evel 1: Grades 2-3 (Basic Recognition & Observation)

Look around your room or outside your window. Can you point to something that is alive? And then point to something that is not alive? How can you tell the difference?
What does a little puppy need to stay alive and grow big? Does a toy car need the same things? What are the big differences?
Imagine a tiny seed. It doesn't look alive, but then a plant grows from it! What happened? What do you think the seed needed to become a plant?
Can a rock move by itself? What about a bird? What's special about living things that helps them move?
What happens to an apple when you leave it on the counter for a very long time? Does it change? What does this tell you about things that used to be alive or are alive?
If you have a pet fish and a toy fish, how can you tell which one is alive and which one is just a toy? What are they able to do or need?
Draw a picture of something living and something non-living, and write one word next to each that tells us why you put it in that group.

Level 2: Grades 4-6 (Key Characteristics & Simple Needs)

List three things that all living things (like you, a tree, or a cat) need to survive and grow. Do non-living things (like a chair or a cloud) need these same things?
How do living things grow and change over time? Think about a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Do non-living things also grow and change in the same way?
When you feel hungry, what does your body need? What about a plant? What do all living things take in from their environment to get energy?
If a plant gets too little water or sunlight, what happens to it? What does this tell you about how living things react to what's around them?
What do animals do to have baby animals? And how do plants make new seeds or baby plants? What is this special ability called?
Can you find something that used to be alive but isn't anymore (like a fallen leaf or a wooden table)? How can you tell it was living even though it's not now?
Design a chart with two columns: "Living Things" and "Non-Living Things." Put at least five examples in each column and list one reason why each belongs there.

Level 3: Grades 7-8 (Cellular Basis & Interdependence)

What is the smallest basic unit of life that all living things are made of? Do non-living things have these units? How does this fundamental difference impact their existence?
Explore the concept of metabolism. How do living organisms take in nutrients, convert them into energy, and remove waste products? Do non-living objects perform these complex chemical processes?
Investigate how living things respond to stimuli (changes in their environment). Provide examples for both plants and animals. How does this responsiveness differentiate them from non-living matter?
Define "reproduction." Why is this process essential for the continuation of a species, and how does it fundamentally separate living organisms from non-living objects?
Describe the process of "growth and development" in living organisms. How is this ordered, internal increase in size and complexity different from the simple accumulation of material by a non-living object (like a snowball growing)?
Consider a virus. It can reproduce and evolve, but it can't carry out metabolic processes or reproduce without a host. Based on the characteristics of life, formulate an argument for whether a virus is truly "living" or "non-living."
Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the characteristics of living organisms and non-living objects. Highlight the unique features of each.
Think about the cycles in nature (e.g., water cycle, carbon cycle). How do living organisms participate in and influence these cycles, unlike non-living components?

Level 4: Grades 9-10 (Complexity, Evolution, & Scientific Definitions)

Develop a comprehensive scientific definition of "life" by integrating the key characteristics: organization (cellular structure), metabolism, homeostasis, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, and adaptation/evolution. Critically evaluate why each characteristic is necessary.
Analyze the concept of homeostasis. How do living organisms maintain stable internal conditions despite external fluctuations? Provide examples of regulatory mechanisms in different life forms.
Investigate the role of genetic material (DNA/RNA) as the blueprint for life. How does the presence and function of genetic material distinguish living organisms from complex non-living systems?
Explore the process of evolution by natural selection. How does the ability to adapt and evolve over generations define living systems and account for the diversity of life on Earth?
Consider edge cases, such as prions or self-replicating chemical systems in early Earth conditions. Based on your refined definition of life, where would you categorize these entities, and what challenges do they pose to a strict definition?
Discuss the concept of emergent properties in living systems. How does the organization of non-living components into complex biological structures (e.g., cells into tissues, organs into systems) lead to new properties not seen at simpler levels?
Propose a scientific framework for classifying an unknown entity as living or non-living, based on a systematic assessment of its characteristics. What criteria would be prioritized in this evaluation?
Compare the energy flow through living ecosystems (e.g., photosynthesis and respiration) with energy transformations in non-living physical processes. What are the fundamental differences in how living and non-living systems manage energy?
Design a philosophical debate: "Is a sophisticated robot, capable of learning, self-repair, and even 'reproduction' (making copies of itself), a living organism?" Argue both sides using your scientific understanding of life.

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