Lesson Plan: The Living Organisms and Their Surroundings

Class/Grade: VI (Age group: 11–12 years)
Subject: Science (विज्ञान)
Chapter/Topic: The Living Organisms and Their Surroundings (जीवित जीव और उनका पर्यावास)
Medium: Bilingual (English as primary language; Hindi for explanations, scaffolding, and key terms)
Duration: 60 minutes (can be split into 2 periods)
Board Alignment: CBSE/NCERT Class 6 Science Chapter 9 (or equivalent in State Boards)

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Differentiate between living and non-living things with examples (जीवित और निर्जीव में अंतर समझना).
  2. List and explain the characteristics of living organisms (जीवित जीवों की विशेषताएँ बताना).
  3. Describe different habitats and how organisms adapt to them (विभिन्न पर्यावास और अनुकूलन समझाना).
  4. Use scientific vocabulary in simple English sentences with Hindi support.

Key Vocabulary (with Hindi meanings)

  1. Living organisms (जीवित जीव)
  2. Non-living things (निर्जीव वस्तुएँ)
  3. Characteristics (विशेषताएँ)
  4. Growth (वृद्धि)
  5. Reproduction (प्रजनन)
  6. Respiration (श्वसन)
  7. Excretion (उत्सर्जन)
  8. Response to stimuli (उत्तेजना पर प्रतिक्रिया)
  9. Habitat (पर्यावास)
  10. Adaptation (अनुकूलन)
  11. Terrestrial (स्थलीय)
  12. Aquatic (जलीय)
  13. Desert (मरुस्थल)
  14. Mountain (पर्वत)
  15. Camouflage (छलावरण)
  16. Migrate (प्रवास करना)
  17. Hibernation (शीतनिष्क्रियता)
  18. Biotic (जीवित घटक)
  19. Abiotic (अजीवित घटक)
  20. Surroundings/Environment (परिवेश)

Materials Required

  • NCERT Textbook (Chapter 9)
  • Pictures/charts: Living vs non-living, animals in different habitats (camel in desert, fish in water, etc.)
  • Flashcards with vocabulary (English on one side, Hindi on reverse)
  • Worksheet: Matching, fill-in-blanks, short answers (bilingual)
  • Whiteboard for parallel notes (English | Hindi)
  • Video clip (optional): Short 2–3 minute animation on adaptations (e.g., camel or polar bear)

Procedure

1. Warm-up / Introduction (8–10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge.

  • Greet bilingually: "Good morning, class! नमस्कार!"
  • Question: "What do you see around you that is alive? आपके आस-पास क्या जीवित है?" Students respond in Hindi/English: Plants, animals, etc.
  • Show objects/pictures: A plant, a stone, a dog. Ask: "Is this living or non-living? यह जीवित है या निर्जीव?"
  • Quick discussion: Accept Hindi responses first, then teacher models English: "A dog is a living organism because it moves and breathes."
2. Characteristics of Living Organisms (15 minutes)

Objective: Teach main features.

  • Explain bilingually:
    "Today we will learn about living organisms and their surroundings. आज हम जीवित जीवों और उनके पर्यावास के बारे में पढ़ेंगे।"

  • On board, make a table:

     
     
    Characteristic (विशेषता) English Explanation Hindi Explanation Example (उदाहरण)
    Growth (वृद्धि) Living things grow. जीवित जीव बढ़ते हैं। Puppy to dog
    Reproduction (प्रजनन) They produce young ones. वे बच्चे पैदा करते हैं। Plants make seeds
    Respiration (श्वसन) They breathe. वे साँस लेते हैं। We breathe air
    Response to stimuli (प्रतिक्रिया) They react to changes. वे बदलाव पर प्रतिक्रिया देते हैं। Touch-me-not plant
    Excretion (उत्सर्जन) They remove waste. वे अपशिष्ट निकालते हैं। Sweating
    Movement (गति) They move. वे चलते हैं। Animals walk
     

  • Choral repetition: Teacher says English term → Hindi → Example → Class repeats.

  • Activity: Students give one example each (in pairs, Hindi allowed first).

3. Main Activity: Habitats and Adaptations (20–25 minutes)

Objective: Understand surroundings and adaptations.

  • Explain: "Every living organism lives in a habitat. हर जीवित जीव एक पर्यावास में रहता है। Habitat has biotic (जीवित) and abiotic (अजीवित) components."
  • Discuss types of habitats with pictures:
    1. Terrestrial (स्थलीय): Land – forests, deserts, mountains. Example: Camel in desert – hump stores fat (ऊँट का कूबड़ वसा संग्रह करता है), long legs for sand.
    2. Aquatic (जलीय): Water – ponds, oceans. Example: Fish – gills for breathing (मछली के गलफड़े श्वसन के लिए).
    3. Special adaptations:
      • Birds migrate (पक्षी प्रवास करते हैं).
      • Bears hibernate (भालू शीतनिष्क्रियता करते हैं).
      • Frogs have camouflage (मेंढक छलावरण करते हैं).
  • Group Activity (4–5 students per group): Assign one habitat (desert, mountain, ocean, forest). Task: List 2–3 animals/plants → Describe one adaptation (bilingual notes allowed). Example prompt: "Camel lives in desert. It has... (ऊँट मरुस्थल में रहता है। उसके पास...)"
  • Groups present (2 minutes each): Teacher helps with English sentences.
4. Conclusion and Wrap-up (5–7 minutes)
  • Recap bilingually: "What are two characteristics of living things? जीवित जीवों की दो विशेषताएँ क्या हैं?"
  • Quick quiz: "Name one adaptation of a fish. मछली का एक अनुकूलन बताओ।"
  • Connect to life: "We must protect habitats to save organisms. हमें पर्यावास बचाना चाहिए।"

Assessment

  • Formative (during lesson):
    • Observation: Participation in discussion and group work.
    • Oral: Correct use of 3–4 vocabulary words.
  • Worksheet (end of lesson):
    1. Match characteristics to examples.
    2. Fill blanks: "Fish live in _____ habitat." (जलीय)
    3. Short answer: "How does a camel adapt to desert?" (2–3 sentences).
  • Self-assessment: Students tick: "I understand adaptations" (समझ आया / थोड़ा / नहीं).

Differentiation

  • Advanced students: Explain an extra adaptation or draw labelled diagram.
  • Struggling students: More Hindi explanations, simpler questions, pair with stronger peer.
  • Visual/kinesthetic: Extra pictures or mime adaptations (e.g., act like camel walking in sand).

Homework

  • Draw and label one animal with its habitat and two adaptations (in notebook, English labels + Hindi meanings).
  • Write 5 sentences: "Living organisms need food because..." (using characteristics).

This bilingual lesson uses Hindi to build confidence while ensuring English scientific terminology is learned and used. It aligns with NCERT concepts and encourages observation of surroundings!