Living and Non-Living Things
1. Living Things
LIVING things are things that are ALIVE. They have LIFE.
'Plants, animals, and humans are LIVING things. They are BORN, they GROW, they NEED FOOD, and eventually they DIE.'
Characteristics of Living Things:
| Characteristic | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Grow | Become bigger or taller | A baby grows into an adult |
| Move | Change position | A bird flies, a fish swims |
| Breathe | Take in air (oxygen) | We breathe through our nose |
| Need food | Eat to get energy | A cow eats grass |
| Reproduce | Have babies or young ones | A cat has kittens |
| Respond | React to changes | A plant grows toward sunlight |
| Excrete | Remove waste | We go to the toilet |
| Die | Life ends | Leaves fall and die |
'If something does ALL of these things, it is LIVING. If it does NONE of these, it is NON-LIVING.'
2. Non-Living Things
NON-LIVING things are things that are NOT alive.
'A rock, a chair, a pencil, water, and the sun are NON-LIVING. They do not grow, breathe, eat, or reproduce.'
Types of Non-Living Things:
Natural Non-Living Things: These were made by NATURE — they were never alive.
| Things | Examples |
|---|---|
| Rocks and stones | Pebble, boulder, sand |
| Water | River, rain, ocean |
| Air | Wind, atmosphere |
| Sun | Light, heat |
Man-Made Non-Living Things: These were made by HUMANS.
| Things | Examples |
|---|---|
| Furniture | Table, chair, bed |
| Tools | Hammer, pencil, scissors |
| Buildings | House, school, hospital |
| Vehicles | Car, bus, bicycle |
3. Living vs Non-Living — Comparison
| Feature | Living Things | Non-Living Things |
|---|---|---|
| Grow | YES | No |
| Move | YES (by themselves) | No (need someone to move them) |
| Breathe | YES | No |
| Need food | YES | No |
| Reproduce | YES | No |
| Respond to changes | YES | No |
| Excrete waste | YES | No |
| Die | YES | No (can break or wear out) |
4. Things That Were Once Alive
Some things were ONCE alive but are not anymore.
| Once Alive | Now |
|---|---|
| A tree | Wood, paper, furniture |
| A flower | Dried flower |
| A cow | Leather bag |
| Wheat | Bread, roti |
'Your WOODEN desk was once a LIVING tree. The PAPER in your notebook was once a plant. But now they are not alive.'
5. Can You Tell? — Tricky Examples
Seeds:
'A seed looks DEAD — it does not move or eat. But when you PLANT it and give it water and sunlight, it GROWS into a plant! Seeds are ALIVE — they are just RESTING (dormant).'
Clouds:
'Clouds move across the sky. They grow bigger. But they do NOT eat, breathe, or reproduce. Clouds are NON-LIVING.'
Cars:
'A car moves. It needs fuel (like food). It makes noise (like sound). But a car does NOT grow, breathe, or reproduce. A car is NON-LIVING.'
Fire:
'Fire moves, grows, needs fuel, and produces waste (ash). But fire is NOT a living thing. It does not have cells or reproduce.'
6. Common Mistakes
- Thinking anything that moves is alive: 'A car moves, but it is NOT alive. A cloud moves, but it is NOT alive. Living things move BY THEMSELVES.'
- Calling a seed 'dead': 'A seed is ALIVE but DORMANT (resting). It will grow into a plant when given the right conditions.'
- Believing fire is alive: 'Fire seems alive — it moves, grows, and needs fuel. But it is NOT a living thing because it does not have cells or reproduce.'
- Thinking plants are not living because they don't move: 'Plants DO move — they just move SLOWLY. They grow toward sunlight. Flowers open and close. They are LIVING.'
7. Key Facts to Remember
- 'Living things GROW, MOVE, BREATHE, NEED FOOD, REPRODUCE, RESPOND, EXCRETE, and DIE.'
- 'Non-living things do NONE of these by themselves.'
- 'Some things were once alive but are not now (wood, paper, leather).'
- 'A seed is a LIVING thing in RESTING state.'
- 'Cars, clouds, and fire are NON-LIVING.'
8. Self-Test
Q1: List any FOUR characteristics of living things.
Q2: Is a stone a living thing? Why or why not?
Q3: Name three things that were once alive but are not now.
Q4: Is a seed alive or dead? Explain.
Q5: Can a non-living thing move? Give an example.
Q6: Why isn't a car considered a living thing even though it moves?
Q7: Give two examples of natural non-living things.
Q8: What do living things need to stay alive?
Answers:
A1: Grow, move, breathe, need food, reproduce, respond, excrete, die (any four). A2: No, a stone is non-living. It does not grow, breathe, eat, or reproduce. A3: A wooden chair, a leather bag, a dried flower. A4: A seed is ALIVE but in a DORMANT (resting) state. It will grow when given water, air, and warmth. A5: Yes — a car moves, a ball rolls, clouds move. But they do not move by themselves. A6: A car does not GROW, BREATHE, REPRODUCE, or RESPOND to its environment by itself. A7: Rock, water, air, sunlight (any two). A8: Food, water, air, and sunlight (for plants). Living things also need the right temperature to survive.
