Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v3 - Primary 1
Living Things
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Living Things
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Nigeria 2025 app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Basic Science
Class: Primary 1
Term: 3rd Term
Week: 1
Theme: Living And Non Living Things
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Watch on YouTubeIdentify self as a living thing Identify other living things in the classroom, school and at home
Definition of Living Things: Living things are entities that possess certain characteristics that distinguish them from non-living things (like stones, tables, water). For Primary 1, the explanation should be simple and focused on observable traits. Characteristics of Living Things (Simplified for Primary 1): Teachers should explain these characteristics using simple language and practical examples relevant to children's experiences.
They Grow: Living things start small and get bigger over time.
Explanation: A baby grows into a child, then an adult. A small yam seedling grows into a big yam plant with tubers. A tiny chick grows into a big hen or cock. Nigerian
Example: Observe a child growing, compare a small puppy to a large dog, or a young maize plant to a mature one.
They Move: Living things can move from one place to another on their own, or parts of them can move.
Explanation: People walk, run, and play. Animals like goats and chickens walk around. Plants do not move from place to place, but their leaves can turn towards sunlight, and flowers can open and close. Nigerian
Example: A child running to school, a goat grazing, the leaves of a sunflower turning towards the sun.
They Eat/Feed: Living things need food to grow and get energy.
Explanation: Humans eat food like rice, beans, or garri. Animals eat grass, leaves, or other small animals. Plants make their own food using sunlight. Nigerian
Example: A child eating rice and stew, a cow eating grass, a teacher watering a plant in the classroom.
They Breathe: Living things take in and give out air.
Explanation: People breathe in and out through their nose and mouth. Animals also breathe. Plants breathe through tiny holes in their leaves. Nigerian
Example: Students can feel their chest move up and down as they breathe. Observe a pet dog panting.
They Produce Young Ones (Reproduce): Living things can have babies or produce seeds that grow into new plants.
Explanation: A mother gives birth to a baby. A hen lays eggs which hatch into chicks. A mango seed grows into a new mango tree. Nigerian
Example: A mother with her baby, a hen with her chicks, planting a bean seed and observing it sprout.
They Respond to Change: Living things react to things around them.
Explanation: If it's too hot, you sweat. If you touch something hot, you quickly pull your hand away. Plants wilt when they don't get enough water. Nigerian
Example: A student feeling cold and hugging themselves, a plant wilting after a long dry season.
Connecting to Performance Objectives: "Identify self as a living thing": The teacher should guide students to recognize that they possess all these characteristics – they grow, move, eat, breathe, reproduce (will later), and respond. "Identify other living things in the classroom, school and at home": The teacher will lead students to observe and apply these characteristics to objects and beings in their environment.
In the Classroom: The students themselves, the teacher, any class pets (if available, e.g., a small fish), potted plants.
In the School: Other students, other teachers, school gardener, security guard, trees, flowers, grass, ants, lizards, birds, school pets (dog, cat, chicken if any).
At Home: Family members (parents, siblings), domestic animals (dog, cat, goat, chicken), planted crops (yam, maize, vegetables), trees (mango, cashew).
Non-Living Things (Brief Contrast): Briefly mention that non-living things (e.g., tables, chairs, stones, books, water) do not possess these characteristics. They do not grow, move on their own, eat, breathe, or produce young ones. This helps solidify the understanding of living things by contrast.
Materials: Pictures of living things (humans, animals, plants) and non-living things (table, stone, car). Actual potted plant or flower in the classroom. Access to the school compound for outdoor observation. Chart showing characteristics of living things (simple illustrations).
A. Teacher Activities: Introduction and Review (5 minutes): The teacher begins by asking questions about things students see around them daily. "What do you see in the classroom?" (e.g., chairs, tables, books, students, teacher). "What do you see outside the classroom?" (e.g., trees, cars, stones, other children, birds). Introduce the idea that some of these things are "living" and some are "non-living".
Explanation of Living Things (15 minutes): The teacher uses simple language to explain what living things are, focusing on the simplified characteristics: "Living things grow." (Show a picture of a baby and an adult, or a seedling and a big plant). "Living things move." (Demonstrate walking, ask students to wriggle fingers). "Living things eat food." (Ask students what they ate for breakfast, show picture of a goat eating grass). "Living things breathe." (Guide students to feel their own breath). "Living things have babies." (Show picture of a mother and child, a hen and chicks). The teacher emphasizes that if something does all these things, it is a living thing. If it does not, it is a non-living thing.
Self-Identification (5 minutes): The teacher guides students to identify themselves as living things. "Do you grow? (Yes!)" "Can you move? (Yes!)" "Do you eat? (Yes!)" "Do you breathe? (Yes!)" Conclude: "So, are you a living thing? (Yes!)" Classroom Observation (10 minutes): The teacher directs students to look around the classroom. "What living things do you see in our classroom?" The teacher points to a potted plant and asks: "Is this plant a living thing? Why?" (It grows, it needs water/food, etc.). The teacher identifies themselves as a living thing.
School Compound Exploration (15 minutes): The teacher takes students on a short, supervised walk around the school compound. During the walk, the teacher points out various items and asks: "Is this a living thing or a non-living thing?" (e.g., a tree, a stone, a flower, a lizard, another student, a school building). The teacher encourages students to explain their answers based on the characteristics discussed.
Discussion and Reinforcement (5 minutes): Back in the classroom, the teacher facilitates a brief discussion: "What living things did we see in the school compound?" "What living things do you see at home?" (This connects to the "at home" objective). The teacher uses flashcards or pictures of living and non-living things, asking students to identify them.
B. Student Activities: Participation in Discussions: Students answer questions about things around them.
Self-Reflection: Students actively participate in identifying themselves as living things by answering "Yes" to questions about characteristics.
Observation: Students actively look around the classroom and school compound to identify living things.
Identification: Students point to and name living things in the classroom and school.
Reasoning: Students attempt to explain why something is a living thing using simple characteristics.
Sharing: Students share examples of living things they see at home. The teacher should facilitate these questions orally, encouraging students to explain their reasoning.
Question 1: Look at yourself. Are you a living thing? How do you know?
Worked Solution: Yes, I am a living thing. I know because I can grow bigger, I can move (like walking and playing), I eat food to get energy, and I breathe air.
Commentary: This question directly addresses the first performance objective. The focus is on the student's self-awareness and ability to apply the learned characteristics to themselves. The teacher should guide them to list at least two characteristics.
Question 2: Point to two living things you can see right now in our classroom.
Worked Solution: The teacher (or any other student). The potted plant near the window.
Commentary: This targets the second objective. The teacher should ensure students physically point and name. If there are no plants, encourage students to name other students or the teacher.
Question 3: Imagine you are at home. Name two living things you might see in your house or compound.
Worked Solution: My mother/father/brother/sister (any family member). My pet dog/cat/chicken (or a mango tree/yam plant in the compound).
Commentary: This addresses the "at home" part of the second objective. It assesses their ability to recall and apply the concept to a familiar, everyday environment. The teacher can accept any two valid examples.
A. Differentiation and Remediation (For struggling learners): Visual Aids: Use more pictures, flashcards, and real objects (e.g., a small plant, a toy animal) to illustrate living and non-living things.
Simplified Language: Break down complex characteristics into very simple phrases and repeat them frequently.
One-on-One Support: The teacher spends extra time with struggling learners during activity sessions, guiding them physically to point out living things and prompting them with questions.
Pair Work: Pair a struggling learner with a stronger peer to encourage peer learning and verbal interaction.
Focused Observation: Instead of looking for many living things, ask them to focus on just one living thing and name one characteristic it has (e.g., "This plant grows").
B. Extension (For high-achieving learners): Categorization: Challenge them to categorize the living things they identified into "plants" and "animals." More Characteristics: Ask them to think of other ways living things are different from non-living things (e.g., 'respond to touch' - like a touch-me-not plant, or 'get rid of waste').
Drawing and Labeling: Encourage them to draw a living thing and label its characteristics (e.g., a child eating, a plant growing).
Observation Log: Ask them to keep a simple "Living Things Log" for a day, noting down 3-5 different living things they see and one thing each does.
Food Sources and Agriculture: Students learn that the yams, cassava, rice, fruits (like mangoes and oranges), and meat (like chicken, goat, beef) they eat come from living things (plants and animals). This connects to the agricultural practices common in many Nigerian communities and the importance of farming.
Environmental Care and Conservation: Understanding that plants and animals are living things helps students appreciate the need to care for them. This can be integrated by discussing why we should not cut down trees unnecessarily, why we should not hurt animals, and why we should water plants. This promotes early environmental awareness, relevant to Nigeria's diverse ecosystems.
Personal Health and Growth: By identifying themselves as living things that grow, eat, and move, students can understand the importance of healthy eating, exercise, and personal hygiene for their own growth and well-being. This reinforces basic health education for young Nigerian learners.