What It Is: This
Living & Non-Living Things – L / NL Classification Boxes worksheet helps students classify a variety of objects by writing
L for living things and
NL for non-living things. With clear, colorful illustrations—including an ant, baby, dog, cat, goat, ball, kite, table, pencil, and more—students practice identifying characteristics of life and applying them to real-world examples.
This worksheet builds on the previous activity
“Living and Non-Living Things – Circle the Correct Group” and leads directly into the next worksheet
“Name the Living / Non-Living Items” for further identification and labeling practice.
Why Use It: This worksheet encourages students to deepen their understanding of what makes something alive by identifying patterns and using symbolic notation (L / NL). It promotes scientific reasoning, vocabulary development, and classification skills—core foundations for early biology learning.
How to Use It: • Students write
L under each living picture and
NL under each non-living one.
• Review the characteristics of living things: nutrition, movement, growth, reproduction, respiration, excretion, and sensitivity.
• Encourage students to explain their choices verbally or in writing to strengthen reasoning skills.
• Use this worksheet as a warm-up, assessment, literacy-science connection activity, or science center task.
Grade Suitability: Best suited for
Kindergarten–Grade 2.
•
Kindergarten: Supports visual classification skills.
•
Grade 1: Reinforces understanding of living characteristics with simple notation.
•
Grade 2: Encourages deeper reasoning and scientific explanations.
Target Users: Ideal for
elementary science teachers, homeschool families, intervention specialists, and young learners studying early life science concepts.
