Define - Living & Non Living ???

[woven_wings]

Hi there!!

I am in the middle of planning for a research paper for Uni. The question is:

"What do children aged 5 and 6 understand about the concept of living and non living?"

Living & Non Living = Animate & Inanimate

The trouble is... DEFINING Living and Non Living... I have never thought how hard it would be until now! Will children of this age actually be able to define it??

Do any of you have 5 or 6 year olds, male or female?

Could you ask them firstly...

What does living mean?

Secondly...

What does non living mean?

Thanks in advance.

[mumski]

Hi Megan, I asked my 6 year old for a definition for you...

"Living things means animals, plants and things that can move except for cars. Non living things are things that don't have hearts and they have engines or cords or they might just be plastic or glass or something like that."

[woven_wings]

Its sooo hard!

ETA: By George I think Ive got it!

Living things move, grow, eat and can reproduce!
Non living things do not eat, grow and they cannot move on their own. They cannot reproduce.

How does that sound?


WOAH Mumski... your 6 year old is a bright one... is he gifted at all? What a mature answer! Thankyou for that :hugs: ... do you mind if I add that to my research?

[mumski]

Hi, I'd be happy for you to include it for your assignment, his name is Alex.

[biscotti]

I have a just-turned-Miss-7 ...she said to tell you -


" a living thing can move, it can move on it's own without someone doing it, so a puppet is not a living thing. A living thing can breathe, it can eat and it can drink. Sometimes it can think.
A non living thing is a thing that is not living, not a dead thing, just a thing that is not real, you know like a plastic thing or a toy or something, they don't breathe or eat or move, they just lie there. They might be made in a factory or somewhere..... not by nature".

Hope that helps.

Noosamum XX

[woven_wings]

Another really smart and indepth answer! Thank your daughter very much!! We have some deep thinkers here! :thumbsup:

Thankyou!