A log is not growing. A seashell does not eat. Are they living? Not anymore! They came from something that was living.
Key idea
Living things grow now. Once-living things came from a plant or an animal. Never-living things, like rocks and coins, never grew at all.
Why it works
Ask where it came from. Wood comes from trees. Paper is made from wood. A feather grew on a bird. Those were all part of living things once.
Worked example: Let's think it through
Is a wooden chair living, once living or never living?
- A chair does not grow, so it is not living now.
- It is made of wood.
- Wood came from a tree, which was alive.
Answer: Once living.
Common mistake
Children often call a dry leaf or a log "never living" because it does not grow. Ask: did it come from a plant or an animal? If yes, it is once living.
For the grown-up. Go on a short walk and collect a few things: a leaf, a twig, a pebble, a feather someone dropped. Sort them at home into living, once living and never living, and ask "Where did it come from?" for each one.