Is It Alive?
A Look at Plants and Animals
60 Minute Life Science Lesson
Classroom and Gallery Program
Grades: PreK-Kindergarten
TEACHER GUIDE
Is It Alive? A Look at Plants and Animals
Description
Objectives
Students will be introduced to the scientific
criteria used to determine if something is
living, once living or never living. The
concepts of real or pretend will also be
discussed. Students will observe a living
plant and animal in the classroom. A short
tour to visit some creatures living at the
Museum will complete each program.

Discuss the qualities and needs of
living objects.

Contrast living, once living and never
living objects.

Explore the concept of fantasy vs
reality and the role of imagination.
Ohio’s Learning Standards
Pre-Kindergarten: Inquiry – Science Inquiry and Application
 Make careful observations.
 Engage in simple investigations.
Pre-Kindergarten: Life Science – Exploration of Living Things
 Identify characteristics and simple behaviors of living things
 Explore the relationship between living things and their environment
 Demonstrate knowledge of body parts and bodily processes in humans and other
animals
 Demonstrate that living things change over time (e.g., life cycle)
Kindergarten: Life Science – Physical and Behavioral Traits of Living Things
 Living things are different from nonliving things.
 Living things have physical traits and behaviors which influence their survival.
Produced and published by the Education Division
1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106 7/20/16
Before Your Museum Visit
If this will be your first trip to the Museum for your students, you may want to review the following:




What is a Museum?
What is our purpose for visiting The Cleveland Museum of Natural History?
How should we handle objects at the Museum?
Introduce the vocabulary and additional resources provided below.
Vocabulary
animal – an eating, breathing organism with a nervous system
artificial – made by humans; may or may not resemble an actual living organism
creature – a living being, especially an animal
dead – no longer living
fake – something made to look like something else on purpose; can be false or misleading
fantasy – an imagined object, event or sequence of fanciful images
imagination – the ability to form images and ideas in the mind; especially things never seen or
experienced directly
imaginary – having existence only in the imagination; unreal
living – organisms that grow, reproduce, use air, use energy, are composed of cells and can
change or react to their environment
man-made – objects made by people; could be made of materials from once-living or never-living
objects
model – a carefully made representation of another object, sometimes a different size than the
original
non-living – lacking the characteristics of a living organism
pretend – not real; make believe or fake
real – actual, not fake, imaginary or pretend; “real” does not necessarily mean alive
science – knowledge of the physical world gained through observation and experimentation
Produced and published by the Education Division
1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106 7/20/16
Extension Activities
1. Read stories about animals. Recognize that sometimes animals are given human
characteristics: e.g. talking animals, dancing flowers.
2. Caring for a classroom plant or animal helps students understand that living organisms
have needs that must be met for continued life.
3. Find and discuss the creatures found in books, television, video games, movies or art.
Online Resources for Teachers and Students
Click the link below to find additional online resources for teachers and students. These websites
are recommended by our Museum Educators and provide additional content information and
some fun, interactive activities to share with your class.
CMNH Educators regularly review these links for quality. Web addresses often change so please
notify us if any links have issues.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History https://cmnh.org/edlinks
Produced and published by the Education Division
1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106 7/20/16
Educator Resource Center (ERC)
Materials for Loan
The Educator Resource Center offers
educator workshops, thematic teaching
kits, animal dioramas, and more for loan to
area teachers.
Contact the ERC at 216-231-2075 for
information on individual or school
membership.
Visit the Museum’s ERC website for more
information on workshops
https://www.cmnh.org/ERC
If you’re interested in additional resources
be sure to check out the following ERC
materials or browse ERC materials online at
http://cmnh.hosting.l4u.com
Related ERC kits for this topic include:
Introduction to Inquiry: Life Science: Use
inquiry to engage young scientists in 5
exciting, hands-on learning centers!
Students will explore the differences
between vertebrates and invertebrates by
studying bone samples, pictures, x-rays, and
real specimens. Books and extension
activity ideas are also included.
Hours
o Monday through Friday, 1 to 5 PM
o Wednesday, 1 to 6 PM
o Saturday, 9 AM to 2 PM
Produced and published by the Education Division
1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106 7/20/16