Characteristics of Living Things

THIRD TERM E-LEARNING NOTE

SUBJECT: Basic science and Technology Third Term Primary 3

CLASS: Primary 3

Term : Third Term

Week: Week 2

Topic  : Characteristics of Living Things

Sub Topic : Explain MR NIGER D 

Behavioural objectives :

By the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to

• explain the meaning of MR NIGER D
• Write out the characteristics of living things
• say the similarities or difference between plants and animals

Previous lesson : 

The pupils have previous knowledge of

Living Things . Plants and animals 

that was taught in the previous topic

Instructional Materials :

• Wall charts
• Pictures of plants and animals
• Related Online Video
• Flash Cards

Methods of Teaching :

• Class Discussion
• Group Discussion
• Asking Questions
• Explanation
• Role Modelling
• Role Delegation

Reference Materials :

• Scheme of Work
• Online Information
• Textbooks
• Workbooks
• 9 Year Basic Education Curriculum
• Workbooks

Content :

Characteristics means behaviour or manners or attitude of living things . Characteristics of living things means the common behaviours of living things . These are attitudes that are common to all living things either they are plants or animals .

This Acronym is for all living things MR NIGER D where

M stands for Movement

R for Respiration 

N stands for Nutrition 

I stands for Irritability 

G stands for Growth

E for excretion

R stands for reproduction and

D stands for Death

Movement

This is the ability of living thing to move from one place to another in search of food , shelter and safety . Plants do not have the ability to move from one place to another because they are fixed rooted deep in one place and yet their roots move towards water and minerals while their shoot move towards sunlight ,

Respiration

Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere, exchange of gases occurs through stomata.

Animals take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which occurs through lungs, gills, skin, etc.

Nutrition

Nutrients are chemical substances that are readily available in food that make our body and bones strong. Plants need nutrients too .  Plants make their own food . The process whereby plants make their own food in the presence of sunlight is known as PHOTOSYNTHESIS . Plants have chlorophyll, which they use whenever they want to make their food. Animals are the heterotrophs, as they depend on plants for their food, either directly or indirectly.

Irritability 

This is the ability of living things to respond to internal or external stimulus . Living things have feelings .Plants show the response to stimuli like touch, light, though are less sensitive due to the absence of the sense organs. They have proper nervous system and response to any stimuli in a fraction of seconds, so they are regarded as highly sensitive. Animals are the living organisms which feed on the organic material and are known to have a specialized system in their body like the nervous system, reproductive system, sense organs, which make them unique from the other forms of life. Some plants are very sensitive to touch .

Growth

This is an irreversible increase in the size . weight or body of living things . All living things grow . An egg of a frog will first become a tadpole before it eventually develops into a frog . That is growth . The seeds of plants will sprout or germinate to become a fully grown crops that will bring forth another seeds , leaves and fruits . The growth of the plants takes place throughout the life, .

Excretion

All living things pass out waste products. As a result of the many chemical reactions occurring in cells, they have to get rid of waste products which might poison the cells. Excretion is defined as the removal of toxic materials from the body of living things . Human pass out carbon dioxide from the lungs through the nostrils while plants pass out oxygen through the stomata

REPRODUCTION

Reproduction is necessary for the continuity of life . It is the process where living things make little ones that look like their parents . Like a bay cow is called a calf. a baby dog is called a puppy .

Reproduction of plants takes place asexually like by budding, vegetative methods, spores, wind, or through insects.Some lower animals like algae reproduce asexually while higher animals reproduce sexually.

Death

This is an inevitable end of every creature as all living things will die and become non living things

Presentation :

The topic is presented step by step

Step 1:

The class teacher revises the previous topics

Step 2.

He introduces the new topic

Step 3:

The class teacher allows the pupils to give their own examples and he corrects them when the needs arise

Conclusion

The class teacher wraps up or conclude the lesson by giving out short note to summarize the topic that he or she has just taught.

The class teacher also goes round to make sure that the notes are well copied or well written by the pupils.

He or she does the necessary corrections when and where  the needs arise.

Evaluation

• Write out in full MR NIGER D