Living vs. Non-Living Things

Free sample questions, a clear explanation, and 5 practice skills with an AI tutor that guides without giving the answer away.

Is Your Teddy Bear Alive? Let's Investigate! 🧸

Hello, Super Scientist! Have you ever wondered what makes you, a wiggly puppy 🐶, and a tall tree 🌳 different from your favorite toy car or a sleepy rock? It's a super cool secret: some things are living, and some are non-living.

Let's think about your best fluffy teddy bear. You can hug it, talk to it, and take it on adventures! But does it ever ask for a snack? Does it get bigger and bigger all by itself? Nope! Now, think about a pet kitten. It meows for food, chases toys, and grows from a tiny fluffball into a big cat. That's the big clue!

The Super Scientist Checklist for Living Things! ✅

To figure out if something is living, we can ask three special questions. A living thing does ALL THREE of these things:

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Does it grow? Living things change and get bigger, like how you get taller every year!
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Does it move on its own? Living things can wiggle, walk, fly, or even turn towards the sun.
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Does it need fuel (food and water)? Living things need energy from food and water to grow and move. Yum!

Let's Be Detectives!

Let's test our checklist on a flower.
Does it grow? YES! It starts as a tiny seed.
Does it move? YES! It turns its face to the sunshine.
Does it need fuel? YES! It drinks water from the ground.
Since it does all three, a flower is a LIVING THING!

Now, what about a rock?
Does it grow? NOPE. It stays the same size.
Does it move on its own? NOPE. You have to pick it up and move it.
Does it need fuel? NOPE. It never gets hungry or thirsty.
A rock is a NON-LIVING THING!

Great job, scientist! Now you know the secret code to tell if something is living or non-living. Keep exploring the world around you!

Sample questions

1. Which one needs food to grow big and strong?

✓ A little puppy

○ A toy car

○ A big rock

○ A shiny spoon

Answer: A little puppy — Think about what needs to eat to get bigger.

2. Look at these pictures. Which one can breathe air all by itself?

○ A red balloon

✓ A little bird

○ A wooden chair

○ A tall building

Answer: A little bird — Which one needs air to live, like you do?

3. Which of these can have babies?

○ A big cloud

○ A bouncy ball

✓ A mother cat

○ A warm blanket

Answer: A mother cat — Which one can make more of itself?

Skills in this topic

Identify examples of living things.
Identify examples of non-living things.
Describe basic characteristics of living things (e.g., grow, move, need food/water).
Classify objects as living or non-living based on observed characteristics.
Justify why a specific object is considered living or non-living, providing evidence.

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