual service project, I start by discussing what it means for something to be alive or not alive.  

As a group, I asked the children what it meant for something to be alive.  How did they know the difference between alive and not alive?

"You know a fish is alive because it is swimming."
"A penguin is alive because it lives somewhere cold."
"An elephant is alive and then it gets shot and dies.  It gets dead."
"A shoe

is not alive because human feet are moving it."

I then showed various pictures of animals, plants, toys, and everyday objects.  I told the children that right then they might have different ideas on whether the things are alive or not, and that was okay because they are going to learn more soon.

This got us thinking and gave us more ideas.  If something is alive, it needs water.  If something is alive it moves.  If something is alive it can die.  We made a list (which I added to) about the qualities something needs to have to make it alive.

If something is alive:

• It can grow and change
• It can reproduce (make more of itself)
• It needs food and water
• It needs air
• It moves by itself

The children have been showing their learning by doing a sorting on their own.