Living and Non-Living Things
How do we know if something is alive? Let's find out!
What Makes Something Alive?
Living things are special. They do things that non-living things cannot do!
All living things can grow, move, eat (or make food), breathe, and have babies (reproduce).
Living Things Can...
Grow
Get bigger over time
Move
Walk, swim, or sway
Eat
Need food or sunlight
Breathe
Need air to live
Reproduce
Have babies or seeds
Need Water
All living things drink
Living or Non-Living? Let's Sort!
Living Things ✅
Non-Living Things ❌
Animals and Plants Are Both Alive!
Both animals and plants are living things, but they are different in some ways.
Animals
- ● Can move from place to place
- ● Eat food (plants or other animals)
- ● Have eyes, ears, legs, or fins
Plants
- ● Stay in one place (rooted in soil)
- ● Make their own food from sunlight
- ● Have leaves, roots, and stems
💡 Think About It! (Inquiry-Based Learning)
Look around your room. Can you find 3 living things and 3 non-living things? What makes you say that? How did you decide?
🧪 Try It at Home!
Nature Walk Sorting Activity
Go for a walk in your garden or park with a grown-up. Collect or spot different things.
- Find 5 living things (a bug, a flower, a bird...)
- Find 5 non-living things (a rock, a bench, a puddle...)
- Draw them in two groups in your notebook
- For each living thing, can you spot it growing, moving, or eating?
Key Vocabulary
Living
Something that is alive. It can grow, move, eat, breathe, and reproduce.
Non-Living
Something that is not alive. It does not grow, eat, or breathe on its own.
Grow
To get bigger over time. A puppy grows into a dog.
Reproduce
To make new living things. Animals have babies. Plants make seeds.
Knowledge Check
Choose the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right!
Question 1
Which of these is a living thing? 🤔
Question 2
What do all living things need? 💧
Question 3
Which one is NOT a living thing? ❌
Question 4
How are plants different from animals? 🌿
Question 5
A teddy bear looks like an animal. Is it a living thing? 🧸
Key Concepts Summary
- ● Living things can grow, move, eat, breathe, and reproduce.
- ● Non-living things do not grow, eat, or breathe on their own.
- ● Animals move around and eat food. Plants stay in one place and make food from sunlight.
- ● Just because something looks like a living thing does not mean it is alive!
- ● All living things need water, food, and air.