LIVING THINGS & NON LIVING THINGS

There are living and non-living things all around us. Go outside and explore. You can find both living and non-living things. Look inside your house and other buildings such as a grocery store.

Can you name five things that you think are living?
How do you know they are living?
Can you name five things that you think are non-living?
How do you know they are not living?

*These are some example of living things:
Tree, Fruit, Flowers , Cow , Dog , Cat

*These are some example of non-living things:
Building, Book, Table, Chair,Clothes

You have probably already noticed that nothing around us is the same. A carpenter makes chairs. Toys and bicycles are made by people in factories. How many things do you see around you that are made by people? Things that are made by people are called man-made things.

Can we make a fish, flowers, the sun, or the air? The answer is no. We cannot make these things. These things cannot be created by men or women. They are created in nature.

Things that are created in nature are called natural things (living things) while things that made by people are man-made things (non-living things).

Here is some list of man-made and natural things

Man-made things (Non-living things)
Clothes
Furniture
Pots & Pans
Pencil, Pen , Books
Car, Bicycle
Paper

Natural things (Living things)
Rocks
Butterflies
Elephants
Trees
Sun, Moon, Stars.
People

Both lists show many different things. Some of these things can move while others cannot. Some of these things need food while others do not. Some can grow, others do not grow. Some breathe, others do not breathe. A table, chair, pencil, and clothes cannot grow. These things cannot talk or walk. Things, which do not grow, move, or respond are called non-living things.

A baby plant grows into a big plant or into a tree. A puppy grows into a dog. A baby grows into a person. Things that grow, breathe, and respond are called living things.

All man-made things are non-living things, but not all natural things are living things. While people, animals, and plants are living natural things, stars, mountains, clouds, air, and water are non-living natural things

TRAITS OF LIVING THINGS
Something that is specific to a certain thing is called a trait. All living things have common traits that separate them from non-living things. Here is a list of the most common traits living things share.

i) All living things grow
You have probably seen pictures from when you were a baby. You do not look anything like you did back then. You were smaller. You had less hair and teeth. You weighed less. You have also probably seen pictures of your parents when they were your age. They have changed quite a bit since then. That is because, as a living thing they grow as they get older. People are not the only things that grow. Plants grow from seeds to full grown trees, grass, and flowers. Puppies grow into dogs, and kittens grow into cats.

ii) All living things can move
Move your hand back and forth. Kick your feet. Watch a fish swim in its tank. It is common for living things to move. Even plants move in their own way. As they grow the stem grows and moves upward. The flowers bloom as they fold outward. The leaves fan out as they move in their own way as well. Even some of the smallest living things can move. A gnat can fly around. So can bees and flies. A cricket hops around much like a grasshopper does.

iii) All living things need energy to live
The most common source of energy is food. Living things ‘take in’ food in order to live and survive. A plant must make its own food in order to grow and thrive. A person must eat food and drink water to survive. Food is a necessity for all living things. A necessity is something you cannot live without or you will die.

iv) All living things respond
Try shining a flashlight in your eyes. Your response will be to blink your eyes. That is because all living things have the ability to respond to what isaround them. Humans use their five senses, the ability talk, and the ability to move to respond to everything around them.

v) All living things reproduce
Living things are created by other living things. This is called reproduction. When a human is reproduced a mother has a baby. Animals reproduce by having babies, as well. Plants reproduce through their seeds that are replanted to turn into new plants. Even the tiniest (microscopic) living things are able to reproduce