Many things will fall into a clear living/non-living category; other things—e.g., twigs, seeds, stumps—may require discussion. Students may want to create an additional category for “once living' things.

Are sticks living or nonliving?

In science, living is used to describe anything that is or has ever been alive (dog, flower, seed, sticks, log). Non-living is used to describe anything that is not now nor has ever been alive (rock, mountain, glass, clock).

Is a twig alive?

In some cases, you might find that a few twigs are alive while the majority of the tree is dead. Although some life still exists, the best action is to remove the tree so branches or the entire tree do not fall and cause property damage or injury.