Show and tell works wonders for this type activity.

Teaching alive things:

Each of us, the teacher and the students…we breathe, talk, play, eat, etc. We have a heart beat.

Teaching dead things:

A little more tricky for the squeamish, but you could bring in a “bug” collection, or butterfly collection. These were alive, but are no longer. Unlikely you really want to bring in a “dead” animal, for sanitary reasons if nothing else.

Teaching never alive things:

Samples of never alive things could be stones, plastics, toys, or some other man made product. Be careful not to use such things as Lincoln Logs made of wood, since wood was once a tree and a “living” thing. Good luck on your teaching endeavors.

Play a simple Q/A game based on these three catagories.

Divide the class into three groups and let them research and report characteristics of Alive, Dead, Inanimate.