Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 4

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Objective 1: Identify and classify at least five examples each of living and non-living things found in a typical South African environment (e.g., garden, schoolyard, park).
• Objective 2: Describe the basic characteristics that distinguish living things from non-living things, including the ability to grow, reproduce, respire (breathe), move, and respond to stimuli.
• Objective 3: Explain how living things depend on non-living things for survival, providing at least three specific examples.
• Objective 4: Conduct a simple experiment to demonstrate how a living thing responds to a stimulus (e.g., a plant growing towards light).
• Objective 5: Communicate the differences between living and non-living things clearly using appropriate scientific vocabulary.

Lesson summary

This week, we delve deeper into the fascinating world around us by exploring the difference between living and non-living things. Understanding this difference is crucial because it helps us appreciate the complex web of life and our place within it. In South Africa, where we have such a rich diversity of plants and animals, and where we depend so much on the natural environment for our livelihoods, it's vital to understand how living things interact with their non-living surroundings to survive. Knowing this allows us to make informed decisions about how to protect our environment and use its resources sustainably.

Lesson notes

What are Living Things? Living things are organisms that exhibit certain characteristics that distinguish them from non-living things. These characteristics are essential for survival. Let's explore these characteristics in detail: Movement: Living things can move, although the type and amount of movement can vary greatly. Animals move actively (running, flying, swimming), while plants move more slowly (e.g., a flower turning towards the sun, roots growing downwards). Even microscopic organisms like bacteria can move using tiny structures called flagella.

Respiration: Living things need energy to do everything they do. Respiration is the process by which living things obtain energy from food. This process usually involves taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide (like when we breathe). Plants also respire, but they also photosynthesize (more on that later).

Sensitivity: Living things can detect and respond to changes in their environment. These changes are called stimuli (singular: stimulus). Examples of stimuli include light, temperature, touch, sound, and chemicals. For instance, if you touch a hot stove, you quickly pull your hand away – that's a response to the stimulus of heat. Plants might bend towards a light source.

Growth: Living things increase in size or complexity over time. A small seed grows into a large tree, and a baby grows into an adult. Non-living things do not grow in this way. They might become bigger if something is added to them, but they don't grow from within.

Reproduction: Living things can produce new individuals of their kind. Humans have babies, dogs have puppies, and plants produce seeds that can grow into new plants. This ensures that the species continues to exist.

Excretion: Living things get rid of waste products that are produced during various processes. We get rid of waste through sweating, urinating, and defecating. Plants get rid of waste through their leaves.

Nutrition: Living things need food to provide them with energy and the materials they need to grow and repair themselves. Animals obtain nutrition by eating other organisms (plants or animals), while plants make their own food through a process called photosynthesis. What are Non-Living Things? Non-living things do not possess the characteristics of living things mentioned above. They do not grow, reproduce, respire, move on their own, respond to stimuli in the same way, excrete, or require nutrition. Examples of non-living things include rocks, water, air, soil, sunlight, and buildings. How Living Things Depend on Non-Living Things: Living things cannot survive without non-living things.

Here are some examples: Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis: Plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce their own food (glucose) and oxygen. Without sunlight, plants cannot make food and will eventually die. This is why plants in dark rooms often wither.

Animals need water to drink: All animals need water to survive. Water helps transport nutrients and remove waste products from the body. In South Africa, access to clean water is a significant issue, impacting human health and agriculture.

Animals and plants need air to breathe: Animals need oxygen in the air to respire and release energy from food. Plants need carbon dioxide from the air for photosynthesis.

Living things need soil to grow in: Soil provides plants with the support and nutrients they need to grow. Different types of soil (e.g., sandy, clayey) support different types of plants.

Living things need shelter: Many animals depend on non-living things to create shelter. Birds create nests using sticks, mud, and grass. Humans build houses from bricks, cement and other materials.

Example Scenarios: Scenario 1: A baobab tree in Limpopo. The baobab tree (living) needs sunlight (non-living) for photosynthesis, water (non-living) from the infrequent rains, and nutrients from the soil (non-living). Birds (living) build nests in its branches (non-living materials but part of a living thing), finding shelter (dependent on the tree) and consuming fruits (living).

Scenario 2: A herd of sheep grazing in the Karoo. The sheep (living) eat the grass (living), drink water (non-living) from a nearby stream, and breathe air (non-living). They also need shelter from the harsh sun, which may be provided by rocky outcrops (non-living).

Scenario 3: A child playing in a garden in Durban. The child (living) needs air (non-living) to breathe, water (non-living) to drink, and food (living or derived from living things). The child also needs sunlight (non-living) to stay healthy and play in the garden. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Classify the following items as living or non-living: a cat, a rock, a tree, water, a butterfly, a cellphone.

Solution: Cat: Living Rock: Non-living Tree: Living Water: Non-living Butterfly: Living Cellphone: Non-living

Commentary: This question tests the ability to identify common examples of living and non-living things.