Living things – what they need and what they can do

This activity gives children the chance to consider, what makes something alive?

It follows on naturally from the treasure hunt activities, in which children begin to become aware of whether things are living or non-living (never been alive). As they try to give reasons for their decisions (in the treasure hunt activity), the children begin to think about what living things do. It is usually easier for children to talk about what animals do (as living things) and harder for them to understand that plants show the same range of characteristics.

This activity can be used in different ways and is useful as a formative or a summative activity. It is a good idea for teachers to read the Background information found in the Teaching Notes, so that you are well-prepared for the different questions that curious children are likely to ask. This version uses ‘MRS GREN’ as the guide, but you may adapt it for MRS NERG or whatever format you prefer.