Alive, Dead or Never Alive

Key Stage 1

It is important to understand whether something is alive, dead or was never alive.

Examples

A dog is alive.	A rock was never alive	A tree might not seem to move, but it can and is alive.
A fly is alive.	Even though a mushroom doesn't appear to move it is still alive.	A skeleton is part of a dead animal. It is not alive anymore.

Key Stage 2

It is important to understand whether something is alive, dead or was never alive.

A robot may seem lifelike but it was never alive.	A nut is the seed of a tree and can grow into a new tree. Even though it is dormant it is still alive.	An apple has been picked from a tree, but it is still alive until you cook it or eat it. You can tell a dead apple because it has rotted.
Fire was never alive. It cannot sense its surroundings or move, it can only spread or go out.	The wood inside a tree is dead. Only the bark is alive and once you cut a tree down the bark dies too.	Even before cooking the meat from an animal has been dead since the animal was killed.

Key Stage 3

It is important to understand whether something is alive, dead or was never alive.

A cell is the basic unit of all living things. A cell is the smallest living part of an organism.	Beans are the seeds of a legume and alive because when they are planted they will grow into a new plant.	Before it is born a foetus is alive in the womb.
The Earth is not alive but all known living things live on the Earth.	The teeth in the mouth are alive. If a tooth dies, it turns black.	The bark of a tree is alive but the wood inside is dead.