🔬 ScienceLevel 1Lesson 2
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Nonliving Things Around Us

How to use: Download the PDF to print the worksheet. Then use this page to repeat activities and check answers.

Learning Objectives

  • 1Identify nonliving things around you
  • 2Explain three reasons why they are not living
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Mini Lesson

Your home, your classroom, and your yard are full of nonliving things. Knowing how to spot them makes you a real scientist!

A nonliving thing does not grow

  • A table is the same size today as it was last year.
  • A shoe stays the same — it never gets bigger on its own.
  • Example: A window never grows taller.

A nonliving thing does not need food, water, or air

  • You can leave a spoon in a drawer for years — it will be fine.
  • A brick does not need a drink of water to survive.

A nonliving thing cannot make more of itself

  • A ball cannot make baby balls. A cup cannot make little cups.
  • Only living things can reproduce.

Some tricky ones to watch out for

  • Fire moves and uses oxygen — but it is nonliving. It cannot reproduce.
  • Water flows — but it is nonliving. It does not grow or need food.
  • Wood was once part of a living tree, but cut wood is nonliving.
Common nonliving objects in a classroomA desk, a chair, a book, and a window shown as nonliving objects with labels.Nonliving things around usdeskchairbookwindowNone of these grow, breathe, or have babies.
Common classroom objects — all nonliving.
The three NO test for nonliving thingsThree questions: Does it grow? Does it need food? Can it reproduce? All answered NO for nonliving things.The 3 NO testNODoes it grow on its own?A rock never gets bigger.NODoes it need food and water?A chair needs nothing to survive.NOCan it make more of itself?A ball cannot make baby balls.
If the answer is NO to all three — it is nonliving.
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Ask yourself: "Does it grow on its own? Does it need food and water? Can it make babies? If all three are NO — it is nonliving!"

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Guided Practice

Sketch two nonliving objects you can see in the room right now. Then use the Tracing Pad to practice the science words from this lesson.

Tracing Pad

Tip: If the answer to all three NOs is yes — it is nonliving!

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Exercises

Tap a word to select it, then tap a bucket to place it.

🌱 Living

🪨 Nonliving

1. Which of these is a nonliving thing?

2. Why is a table nonliving?

3. A shoe is nonliving because it cannot —

4. Water moves and flows. Is water living or nonliving?

5. What are the three checks that tell us something is nonliving?

6. A wooden chair was once part of a living tree. Is the chair living or nonliving?

7. Which sentence about a spoon is correct?

8. Which of these is living?

9. Fire moves and needs oxygen. Is fire living or nonliving?

10. Which sentence is true about all nonliving things?

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Assessment

Parent / Teacher Checklist

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