Read Aloud Activity “Is Sammy Alive”….listen as I read you a story about Sammy. After each event in the story, decide whether you think Sammy is Alive or Not Alive by moving to the appropriate side of the classroom. Be prepared to defend your position if called on.

Partner Activity- biotic or abiotic….you decide Complete all 4 parts of the activity dealing with “What is Life” What doesn’t get finished in class becomes homework Have fun!!!!!!! Honor’s kids: Read and answer the questions to the article “What is Life?”

The Study of Life What Is Biology? - YouTube Essential Question: What are characteristics of life? What distinguishes a living and non-living thing? Learning Targets: I can 1) define “life” 2) Identify characteristics of life 3) Explain what distinguishes the difference between a living and non-living thing

HowStuffWorks Videos "HowStuffWorks Show: Episode 10: Rubber Grows in Trees"

What are they looking at? Biology Bio- life logy- study of What are they looking at?

BIOLOGY: THE STUDY OF LIFE. ALIVE OR NOT ALIVE???? Scientists have not really decided upon a single definition of life, but it is determined by the actions of life functions carried on by an organism. Click for biology song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aynclw6TXeE&feature=related

What Makes Something Alive? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSKyHmjyrkA

Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests List some characteristics of life. Based on your list, are these things (his “animals”) alive?

Characteristics of Life Made of cells. Can Reproduce. Have a genetic code. Grow and develop. Obtain and use energy. Respond to the environment. Maintain stable internal environment. Taken as a group they change over time.

Characteristics of Living Things http://www.kenton.k12.ny.us/cms/lib/NY19000262/Centricity/Domain/135/characteroflving.asx

a. Made of cells Cell- self-contained unit that makes up living things. Unicellular- one cell. Multicellular- more than one cell.

b. Reproduction Sexual- 2 cells from different parents unite to produce an organism. Asexual- new organism comes from a single parent.

c. Based on a genetic code DNA- molecule that contains genetic info.

d. Growth and development Life cycle- a pattern of growth and change.

e. Need for materials and energy Metabolism- a collection of chemical reactions that occurs in an organism.

f. Response to the environment Leaves on trees begin to change color when the hours of sunlight in a given day begin to decrease.

g. Maintaining an internal balance Homeostasis- maintaining a stable internal environment. The bird produces body heat to stay warm.

h. Evolution Evolve- change over time.

i. Responding to the Environment Stimulus: something that causes an organism to react in some way. Response: how an organism reacts to a stimulus.

REVIEW…Do in your notes Identify the living and non-living things from the picture below and then write a paragraph backing your argument using the characteristics of life