Identify traits of living things

Objectives:  Life 1, Life 2, Life 3; Inquiry 5, Inquiry 6, Inquiry 7

  1. Students work in teams to generate a list of traits shared by living things. Using an image of a mystery object in a box is a helpful prompt. The instructor then validates and formalizes the list to summarize the characteristics of life. (Life 1, Life 2, Life 3)

  1. Apply the list that was generated to evaluate if certain things (fire, seeds, food, amoeba, etc.) are living or not. Focus on carbon dioxide production (respiration) as a characteristic of a living thing (Life 2). Students design an experiment to determine if an item (e.g., popcorn kernels) is alive. A setup with a Vernier CO2 probe could be used in the classroom and data collected for 24 hours (minimum), or the data can be provided (Inquiry 5). Graphs can be drawn as an in class or homework assignment, or provided for interpretation (Inquiry 6, Inquiry 7). An alternate hypothesis could also be explored (that something microscopic on the item in question is alive and produces carbon dioxide), and additional experiment(s) designed to test the alternate hypothesis (Inquiry 5).

Defining life and death in different ways

Objective:  Life 4

  1. Group discussion or short lecture about the Charlie Gard (baby in the UK with mitochondrial depletion syndrome), to illustrate the many ways life can be defined, and the importance of these different definitions. (Life 4)