Living, Dead & Never Alive
Explore and compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive
Lesson
Set out your lesson
“Living, Dead & Never Alive means sorting: living things grow and need things; dead things were once living; never-alive things like rock or plastic were never living. We will sort examples, explain one reason each, then check a fresh item.”
Bring to the table
- Picture cards or real items: plant/pet photo (living), dry leaf or wooden stick (once living/dead), rock and plastic spoon (never alive)
- Three labels: Living / Dead / Never alive
Extra for the adult
Worked example. A houseplant is living. A dry fallen leaf is dead (once living). A rock was never alive.
Optional challenge. For Living, Dead & Never Alive, sort a wooden spoon (dead/once living material) vs plastic spoon (never alive) and defend both.
What to notice. Keep one parent note: sorts; reasons; support used. This session samples the three groups, not mastery of every edge case.
Share and support
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Teaching approaches
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2 approaches
Living, Dead & Never Alive means sorting: living things grow and need things; dead things were once living; never-alive things like rock or plastic were never living. We will sort examples, explain one reason each, then check a fresh item.
Spend about 12 minutes sorting living, dead, and never-alive things with reasons, then checking a new item.
Classify living, dead and never-alive examples using life processes rather than movement alone.
Classify living, dead and never-alive examples using life processes rather than movement alone.
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, dead & never alive practice
Sort living, dead, and never-alive things with a reason.
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.
PhET Interactive Simulations · Practice link — not the full lesson
Natural Selection
Before you open · source notes
Natural Selection supports hands-on exploration for Living, Dead & Never Alive. Not every lab worksheet.
Free interactive page, no sign-in required for the tested path.
Before you openAsk the learner what they changed in the sim or page and what they observed.
Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.
Source, access and review notes
Public PhET Interactive Simulations 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.
PhET Interactive Simulations. “Natural Selection.” External page; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute materials.
Unknown — link only
Check understanding
- Sort a collection of objects into three groups: living, dead (was once alive), never alive
- Give reasons for each sorting decision (e.g. 'the leaf was on a tree so it was alive once')
- List characteristics of living things such as growing, breathing, reproducing, and moving
“If you show your child a rock, a fallen leaf, and a caterpillar, can they tell you which is alive, which was once alive, and which was never alive?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Ecosystems & Habitats
- Age range
- Ages 6–9
Standards