Telling living things apart from non-living things
Everything around us is either living or non-living. Living things include people, animals, birds, insects and plants. They breathe, need food and water, grow, move on their own, feel and react to things around them, and have young ones. A puppy grows into a dog, and a seed grows into a plant. Plants do not walk, but they grow towards sunlight and some, like the touch-me-not plant, close their leaves when touched.
Non-living things, such as a stone, a chair, a toy car or a pencil, do not breathe, eat, grow or have young ones. Some non-living things move, like a car or a fan, but only when something else makes them move. All living things need air, water, food and a safe place to live, called a habitat. Fish live in water, birds build nests in trees, and many animals live in forests. Some things, like wood and leather, come from living things but are now non-living.
Why it matters
Knowing what living things need helps us take care of plants, pets and wildlife. It reminds us to water plants, give animals food and shelter, and keep habitats safe. Learning to observe and sort things around us is the first step in thinking like a scientist, and it leads to the study of plants, animals and our body.
Key terms
- Living thing
- Something that breathes, grows, needs food and can have young ones.
- Non-living thing
- Something that does not breathe, eat, grow or have young ones.
- Habitat
- The natural place where a plant or animal lives.