The signs of life, needs and adaptations. Read, watch a plant grow, sort, then play.
What it is
Living things share special characteristics: they grow, need food and water, breathe, move, respond to their surroundings, reproduce, and give out waste.
Why it works
We call something living when it shows these signs together. A single sign, like moving, is not enough, since a river moves but is not alive.
Why it matters
These signs let us tell the living from the non-living with confidence.
A few examples
A plant grows, feeds and responds. A dog moves, breathes and has young. A rock does none of these.
What it is
Every living thing needs food, water and air. Green plants make their own food from sunlight, water and air, while animals eat plants or other animals.
Why it works
Because life uses energy for growing and moving, it must take in food and air and give out waste, which is why these needs are shared by all.
Why it matters
Knowing these needs helps us care for plants, animals and ourselves.
A few examples
Plants make food using sunlight. Animals eat to get food. All living things need water and air.
What it is
We tell living from non-living by checking for the signs of life, and grouping accordingly.
Why it works
Some non-living changes, like rusting or a bulb glowing, can look active but are not signs of life, so we look for the true signs together.
Why it matters
Careful sorting like this is the start of studying living things.
A few examples
Growing, breathing and reproducing are signs of life. Rusting and melting are not.
What it is
Living things respond to stimuli, that is, they react to changes around them, like touch, light or water.
Why it works
This response is a clear sign of life. A touch-me-not folds its leaves when touched, roots grow towards water, and we blink in bright light.
Why it matters
Responding helps living things stay safe and find what they need.
A few examples
Touch-me-not folds when touched. Roots grow towards water. We blink in bright light.
What it is
Living things have adaptations, special features that suit them to their habitat, so they can survive there.
Why it works
Because each habitat is different, creatures develop features that fit it, like a camel's hump for the desert or a fish's gills for water.
Why it matters
Adaptations explain the amazing variety of life in different places.
A few examples
A camel stores fat in its hump. A fish has gills and fins. A polar bear has thick fur.
What it is
A habitat has living (biotic) parts like plants and animals, and non-living (abiotic) parts like water, air, sunlight, soil and rocks.
Why it works
Living things depend on the non-living parts for water, air and warmth, so a habitat works only when both are present together.
Why it matters
Seeing both parts helps us understand how nature fits together.
A few examples
Fish and plants are living parts of a pond. Water, sunlight and rocks are non-living parts.
From a seed to a full plant and round again. Growing is one sign that something is alive.
Drag each creature to where it lives. sorted 0/6
Have a go first, then tap to see the clear steps.
Q1. Name three signs that show something is living.
Q2. What do all living things need to stay alive?
Q3. A touch-me-not plant folds its leaves when touched. What sign of life is this?
Q4. How is a camel adapted to the desert?
Q5. Is sunlight a living or non-living part of a habitat?
Q6. Is a fish a living or non-living part of a pond?