Look at these two things on the table: a little plant and a toy car. Which one is alive? How do you know?

How can we tell if something is alive? We look for clues.

A non-living thing does not grow. It does not need food or water. It cannot move or change by itself.

We will use these three clues for everything we sort today.

At your table, look closely at five things from your tray: the plant, the stone, the toy car, the snail card and the plastic leaf card. Hold the real things gently, one at a time.

Check our clues. Does it grow? Does it need food and water? Can it move or change by itself?

Leave everything else on the tray for our sort.

Now sort your whole tray. Put living things in one hoop and non-living things in the other.

For each one, say which clue told you. Does it grow? Does it need food and water? Can it move or change by itself?

Your trays are sorted. Now let's check six new things with our three clues. Some of them can catch you out!

For each picture, we ask: Does it grow? Does it need food and water? Can it move or change by itself? If the answer is yes, yes and yes, it is living.

One of you drags the card into a group. Everyone else says if they agree, and why. When all six are sorted, we press Check.

On your Investigation Journal page, show your living group and your non-living group. Use the board sort and what you remember from your tray. Draw or write at least two things in each group.

Talk with the class. What clues helped us tell living from non-living? Can you name one living thing and one non-living thing still in our classroom?

Today we:

• Handled real things and photo cards carefully
• Sorted them into living and non-living groups
• Used clues such as growing and needing food and water
• Recorded our sort on the Investigation Journal page
• Spotted living and non-living things in our own classroom

Next time you notice something at school or home, ask: is it living or non-living, and how can I tell?