New
New
Identifying living things (non-statutory)
I can ask and answer yes/no questions to identify and name different things.
Lesson 4 of 19
New
New
- Year 4
Identifying living things (non-statutory)
I can ask and answer yes/no questions to identify and name different things.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Humans ask questions to help them to understand the world, including how things work and why things happen.
- Some questions require an answer of only yes or no.
- Yes/no questions often begin with ‘Do’, ‘Are’, ‘Is’, ‘Have’ or 'Can'.
- We can use answers to yes/no questions to help us to identify and name unknown things.
Keywords
Question - A question is a type of sentence that asks something.
Name - A name is a word by which a person or thing is known.
Identify - To identify something is to be able to name it correctly.
Common misconception
Pupils may believe that all questions need a full explanation to answer.
By working through the examples on the slide deck and completing the tasks, pupils will see that some questions can be answered with a simple yes or no. This is an important skill when using and creating identification keys for classification.
Listen carefully to the answers the pupils give and, if they struggle with using just yes and no, model some appropriate answers for them. Be aware of more open questions such as 'Where does it live?' which cannot be answered directly with yes or no.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Sticky notes and sticky tape.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.We ask a when we want to find out an answer.
We ask a when we want to find out an answer.
statement
exclamation
Q2.Match the answers to their question.
Match the answers to their question.
Q3.Which of these are living things?
Which of these are living things?
car
rainbow
fire
Q4.Which of these things have never been alive?
Which of these things have never been alive?
cow
human
rose bush
Q5.How do we know if something is a living thing?
How do we know if something is a living thing?
It goes to school
It has a brain to think.
Q6.Which of these things were once alive but are now dead?
Which of these things were once alive but are now dead?
a tree growing in a forest
aluminium
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Humans ask to help them to understand the world they live in.
Humans ask to help them to understand the world they live in.
Q2.Why do humans ask questions about the world?
Why do humans ask questions about the world?
They already know everything.
They are not interested in finding out things they don't know.
Q3.Select the questions that can only be answered with a "yes" or a "no".
Select the questions that can only be answered with a "yes" or a "no".
How old are you?
What month were you born?
Where do you go to school?
Q4.Match the question starters to the rest of the question.
Match the question starters to the rest of the question.
Q5.Which of these are yes/no questions that could help a scientist identify an unknown plant they have discovered?
Which of these are yes/no questions that could help a scientist identify an unknown plant they have discovered?
What colour is this plant?
How many leaves does the plant have?
Q6.What can answers to yes/no questions help us to do?
What can answers to yes/no questions help us to do?
order things
measure things
