Mississippi Science L.K.1A
Standard Cluster
Students will demonstrate an understanding of living and non-living things. With teacher guidance, conduct an investigation of living organisms and non-living objects in various real-world environments to define characteristics of living organisms that distinguish them from non-living things (e.g., playground, garden, school grounds). With teacher support, gain an understanding that scientists are humans who use observations to learn about the natural world. Obtain information from informational text or other media about scientists who have made important observations about living things (e.g., Carl Linnaeus, John James Audubon, Jane Goodall).
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Hierarchical Organization
Cluster contents
Standards in This Cluster
L.K.1A is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.
- L.K.1A.1
With teacher guidance, conduct an investigation of living organisms and non-living objects in various real-world environments to define characteristics of livin...
- L.K.1A.2
With teacher support, gain an understanding that scientists are humans who use observations to learn about the natural world. Obtain information from informatio...
Teacher's field guide
What This Cluster Means
What Students Need to Do
- Children observe plants, animals, and objects outdoors. They use clues like growth and the need for water to sort living things from nonliving things. They listen to a nonfiction book about Jane Goodall and tell how she learned by watching chimpanzees.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student explains that a playground tree is living because it grows and needs water. They know a toy car is nonliving even when it moves. They can say that Jane Goodall learned by watching chimpanzees.
Common Misconceptions
- Children may call a toy car living because it moves, or call a tree nonliving because it stays still. They may think a seed is nonliving because it has not sprouted. Some think scientists only work in labs.
How to Assess It
- After reading about Jane Goodall watching chimpanzees, show a potted plant, rock, and toy car. Ask students to circle the living thing, explain their choice, and tell what Goodall observed.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Walk the school grounds and have students sketch a plant and a rock, then check the plant for new growth next week.
Read a picture book page about Jane Goodall, then ask: What did she learn by watching chimpanzees?
Give pairs picture cards of a seed, tree, rock, dog, and toy car to sort, then have them explain one choice.
Show a photo of a gardener watering plants beside a bench, and ask why the bench does not need water.
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Printable L.K.1A Worksheet
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Related Standards
- L.K.3A
Students will demonstrate an understanding of what animals and plants need to live and grow.
- L.2.3A
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the interdependence of living things and the environment in which they live.
- L.7.3
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the importance that matter cycles between living and non-living parts of the ecosystem to sustain life on Earth.
- L.2.3B
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the interdependence of living things.
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