Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 4

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify five characteristics of living things.
• Classify objects as living or non-living.
• Explain why water, soil and sunlight are important for life.
• Give local South African examples of living and non-living things.

Lesson summary

This week, we're embarking on an exciting journey to understand the difference between things that are alive (living things) and things that are not alive (non-living things). This is important because everything around us falls into one of these two categories. Understanding this distinction helps us appreciate the incredible diversity of our environment, from the smallest ant crawling on a pavement in Soweto to the majestic Drakensberg mountains. It also helps us understand how to take care of our world and its resources, especially the living things that depend on a healthy environment.

Lesson notes

What are Living Things? Living things are organisms that have the ability to perform certain activities that non-living things cannot. These activities are often called the characteristics of life. Here are some key characteristics that most living things share: Movement: Living things can move, even if it's just a small movement, like a plant turning its leaves towards the sun. A cheetah running across the savanna is a clear example of movement, but so is a sunflower following the sun across the sky. Even roots of a tree growing downwards through the soil is movement.

Respiration: Living things need energy to do everything. Respiration is the process of using oxygen to release energy from food. Animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants also respire, using oxygen to break down food (sugars) they've made. While they also use carbon dioxide to make food during photosynthesis, it is important to remember that plants also respire.

Sensitivity: Living things can sense and respond to changes in their environment. For example, if you touch a hot stove, you quickly pull your hand away. Plants can sense sunlight and grow towards it. A dog might bark when it hears an unfamiliar sound.

Growth: Living things get bigger and develop over time. A tiny seed grows into a large tree. A baby chick grows into a chicken.

Reproduction: Living things can produce more of their own kind. A hen lays eggs that hatch into chicks. A mother cat gives birth to kittens. Plants can reproduce through seeds or other methods.

Excretion: Living things need to get rid of waste products. Animals excrete waste through urine and faeces. Plants get rid of waste through their leaves.

Nutrition: Living things need to take in nutrients (food) to provide energy for growth and repair. Animals get their nutrition by eating plants or other animals. Plants make their own food through photosynthesis. What are Non-Living Things? Non-living things are things that do not have the characteristics of life. They don't move on their own, they don't respire, they don't grow, they don't reproduce, they don't need nutrition and they don't excrete. Non-living things can be natural, like rocks and water, or man-made, like cars and buildings.

Examples of Non-Living Things: Rocks, water, air, soil, buildings, cars, tables, chairs, clothes, the sun and the moon. Important Non-Living Things for Living Things Some non-living things are essential for living things to survive.

These include: Water: All living things need water to survive. Plants need water for photosynthesis. Animals need water for drinking and for many bodily processes. In South Africa, access to clean water is a very important issue, and we need to be careful about how we use water.

Soil: Plants need soil to grow. Soil provides them with nutrients and support. Soil also provides a home for many animals, like earthworms and moles.

Sunlight: Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis, the process of making their own food.

Air: Living things, particularly animals, need air to breathe. Air also helps with weather patterns, which affect living things in many ways.

Examples in South Africa: Living Things: Baobab tree, Lion, Sugarbird, Aloe plant, Hadeda Ibis.

Non-Living Things: Table Mountain, the Atlantic Ocean, a brick, a cellphone, a classroom desk. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Is a river a living or non-living thing? Explain your answer.

Solution: A river is a non-living thing. While water is essential for life, the river itself does not possess the characteristics of life: it doesn't grow, respire, reproduce, or excrete waste. It is made up of water, which is a non-living substance.

Question 2: Give two reasons why a dog is considered a living thing.

Solution: A dog is a living thing because it exhibits multiple characteristics of life.

Two key reasons are: 1) It needs nutrition (food and water) to survive and grow, and 2) it can move independently (run, walk, play).

Question 3: Imagine you find a seed in your garden. Is it a living or non-living thing? Explain.

Solution: A seed is a living thing, although it may appear dormant (inactive). It contains a tiny plant embryo and, under the right conditions (water, warmth), it will germinate and grow. It has the potential to grow, reproduce, and exhibit all the other characteristics of life.

Question 4: Categorize the following items as living or non-living: a rock, a cat, a bicycle, a tree, and the air.

Solution: Rock: Non-living Cat: Living Bicycle: Non-living Tree: Living Air: Non-living Independent Practice (Questions Only) List five differences between living and non-living things. Explain why a car is not considered a living thing, even though it can move. Name three non-living things that plants need to survive. Think of an animal found in South Africa. Describe how it exhibits at least three characteristics of living things. Is fire a living thing? Explain your answer using the characteristics of life.