Biology · Grades K–3

Living things and careful observations

Use more than movement to decide whether something is alive.

Learn the idea

Living things carry out life processes such as using resources, growing and responding; not every process is obvious at one moment.

Plants are living even though they do not walk from place to place.

An object moving because it is pushed is not necessarily living.

Observe safely without harming organisms or tasting unknown plants.

A plant carries out life processes even though it does not walk.

A bean plant.

Movement can have a nonliving cause such as a motor.

No.

Name two observations that could help describe a growing plant over time.
A plant has 3 leaves, then grows 2 new leaves and loses none. How many leaves does it have?
Why is a tree still living while standing in one place?
1. It is secretly a rock.
2. Only animals can be alive.
3. Walking is not required for life.

Its height increases and new leaves appear.
Accept relevant observable changes without claiming that one observation proves every life process.
5
Add the two new leaves to the three existing leaves: 3 + 2 = 5.
Walking is not required for life.
Plants have growth, metabolism and other life processes.