Living things include plants, animals, and people. They need certain things to stay alive, grow, and be healthy. A tree, a puppy, a bird, flowers, and a child all have needs, even though they may look very different.
Learning these needs helps young scientists care for gardens, pets, and themselves.
Key Facts
- All living things need water to survive.
- Animals and people need food for energy and growth.
- Plants make their own food using sunlight, air, and water.
- Living things need air: animals use oxygen, and plants use carbon dioxide.
- Living things need space to grow, move, and find what they need.
- Living things need: water + air + food + space + shelter.
Vocabulary
- Living thing
- A living thing is something that grows, needs energy, and can change over time.
- Need
- A need is something a living thing must have to stay alive and healthy.
- Water
- Water is a liquid that living things use to stay healthy and grow.
- Food
- Food gives animals and people energy, while plants make their own food.
- Shelter
- Shelter is a safe place that helps protect a living thing from danger or harsh weather.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking only animals need food, water, and air. Plants are living things too, and they also need water, air, sunlight, and space.
- Giving a plant water but no sunlight. Many plants need sunlight to help make their own food and grow strong.
- Calling toys or rocks living things because they can be moved. A thing is living only if it grows and has needs like water, air, or food.
- Forgetting that living things need space. Crowded plants, pets, or people may not have enough room to grow, move, or stay healthy.
Practice Questions
- 1 A class has 4 plants. Each plant needs 1 cup of water. How many cups of water are needed for all 4 plants?
- 2 There are 3 birds, 2 puppies, and 1 child in a garden. How many living things are there in all?
- 3 A sprouting plant has water and soil, but it is kept in a dark closet. Explain what it is missing and why that matters.