Download Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple

Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
1
By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
What does it mean to be alive?
You are alive because you are
human, but how do you know you
are alive? Your computer is not
alive. Paper is not alive, but at
one time the trees that made
paper were alive.
Knowing whether a thing is alive
or not alive is simple on the
surface, but there are actually rules about how we determine
if things are living. Just like all mammals share certain
characteristics, so do all living things.
Characteristics of Living Things
There are eight basic characteristics that all living things
share and they are:
All living things
All living things
externally.
All living things
All living things
All living things
All living things
All living things
All living things
feed or take in nutrients to live
have movement, either internally or
breathe in and out.
grow.
can sense the outside world.
reproduce.
create waste.
are made up of at least one cell.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Let’s talk about each one of these things
in more detail. All living things must
feed or take in nutrients. In other
words, all living things require food of
one kind or another. This is because all
living things grow and in order to grow
we have to have energy. Anything in the
universe that grows or is built, or moves requires energy to do
it.
Non-living things can use up energy, but that doesn’t mean
they are living. For example, a tsunami requires energy to
form. The energy of the tsunami comes from the
displacement of water, which typically comes from an
earthquake. None of these things are living – but they use
energy – just like your living body uses energy too.
All living things have movement – either
internally or externally. Internal means
things that happen on the inside, while
external means things that happen on the
outside. You know that you move – you
can move your eyes to see this unit study.
You can use your hand to move a pencil to
fill out a worksheet. Or you can use your legs to pedal a bike.
You move! You are living!
Plants don’t seem to move, but they do because they are alive.
Plants have both internal and external movement. They take
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
in water (which is food) from their roots and
move it up the stem. That’s internal movement.
But they also move as they grow (which is
another requirement).
All living things breathe in and out. You breathe in oxygen and
breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide
and breathe out oxygen.
Living things that breathe oxygen need it to complete the
steps of metabolism. Metabolism is how we convert food into
energy.
Fish also breathe in – but they breathe in water. Hidden
inside the water are tiny bubbles of oxygen that can be
removed by their gills and shuttled around their bodies for
metabolism.
All living things grow from one state to
another. Not all living things do it in the
same way, but they will change, even if
ever so slightly. Most of the time when
we think of growing we think of
ourselves. We begin as babies, grow into
toddlers, then small children, then
teenagers, then adults. That is the
lifecycle of a human – all living things
have a lifecycle because all living things
grow.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Non-living things can have a “lifecycle”
too. For example – clouds have a
lifecycle. Water warms and evaporates
from the surface of the earth, rises up
in the air, cools, and condenses into
water droplets – which are clouds.
When the cloud makes rain, it
disappears because it loses its water!
But clouds are not living things even though they appear to
grow.
All living things have senses or can at least sense their
environment in some way.
You have 5 senses;
Hearing
Seeing
Touching
Tasting
Smelling
Not all living things have 5 senses, but even very simple living
things can sense their outside environment in some primitive
way.
All living things reproduce and recreate their species.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Oak trees make acorns and acorns are seeds. Seeds are how
some plants reproduce.
Other plants, like flowers don’t release seeds, but have them
internally.
Pine trees make pine cones, which are seeds.
Frogs lay eggs, and mammals give birth to live young.
All things create waste. It’s not a
pleasant thought, but we all make waste.
One kind of waste for humans is carbon
dioxide – remember that was the gas that
we breathe out.
It’s a good thing we do make this waste
because our waste is another living thing’s
food. Plants need our carbon dioxide to
live because that is the gas they use for
energy.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
All living things are made up of at least
one cell. The cell is the basic building
block of life. Some living things only
have one cell – they are called single
celled organisms. Humans are made up
of many cells and many cell types.
The job of the cell is different from
organism to organism, but generally
speaking the cell is how metabolism is
completed.
Sometimes non-living things can be made up of cells too – but
if a non-living thing is made up of cells that means it is dead.
Rotting wood in the forest is made
up of cells because it was once
alive – but rotting trees are not
alive because they no longer meet
all of the other requirements of
living things.
Examples of Living Things
Mammals are one group of animal
which share common
characteristics.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
This baby horse will grow, eat grass as
food, make waste, is made up of cells,
will make baby horses when she grows
up, breathes in oxygen and out carbon
dioxide, and can sense the outside
world.
All birds are living things because they
fit all the requirements. They
breathe in oxygen like us, eat, grow
from an egg, to a chick, to an adult,
and can sense their outside world
through the 5 senses. They meet all the criteria of living
things.
Fish are also living things. They do everything we do except
they do it under water!
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Invertebrates are animal that
have no backbone, like the worm,
jellyfish, starfish, or the coral in
a reef. They still meet all the
requirements, but in a different
way than mammals. Some do not
have the 5 senses, but they do at
least have one sense. Jellyfish
don’t even have a brain, but they can sense when food is near!
Insects, reptiles, and amphibians are also living things. Like
the jellyfish, they might not all meet the requirements for
living things in the same way as a mammal, but they do possess
them all in one way or another.
Plants are the name we use to describe all living things that
use the sunlight as one of their main nutrients. Even though
plants take in carbon dioxide to power metabolism, that is not
the only thing they require. Sunlight is the energy used to
power the chemical reactions that turn food into energy.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Some living things that use the sunlight for metabolism are
made up of only a single cell – one such example is
cyanobacteria.
Photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Bob_Blaylock
Cyanobacteria are sometimes called
blue-green algae because of their
pretty color, but they are not algae
(which are plants) in fact,
cyanobacteria are bacteria.
Bacteria are single celled living things.
Some bacteria are good and help
other living things, but others are
very harmful to living things. Bacteria
that cause disease are called pathogens.
Examples of pathogenic bacteria are anthrax, tetanus, and
tuberculosis.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Many bacteria can move using a tail-like structure called a
flagellum, but remember that outside movement is not the
only way to fulfill the requirement for living things. Inside
movement works as well.
Bacteria don’t make babies like mammals or make seeds like
plants – instead they use a process called binary fission. This
just means they split themselves in half to reproduce.
Mushrooms are also living things but
they are not animals or plants! They
are called fungi! A fungus, such as a
mushroom, does not reproduce using
seeds, live birth, or binary fission.
Instead they use spores. Spores can
be thought of like seeds, but just
know that they are not seeds.
Fungi meet all the criteria of living things and in fact, are a
vital component to any ecosystem because they are
decomposers. That means they break down dead material
(things that used to be living but are now dead) and turn them
into nutrients for the soil.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Examples of Non-Living Things
Now that you know all about living things, let’s take a look at
what isn’t living.
Weather is not living even though it can appear to move and
grow – phenomena such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, and
hurricanes are not living. Sunlight is also non-living even
though plants use sunlight as a nutrient to keep them alive.
Water is not living, which many seem weird since as far as we
know living things must have water on a regular basis
to stay alive. If a living thing does not have water – it
will die! But water is not alive.
Soil and rocks are not alive either even though plants
and trees need soil to deliver them water to keep
them alive! Gold, silver, copper, iron, diamonds,
emeralds, and sapphires are not alive either!
Our bodies need small amounts of rocks (called
minerals) to live. One example of this is iron. Our
blood cells use iron to carry oxygen around our bodies
– so without iron we would die – but iron is not living.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Wood, such as that which makes up your desk or dining room
table, is not alive, even though it once was. This means that
non-living things can be broken up into two categories:
Things that were never living
(Rocks, minerals, water, soil)
Things that were once living but are now
dead
(wood, leather, jam, paper)
Paper was once a tree, but it is not alive.
Firewood was once a tree, but it is not alive.
Amber was once tree resin, but it is not alive.
Jam was once berries on a tree, but jam is not alive.
Leather was once the hide of a cow, but it is not
alive.
Sometimes the line that separates the living and the non-living
gets a little blurry. An example of this is a virus. Everyone
has heard of a virus – some people even confuse a virus with
bacteria, but they are not the same. In fact, they are VERY
different because one is alive and one is not!
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Viruses are not considered to be living even though they can
exhibit all the criteria of living things. This subject is
controversial and that means people cannot all agree whether
or not viruses are living or non-living. The general consensus is
that viruses are not alive – but the opposite argument can
also be made.
The controversy arises from the
fact that viruses cannot reproduce
without a host – or body to invade.
Just sitting alone, or even together
with many other viruses, is not
enough to make them reproduce.
They must invade a living body to
begin the process.
Since they do not actually meet the
requirement for reproduction, they cannot be included in the
same category as other living things.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Another less controversial, but even more
confounding, example of a non-living thing is DNA
– or deoxyribonucleic acid.
DNA is the ultimate building block of living
things – even more so than the cell because DNA
is contained within the cell. ALL living things have
DNA and it acts as the instructions for how that
specific organism is made, how all the parts fit together to
create life, and what it needs to stay alive. But DNA is just a
collection of non-living elements such as carbon, oxygen,
hydrogen, phosphorus and others.
So isn’t it ironic that many of
the requirements for things
to be alive are not actually
living things themselves?
How do you make a
determination of whether or
not things are alive? Well,
you do it scientifically using a
scientific process. In other
words – you go down the list
and ask yourself if the object
meets all 8 of the criteria for
living things.
If it misses just one – it is not alive!
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Student Activities
Write the letter of the correct match next to each problem.
a. An organism which does not exhibit all of the
1.
Living
characteristics of living things.
b. A characteristic of living things which can be either
2.
Non-living
internal or external.
c. A gas that is required for metabolism in plants and which
3.
Characteristics
is exhaled as a waste product in animals.
d. A feature that helps to identify, tell apart, or describe
4.
Nutrients
recognizably; a distinguishing mark or trait.
e. A source of nourishment, especially a nourishing
5.
Movement
ingredient in a food.
6.
Internal
f. Occurring on the inside.
7.
External
g. Occurring on the outside.
h. A gas that makes up one of the main components of the
earth’s atmosphere and which is required for life in many
8.
Plants
organisms.
i. One of the many living organisms on the earth which use
photosynthesis and the power of the sun as a way to
9.
Oxygen
Carbon
10.
dioxide
make food.
j. An organism which exhibits all the characteristics of
living things.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Exercise 2
Write the letter of the correct match next to each problem.
a. Anything that is left over from metabolism and is released
1.
Metabolism
from a living organism.
b. The pattern of growth of an organism from development,
2.
Energy
to birth, growth, and death.
c. The development of an organism over time, whereby it
goes from a smaller or more simple organism to a larger or
3.
Gills
more complex organism.
d. The chemical processes occurring within a living cell or
4.
Growth
5.
Lifecycle
organism that are necessary for the maintenance of life.
e. The product of metabolism in a living thing.
f. Organs in a living thing that allow perception of the
6.
Senses
7.
Reproduction
outside world.
g. The first stage in the plant lifecycle.
h. The process by which an organism creates new individuals
8.
Seeds
9.
Waste
of the same species.
i. The breathing organ of many animals living in water.
j. The smallest individual unit of a living thing which is
10.
Cell
capable of independent function.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Exercise 3
Write the letter of the correct match next to each problem.
a. The process of reproduction whereby bacteria split in
1.
Invertebrates
half.
b. A type of living thing that is neither a plant nor animal
2.
Photosynthesis
and reproduces using spores.
c. A blue-green bacteria that resembles algae and is made
3.
Cyanobacteria
4.
Bacteria
up of only a single cell.
d. Bacteria that cause disease.
e. Single celled living things that reproduce using binary
5.
Flagellum
fission.
f. A tail like structure found on single celled living things
6.
Pathogens
7.
Binary fission
which can be used for movement.
g. Animals that do not have a backbone.
h. A metabolic process whereby plants turn carbon dioxide
8.
Fungus
and water into food using sunlight.
i. A small seed-like pod that is the first stage in the
9.
Spores
mushroom lifecycle.
j. An organism that feeds on and breaks down dead plant
10.
Decomposer
or animal matter and creates nutrients in the soil.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Exercise 4
Write the letter of the correct match next to each problem.
a. Natural phenomena which occur in the atmosphere such as
1.
Weather
rain, wind, hurricanes, tornadoes, and clouds.
2.
Soil
b. Petrified tree resin.
3.
Amber
c. The processed hide of a cow.
d. A non-living thing which mimics living organisms in all ways
4.
Leather
except reproduction.
e. The basic structure of all things and which includes oxygen,
5.
Jam
hydrogen, gold, silver, iron, or sodium.
6.
Minerals
f. A preserve made from whole fruit boiled to a pulp with sugar.
7.
Virus
g. An animal which is used for reproduction by a virus.
8.
Host
h. An element, such as gold or silver.
i. Short for deoxyribonucleic acid which is the basic instructions
9.
DNA
for all living things.
j. The top layer of the earth's surface which is made up of rocks,
10.
Elements
dirt, minerals, and living things that have died.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
21
By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
22
By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
23
By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Parent Solutions
Write the letter of the correct match next to each problem.
a. An organism which does not exhibit all of the
j
1.
Living
characteristics of living things.
b. A characteristic of living things which can be either
a
2.
Non-living
internal or external.
c. A gas that is required for metabolism in plants and which
d
3.
Characteristics
is exhaled as a waste product in animals.
d. A feature that helps to identify, tell apart, or describe
e
4.
Nutrients
recognizably; a distinguishing mark or trait.
e. A source of nourishment, especially a nourishing
b
5.
Movement
ingredient in a food.
6.
f
Internal
f. Occurring on the inside.
7.
g
External
g. Occurring on the outside.
h. A gas that makes up one of the main components of the
i
8.
earth’s atmosphere and which is required for life in many
Plants
organisms.
i. One of the many living organisms on the earth which use
photosynthesis and the power of the sun as a way to
h
9.
Oxygen
Carbon
make food.
j. An organism which exhibits all the characteristics of
c
10.
dioxide
living things.
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Exercise 2
Write the letter of the correct match next to each problem.
a. Anything that is left over from metabolism and is released
d
1.
Metabolism
from a living organism.
b. The pattern of growth of an organism from development,
e
2.
Energy
to birth, growth, and death.
c. The development of an organism over time, whereby it
i
3.
goes from a smaller or more simple organism to a larger or
Gills
more complex organism.
d. The chemical processes occurring within a living cell or
c
4.
5.
Growth
b
Lifecycle
organism that are necessary for the maintenance of life.
e. The product of metabolism in a living thing.
f. Organs in a living thing that allow perception of the
f
6.
7.
Senses
h
Reproduction
outside world.
g. The first stage in the plant lifecycle.
h. The process by which an organism creates new individuals
g
8.
9.
Seeds
a
Waste
of the same species.
i. The breathing organ of many animals living in water.
j. The smallest individual unit of a living thing which is
j
10.
Cell
capable of independent function.
25
By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Exercise 3
Write the letter of the correct match next to each problem.
a. The process of reproduction whereby bacteria split in
g
1.
Invertebrates
half.
b. A type of living thing that is neither a plant nor animal
h
2.
Photosynthesis
and reproduces using spores.
c. A blue-green bacteria that resembles algae and is made
c
3.
4.
Cyanobacteria
e
Bacteria
up of only a single cell.
d. Bacteria that cause disease.
e. Single celled living things that reproduce using binary
f
5.
Flagellum
fission.
f. A tail like structure found on single celled living things
d
6.
7.
Pathogens
a
Binary fission
which can be used for movement.
g. Animals that do not have a backbone.
h. A metabolic process whereby plants turn carbon dioxide
b
8.
Fungus
and water into food using sunlight.
i. A small seed-like pod that is the first stage in the
i
9.
Spores
mushroom lifecycle.
j. An organism that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or
j
10.
Decomposer
animal matter and creates nutrients in the soil.
26
By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
Exercise 4
Write the letter of the correct match next to each problem.
a. Natural phenomena which occur in the atmosphere such as
a
1.
Weather
rain, wind, hurricanes, tornadoes, and clouds.
2.
j
Soil
b. Petrified tree resin.
3.
b
Amber
c. The processed hide of a cow.
d. A non-living thing which mimics living organisms in all ways
c
4.
Leather
except reproduction.
e. The basic structure of all things and which includes oxygen,
f
5.
Jam
hydrogen, gold, silver, iron, or sodium.
6.
h
Minerals
f. A preserve made from whole fruit boiled to a pulp with sugar.
7.
d
Virus
g. An animal which is used for reproduction by a virus.
8.
g
Host
h. An element, such as gold or silver.
i. Short for deoxyribonucleic acid which is the basic instructions
i
9.
DNA
for all living things.
j. The top layer of the earth's surface which is made up of rocks,
e
10.
Elements
dirt, minerals, and living things that have died.
27
By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
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By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
29
By J. Anne Huss
Simple Schooling Living and Non-Living Things ©2011 The Simple Homeschool
30
By J. Anne Huss