Brief Description

This lesson is designed for kindergarten students who are learning to distinguish living things from non-living things. This lesson combines classroom discussion and collaborative decision making with the use of the KidPix drawing program.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 2T-R1.  Work cooperatively and collaboratively when using technology in the classroom.

• 4SC-R1.  Distinguish living things from non-living things.

Academic

• Students will develop a definition of living things and non-living things.  Students will create an original picture identifying living things and one identifying non-living things.  Students will justify their choices to the teacher and the class.

• Students will work cooperatively and collaboratively in the computer lab by taking turns and respecting each others work as they work in pairs to create two original pictures with a computer drawing program.

• Students should be able to use KidPix or another drawing program.  They should know how to use the drawing tools, the stamping tools and add their names to the picture.

Classroom discussion:

• several large pieces of paper for class charts
• several pictures each of living and non-living things
• a live plant
• a picture of a plant
• assessment rubric

• computers equipped with KidPix or another drawing program appropriate for kindergarten students
• Averkey or projector

Expectations for students in this project will vary according to needs.  More time will be given to students who need it.  They will be able to work on the pictures on the classroom computers.  A few students will need to verbalize their thoughts first.  I will discuss their picture choices with them and ask them key questions to help them understand and complete the project.  ESL students will work with a primary English speaker or a bilingual student if possible.  Gifted students will be encouraged to add words or descriptions to their pictures.

Procedures

Day1

1. Show the children a real plant and an artificial plant.  Ask the students to tell you the differences between the two plants?  Make a list on chart paper of the differences they name.  Be sure to ask them to explain their answers.
2. Children may not mention that one is alive and one is not.  Try to ask leading questions if they are not coming up with this on their own.  For example, “Do I need to water both of these plants?  Why or why not?  Do both of these plants need sunlight? Will both of these plants grow?”
3. Once children identify that one plant is living and one is not, tell them you are going to show them pictures of things and you want them to think and tell you if they are living or non-living things.
4. Teacher should hold up one picture at a time.  Give children time to think.  Have them buddy buzz with their partners (either pre-assigned partners or the person next to them), then call on one pair to tell you if it is a living or non-living thing.  Ask them if they can tell you why they chose their answer.  Encourage children to use complete sentences to describe what makes a thing living or non-living.
5. The teacher should separate the cards on the chalkboard ledge into living and non-living as children classify them.  Make sure to have the class verify the answers.  Ask the class to agree or disagree with the answer given.
6. Conclude this activity by reviewing the two groups of pictures as the children have classified them.


Day 2
 

1. Review the groups of pictures the children classified the day before.  Ask them to tell you which group is living and which group is non-living.
2. Tell the students that today they will be coming up with definitions for the words living and non-living.  (In my classroom the children know that we need to know what a word means from our reading vocabulary each week.  Try to explain word meanings to your class before you begin this part of the lesson.)
3. Ask the children to think about what the living pictures have in common and what the non-living pictures have in common.  Have them buddy buzz with their partners.
4. Write the words living and non-living on a T chart.  Ask the children to give you their ideas.  Write all ideas on the chart.  If some are incorrect you can go back later and do a check for understanding.
5. The main ideas you want to focus on are:  living things have needs like food and water; living things move or grow on their own; living things can die.
6. After the class has come up with many ideas, go back through the chart and check for understanding.  Make sure all of the information is correct.  If there is some incorrect information clarify or ask further questions if you feel children can clarify for themselves.
7. Then take a new piece of chart paper and write out the definitions the children have come up with.  Read the definitions together as a class.


Day 3

1. Today is the day to go to the computer lab.  Before going to the lab have each child paired up with another student.
2. Explain to the class that in the lab today they will be making two KidPix pictures.  The first one will be a picture of only living things.  Students will use the stamping tool to locate pictures.Take a few minutes to review the definition that the class wrote for a living thing.  The second will be to make a picture of a non-living thing.  Again, review the definition from the day before.  Demonstrate on the Averkey in the classroom or in the lab a sample picture.  Use the think aloud strategy as you are demonstrating.  “Hmmm, I think I will add a dog to my living things picture because a dog needs food and water to live, it grows and it can die.  OK, a dog must be a living thing.”
3. In the lab, monitor the work of the teams.  Be sure to question each pair.  Ask them to justify their choices.
4. Each pair will print out their final products.


Day 4
 

1. Today will be the day for students to share their products with their classmates.  This can be done in a couple of different ways.  You can have each group share their pictures with the class and explain why they chose each selection for living and non-living.  Or you can meet with each group and go through the pictures together.  I find a combination of the two methods works best for assessment purposes.

I use day 4 for my assessment day.  I ask a group who wants to share to come up and show one of their pictures.  I will ask them to show the class 2 items from their pictures and explain why they are either living or non-living.  This gives everyone who wants a chance to come in front of the group an opportunity, without taking too long.

Then, during center time I will call each group over and go through their pictures more carefully.  I will ask them specific questions to assess their understanding of living and non-living things.  Please see the rubric for questions.  I will keep these rubrics in their class files.  I will also adjust my future lessons accordingly.