I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Models

Essential Question:

Why is the line between living and non-living things not always clearly defined?

Bridge:

“Living” Phrases

Content:

Living/Non-Living Things

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To have students think about the similarities and differences between living and non-living objects.

Activity: Students are assigned to bring to class one living and one non-living object. (Living objects must be contained in a humane environment and returned to their natural environment no later than the end of the school day.)

Assessment: Quality and diversity of objects brought in. Author's Note: This unit is taught within the first week of school. One incentive to encourage participation is by giving 10 homework points for the living and another 10 points for the non-living objects. An additional 10 points may be earned if the object is unique, that is, no other student in the class brought in the same type of object.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To have students observe and determine the attributes of living and non-living objects.

Activity: 1. Place students in groups of 4. 2. Each member of the group places his/her living object in the center of the table. After observing the 4 living objects in their group, a list of similarities found in all of the objects is compiled. Repeat this process for the non-living objects. 3. Each group shares their lists with the whole class. 4. One list of common attributes is compiled for the living objects and another list for the non-living objects.

Assessment: Quality of student involvement and lists of attributes.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To express in color and shape some common phrases associated with living and non-living things.

Activity: Using chart paper and colored markers, each group of students is instructed to select one of the following. They must illustrate their choice while incorporating the characteristics that were listed in Step Two.

• “Teeming with life.”
• “Living from hand to mouth.”
• “ A breath of life.”
• “Living on the edge.”
• “Fit for life.”
• “Living beyond your means.”
• “Nine Lives.”
• “Living the good life.”
• “Over my dead body.”
• “Dead as a door nail.”
• “In the dead of winter.”
• “Light of my life.”

Assessment: Quality of art work and discussion while sharing their impressions.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To provide students with the 'scientific ' interpretation of the characteristics/attributes of living things.

Activity: Teacher presents vocabulary and new information using lecture, demonstration, and discussion.

Assessment: Level of student interest and the quality of questions and comments.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: To have students practice the new information.

Activity: Assign reading from the text and appropriate questions for students to answer.

Assessment: Quality of student responses to text questions and grades on an objective test.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: To have students explore the fact that the line between living and non-living is not well defined.

Activity: Students are to select a topic from a list that contains the following choices to investigate and report on. They may work in groups of 3 and only one group may report on a given topic.

1. Are viruses considered to be living or non-living?

2. When does life begin for humans?

3. When does human life end?

4. Design and conduct an experiment that will show if radish seeds are alive or non-living according to the defined characteristics of life.

5. What are the issues associated with the use of tissue from aborted human fetuses for research and treatment of human conditions?

6. What are the issues associated with using organs for transplant from infants born with only a brain stem?

Assessment: Level of student participation and enthusiasm.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: Student will determine the modes of presentation they will use, assign tasks, and complete their projects.

Activity: Students will decide the method(s) to be used when presenting their findings. Some form of visual and oral presentation must be included.

Assessment: Monitoring of student progress and level of interest. Accuracy of content.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To celebrate the students new understanding of the significance and delicacy of life.

Activity: Students present their projects to the class. All presentations are video-taped. Appropriate presentations are placed in showcases, others may be presented to health classes or English classes as an example of the controversy in our world today over living vs. nonliving things.

Assessment: Creativity and accuracy of content in the presentations.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: