Tiered task

Tier 1: Structured Inquiry

This tier contains foundational concepts with structured activity.

Students are to cut out pictures of various things that are both living
and non-living and place them into a table labelled living and nonliving (see appendix 2). Underneath living items students are to
write, this is living because Students are encouraged to use the
word wall and their copy of the Explorers journal to complete their
labelling.
Ask students:
- How can we tell if it is living?
- When we want to find something living what do we look for?
- When we want to find something non-living what do we look for?
Students complete the What makes it living? sheet, by ticking or
crossing the features of each specimen, and also only circling the
relevant features that describe whether a specimen is living or nonliving (Appendix 3),
In all activities students can work individually or in partners.

Tier 2: Guided Inquiry

Using the explorers journal observe Specimen 1 and ask students

to consider the claim it is living (appendix 4). Allow the students to
consider an answer as agree, disagree or unsure and allow
students to explain why.
Continue with specimen 2 and 3 (appendix 5 & 6), considering
claims such as it is not living, it was living, etc.
Students then create their own explorers journal for 2 specimen that
they saw during the class walk in the previous lesson, one living and
one non living (appendix 7)
Students complete the What makes it living? sheet, by ticking or
crossing the features of each specimen, and also only circling the
relevant features that describe whether a specimen is living or nonliving. And also add one of their own features to the list, and at least
3 of their own specimen.

Tier 3: Open Inquiry

Using Specimen 1 ask students to consider the claim it is living.

Allow the students to consider an answer as agree, disagree or
unsure and allow students to explain why (appendix 5 and 6)
Continue with further specimens, considering claims such as it is
not living, it was living, etc.
Introduce the use of new words, and ask them to write new words
and meanings in their science journal. Introduce and discuss the key
terms such as:

- Respiration
- Sensitivity
- Reproduction
- Excretion
- Nutrition
Students then fill in their own Explorers Journal sheet (appendix 7),
for 2 specimen that they saw during the class walk in the previous
lesson, one living and one non living. They are encouraged to use
these new Science words when labelling and describing why the
specimen is living/non-living.
Students make their own What makes it living? sheet, by
identifying features relevant to finding out if a specimen is
living/non-living. Students choose at least 5 specimen and 5
relevant features, crossing or ticking where it applies to each
animal.