Download Living and Non-Living Things: An Cognitive Lesson Plan on

Living and Non-Living Things:
An Cognitive Lesson Plan on Classifying Living and Non-Living Things
Student Learning Objective
Students will identify living and non-living things in the environment and this
knowledge will stick in students’ long-term memory (and enable them to transfer
it to and maintain it in working memory when needed).
Grade Level 3rd
Step 1 – Hook
Perception is the process of detecting a stimulus and assigning meaning to it and
is constructed based on both physical representations form the world and our existing
knowledge. To first gage the student’s perception of what living and non-living things
are, assign the students into small groups and give them each a stack of laminated cards –
on each card will be a picture of either a living or non-living thing. Ask the students to
sort the cards into the categories of what they think is a living or a non-living thing. After
some time, bring students back to the board and show them that you have the same cards,
only bigger, and together you will sort them into the categories together to check their
work. The students will be more ready to focus their attention on the answers because
they will want to know if their answers are correct or incorrect. Only after their attention
is focused on the stimuli can they prepare to transfer the information from their sensory
memory, or the system that holds sensory information very briefly to their working
memory, or the information that you are focusing on at a given moment.
Step 2 – Instruction
To transfer the knowledge about non-living and living things from the working
memory to the long-term memory use these three strategies: concept mapping and
acronyms.
Concept mapping is a student’s diagram of his or her understanding of a concept.
Once the pictures are sorted into the correct places on the board, ask students to list
characteristics of living things and those of non-living things and record it in a table like
the one below.
Living
Non-Living
Draw a Venn Diagram on the board (see below for example) and label one side
“Living Things” and the other “Non-Living Things.” Put the characteristics from the
“Living things” side of the table into the corresponding circle on the Venn Diagram and
do the same for Non-Living things. This will help students to connect the concept into
their web of related schematic knowledge as they diagram their understanding of this
concept. Through the use of the Venn Diagram, students will have more of a declarative
knowledge because they will understand “that” living things fall into a certain category
but they do not understand yet “why.”
Acronym is a technique for remembering names, phrases, or steps by using the
first letter of each word to form a new, memorable word. Once the characteristics are
listed in the Venn Diagram, write the acronym MRS. GREN on the board and explain
that all living things have these characteristics in common.
M = Movement
R = Respiration/Breathing
S = Sensitivity
G = Growth
R = Reproduction
E = Excretion
N = Nutrition
This acronym will help students retain the information in their long-term memory because
several now they have less information to recall from their long-term memory – rather
than recalling all 7 characteristics, they need only to remember one word: MRS. GREN.
This will help prevent the decay, or the weakening or fading of memories with the
passage of time, because there is a simple way to remember the characteristics of Living
Things. Also, through the use of the acronym, students will have a more Procedural
Knowledge because they understand “why” Living Things are considering living and they
will be able to use this knowledge to identify with confidence when things are living or
non-living.
Step 3 – Practice
Elaborative Rehearsal is keeping information in working memory by associating
it with something else you already know. It involves connecting the information you are
trying to remember with something you already know. Once the students understand the
concept, it is important for them to practice and keep it in their working memory. By
singing this song to the tune of “Frere Jacques,” students will be able to rehearse or
practice their newly acquired knowledge and will remember because of the fun
activity/song that they learned to go along with it.
Sing this response song to the tune of "Frere Jacques." Sing the same living or
nonliving thing in every blank for each verse (pencil, cat, rose, table, rock,
beans):
Teacher:
Are you living?
Are you living?
You're a _____.
You're a _____.
Student:
I am (living/nonliving).
I am (living/nonliving).
I'm a _____.
I'm a _____.