Objects in our environment are all the things we can see, touch, and observe around us. These objects can be grouped into two main categories:

Living things — These are objects that have life. They can grow, move, breathe, and respond to their surroundings. Living things include:

• Plants (trees, grass, flowers, crops)
• Animals (cows, goats, chickens, insects, fish)

Non-living things — These are objects that have no life. They do not grow, move, or breathe on their own. Non-living things include:

• Stones and soil
• Water and air
• Houses, tables, and chairs
• Cars and bicycles

When you want to identify different objects in your environment, follow these steps:

Step 1: Look Carefully (Observe)

Use your eyes to look at the object. Notice its:

• Size (big or small)
• Shape (round, square, long, or short)
• Color (bright or dull)
• Texture (smooth or rough)

Step 2: Touch and Feel

Gently touch the object to learn if it is:

• Hard (like a stone)
• Soft (like a leaf)
• Rough (like tree bark)
• Smooth (like a polished stone)

Step 3: Ask Questions

Think about:

• Is this thing alive? Does it grow or move?
• Where do I find this object?
• Is it natural or made by people?

Step 4: Group Similar Objects

Put objects that are the same kind together. For example:

• All stones go together
• All plants go together
• All animals go together

Let us look at this example from a Tanzanian school:

A group of students went outside their classroom to identify objects. They found:

1. A mango tree — This is a living thing (plant). It grows, has leaves, and produces fruit.

2. A chicken — This is a living thing (animal). It moves, eats grains, and makes sounds.

3. A stone — This is a non-living thing. It is hard and does not grow or move on its own.

4. A bench — This is a non-living thing. It was made by people (human-made) from wood.

5. Grass — This is a living thing (plant). It grows in the ground and is green.

The students grouped their findings like this:

When you learn to identify different objects in the environment, you:

• Become a good observer
• Learn to group things that are the same
• Understand the world around you better
• Can make good decisions about how to care for living things

• Living things have life — they grow, move, breathe, and respond to changes.
• Non-living things have no life — they do not grow or move by themselves.
• We identify objects by observing their features: size, shape, color, and texture.
• We can group objects by putting similar things together.

Look around your home or school compound. Try to find and identify:

• 2 living things
• 2 non-living things

For each one, write down or tell a friend:

1. What is the object?
2. Is it living or non-living?
3. How do you know?

In everyday life in Tanzania, farmers use this skill to identify which plants are growing in their farms and which are weeds (unwanted plants). For example, a farmer in Mbeya can look at a farm and identify maize plants (crops) versus grass (weeds). This helps them know which plants to keep and which to remove so their crops grow well and produce a good harvest to sell at the market.