Living vs. Nonliving Collage
What makes something alive? Learners explore this question by sorting images and creating a two-part collage showing the difference between living and nonliving things.
Goal:
Learners demonstrate their understanding of the characteristics of living things by creating a visual collage that compares living and nonliving items. They can identify and label features that define life.
Materials Needed:
- Large sheet of paper or cardstock (folded or divided in half)
- Old magazines, nature images, printouts, or natural materials (optional: feathers, leaves, etc.)
- Scissors and glue
- Markers or colored pencils
- Labels or sticky notes (optional)
Go over the basic characteristics of living things:
- Made of cells
- Grows and develops
- Responds to environment
- Uses energy
- Reproduces
- Maintains internal balance
- Evolves over time (optional/advanced)
- “What do all living things have in common?”
- “Can something move but still not be alive (like a car)?”
- “Can something be alive but not move (like a tree)?”
- Divide the Paper: Have learners fold or draw a line down the center of their paper. Label one side “Living” and the other “Nonliving.”
- Find and Cut Images: Learners search for pictures in magazines or printed materials of living and nonliving things. They cut out at least 3–5 of each.
- Glue and Organize: Sort and glue the images into the correct side of the collage.
- Label Characteristics (optional): Use arrows, sticky notes, or written captions to explain why something is alive. Example:
- “Dog – breathes, grows, needs food”
- “Rock – doesn’t grow or use energy”
- Decorate and Reflect: Learners can decorate the collage with doodles or borders. Prompt them to title their artwork (e.g., “What’s Alive?” or “Sorting the World”).
- “Was there anything tricky to classify? Why?”
- “Can something be nonliving but once was alive?” (e.g., wooden table)
- “What happens when a living thing dies? Does it become nonliving?”