Living Things Lesson note

Subject: Basic Science
Class: JSS 1 (Grade 7)

Week two
Theme: Living and Non-Living Things
Topic:  Living Things
Sub-topic:

• Meaning of Living Things
• Characteristics of Living Things (MR. NIGER + CHAD)
• Identifying oneself as a living thing

Date: 22/09/2025
Duration: 40 minutes
Average Age: 10–12 years
Sex: Mixed
Teacher: Kingsley Thompson

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1. Instructional Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Define living things and mention two examples of living things. (Cognitive Domain – Knowledge – Lower Level)
2. Explain the characteristics of living things using the acronym MR. NIGER + CHAD. (Cognitive Domain – Understanding – Middle Level)
3. Classify different organisms or objects as living or non-living based on their characteristics. (Cognitive Domain – Analysis – Higher Level)
4. Justify why they, as humans, are considered living things, using the features discussed. (Affective Domain – Evaluation – Higher Level)
5. Create a simple chart or poster showing themselves and labeling the characteristics of living things they exhibit. (Psychomotor Domain – Creation – Higher Level)

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2. Entry Behavior

Students already know they are "alive" and are familiar with basic concepts like "animals," "plants," and "non-living things" such as stones, from their daily experiences.

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3. Previous Knowledge

Students have seen living and non-living things in their environment (e.g., pets, trees, books, chairs) and can describe some of their behaviors, such as movement or eating.

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4. Instructional Materials

• Chart showing MR. NIGER + CHAD
• Flashcards of living and non-living things
• Real-life objects (plant, stone, water bottle)
• Whiteboard and marker
• Drawing paper and crayons/markers
• Pictures of humans, animals, and non-living things

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5. Reference Materials

• Basic Science for JSS 1 by Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN)
• New Basic Science for Junior Secondary Schools
• NERDC Basic Science Curriculum for JSS1

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6. Content of the Lesson

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🟩 Step 1: Meaning of Living Things (Objective 1)

Definition:
Living things are things that have life and can carry out certain activities like movement, growth, and reproduction.

Examples:

• Humans
• Dogs
• Plants

Non-living Things: Non living things are things that do not have life.
Do not grow, move by themselves, or reproduce (e.g., stone, water, car).

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🟩 Step 2: Characteristics of Living Things (Objective 2)

We use the acronym MR. NIGER + CHAD to remember the 11 characteristics of living things:

Letter	Characteristic	Explanation
M	Movement	Living things can move
R	Respiration	They break down food to release energy
N	Nutrition	They feed to gain nutrients
I	Irritability	They respond to stimuli
G	Growth	They increase in size or change
E	Excretion	They remove waste products
R	Reproduction	They produce young ones
C	Circulation	Movement of substances within the body
H	Homeostasis	Ability to maintain internal balance
A	Adaptation	Ability to adjust to the environment
D	Death	They eventually die

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🟩 Step 3: Classification (Objective 3)

Activity:
Teacher shows pictures or real-life objects (plant, stone, human, car).

Students classify:

• Living Things: Human, dog, plant
• Non-living Things: Car, table, water bottle

Why?
Living things show characteristics like growth, respiration, reproduction, etc.

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🟩 Step 4: Identify Yourself as a Living Thing (Objective 4)

Students reflect:

• "I breathe" → Respiration
• "I eat food" → Nutrition
• "I grow taller" → Growth
• "I feel pain" → Irritability
• "I remove waste when I urinate" → Excretion

Conclusion:
Each student is a living thing because they exhibit all or most of these characteristics.

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🟩 Step 5: Creative Chart Activity (Objective 5)

Task:
Each student draws a simple picture of themselves and labels at least 4 characteristics they have from MR. NIGER + CHAD.

Examples:

• "I can move"
• "I reproduce"
• "I grow"
• "I respond to touch"

Teacher walks around and guides them.

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7. Summary/Recap

Teacher summarizes by asking:

• What are living things?
• Mention any three characteristics of living things.
• Is a stone a living thing? Why?
• What proves that you are a living thing?

Students respond orally.

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8. Evaluation (Assessment)

1. Define living things.
2. List 5 characteristics of living things using MR. NIGER + CHAD.
3. Classify the following as living or non-living: car, goat, chair, tree, stone.
4. Mention 3 reasons why you are a living thing.
5. Draw yourself and label any 4 characteristics you show as a living thing.

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9. Assignment

Instruction:
List 5 living things and 5 non-living things in your environment.
For each living thing, state one characteristic it exhibits.

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10. Remarks

The lesson objectives were achieved. Students were able to understand the concept of living things and demonstrated the ability to apply the characteristics to themselves and objects in their environment.