Living Things Vocabulary
Name and use vocabulary for what makes something living — alive, dead, never been alive, movement, nutrition, growth, reproduction, sensitivity, excretion — and apply these terms when classifying objects and explaining why plants and animals count as living things
Lesson
Set out your lesson
“Living Things Vocabulary means using living-things words to classify objects and explain why plants and animals are alive. We will practise once together, then check a fresh example.”
Bring to the table
- Word cards: alive, dead, never been alive, movement, nutrition, growth
- Sort objects: plant, animal, rock, toy
Extra for the adult
Worked example. A cat is alive — it moves and grows. A rock was never alive. Plants are living things too.
Optional challenge. For Living Things Vocabulary, use growth or nutrition for a plant.
What to notice. Keep one parent note: words used; objects sorted; support used. This session samples living vocabulary, not mastery of biology terms.
Share and support
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Teaching approaches
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1 approach
Living Things Vocabulary means using living-things words to classify objects and explain why plants and animals are alive. We will practise once together, then check a fresh example.
Spend about 12 minutes sorting alive/dead/never-alive, using two life words, then checking a fresh object.
Family records and proof options
Keep a record of your learning
Save photos, notes, and attendance. Export a proof packet for compliance or portfolio reviews.
Practice this concept
Start practiceLiving Things Vocabulary practice
Use alive, dead, never been alive, and life-process words.
Free · no login · no ads · Practice answers and completion are not saved. Parent observation remains the lesson record.
Learning resources
Extra practice links — they do not replace Gakuva’s teaching approach.
NASA Climate Kids · Practice link — not the full lesson
Plants and Animals
Before you open · source notes
Plants and Animals supports Living Things Vocabulary. An adult previews and guides; this is a learning page, not a scored quiz.
Free educational page, no sign-in required for the tested path.
Before you openAsk the learner one fact they learned and one question they still have.
Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.
Source, access and review notes
Public NASA Climate Kids page. An anonymous GET on 2026-11-12 returned HTTP 200 with no login or payment prompt for this URL. Opening the link does not save practice or assess mastery. An adult should preview and guide the learner.
NASA Climate Kids. “Plants and Animals.” External page; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute materials.
Unknown — link only
Check understanding
- Correctly classify objects as living, dead, or never been alive and give a reason using one of the life process terms
- Name at least five life processes using the correct vocabulary
- Explain why a plant is alive using at least two life process words
“Can your child explain why a rock is not alive but a weed is — using a science word like 'nutrition' or 'growth' rather than just saying 'it moves'?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Language
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Organisms & Life Processes
- Age range
- Ages 5–9
Standards