Distinguish living organisms from non-living objects using life processes such as growth and respiration. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.
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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6
Living things & life processes
Take your time. Show your thinking.
1. Is a smooth beach pebble a living thing or a non-living thing?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
2. Do clouds move across the sky because they are living animals, or because wind carries them (non-living)?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
3. When a seedling becomes a tall tree over several years, which life process is shown: growth or melting?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
4. Which of these is a living thing that grows, respires and reproduces: a mango tree or a plastic chair?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
5. Do all living things need food (nutrition) and water to stay alive (Yes / No)?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
6. What is the correct order of a flowering plant’s life cycle: Seed → Seedling → Mature plant with flowers → Fruit with seeds, or Fruit → Seed → Leaf?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
7. Is a seashell washed up on the beach “once part of a living animal” or “made of plastic”?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
8. Which of these is a living organism: a coral polyp or a glass marble?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
9. Does a battery-powered toy robot count as a biological living thing just because it moves (Yes / No)?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
10. Which part of a plant cell gives it a rigid box-like shape and is not found in animal cells: the cell wall or the heart?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
11. Why do living animals move from place to place: to find food, water and shelter and escape danger, or to turn into stone?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
12. Are mushrooms and yeast living organisms (fungi) or non-living stones?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
View the answer key
Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6
Living things & life processes
Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.
1. Is a smooth beach pebble a living thing or a non-living thing?
Non-living thing
A pebble is a rock and does not grow, respire or reproduce.
2. Do clouds move across the sky because they are living animals, or because wind carries them (non-living)?
Because wind carries them (non-living)
Clouds are non-living collections of water droplets moved by air currents.
3. When a seedling becomes a tall tree over several years, which life process is shown: growth or melting?
Growth
Living organisms grow and develop by making new cells.
4. Which of these is a living thing that grows, respires and reproduces: a mango tree or a plastic chair?
Mango tree
A mango tree is a living organism that carries out life processes.
5. Do all living things need food (nutrition) and water to stay alive (Yes / No)?
Yes
All living organisms require energy and nutrients to maintain life processes.
6. What is the correct order of a flowering plant’s life cycle: Seed → Seedling → Mature plant with flowers → Fruit with seeds, or Fruit → Seed → Leaf?
Seed → Seedling → Mature plant with flowers → Fruit with seeds
A germinating seed grows into a seedling, matures, flowers and produces new seeds.
7. Is a seashell washed up on the beach “once part of a living animal” or “made of plastic”?
Once part of a living animal
Seashells are grown as protective coverings by living marine molluscs.
8. Which of these is a living organism: a coral polyp or a glass marble?
Coral polyp
Coral polyps are living marine animals.
9. Does a battery-powered toy robot count as a biological living thing just because it moves (Yes / No)?
No
A toy robot does not grow, respire, feed or reproduce, so it is non-living.
10. Which part of a plant cell gives it a rigid box-like shape and is not found in animal cells: the cell wall or the heart?
Cell wall
Plant cells have a cellulose cell wall outside the cell membrane.
11. Why do living animals move from place to place: to find food, water and shelter and escape danger, or to turn into stone?
To find food, water and shelter and escape danger
Locomotion helps animals obtain resources and avoid predators.
12. Are mushrooms and yeast living organisms (fungi) or non-living stones?
Living organisms (fungi)
Fungi are living organisms that absorb nutrients and reproduce via spores or budding.
12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6
Living things & life processes
Take your time. Show your thinking.
1. Is a smooth beach pebble a living thing or a non-living thing?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
2. Do clouds move across the sky because they are living animals, or because wind carries them (non-living)?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
3. When a seedling becomes a tall tree over several years, which life process is shown: growth or melting?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
4. Which of these is a living thing that grows, respires and reproduces: a mango tree or a plastic chair?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
5. Do all living things need food (nutrition) and water to stay alive (Yes / No)?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
6. What is the correct order of a flowering plant’s life cycle: Seed → Seedling → Mature plant with flowers → Fruit with seeds, or Fruit → Seed → Leaf?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
7. Is a seashell washed up on the beach “once part of a living animal” or “made of plastic”?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
8. Which of these is a living organism: a coral polyp or a glass marble?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
9. Does a battery-powered toy robot count as a biological living thing just because it moves (Yes / No)?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
10. Which part of a plant cell gives it a rigid box-like shape and is not found in animal cells: the cell wall or the heart?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
11. Why do living animals move from place to place: to find food, water and shelter and escape danger, or to turn into stone?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
12. Are mushrooms and yeast living organisms (fungi) or non-living stones?
Sun + H₂O → Growth & Life
12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6
Living things & life processes
Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.
1. Is a smooth beach pebble a living thing or a non-living thing?
Non-living thing
A pebble is a rock and does not grow, respire or reproduce.
2. Do clouds move across the sky because they are living animals, or because wind carries them (non-living)?
Because wind carries them (non-living)
Clouds are non-living collections of water droplets moved by air currents.
3. When a seedling becomes a tall tree over several years, which life process is shown: growth or melting?
Growth
Living organisms grow and develop by making new cells.
4. Which of these is a living thing that grows, respires and reproduces: a mango tree or a plastic chair?
Mango tree
A mango tree is a living organism that carries out life processes.
5. Do all living things need food (nutrition) and water to stay alive (Yes / No)?
Yes
All living organisms require energy and nutrients to maintain life processes.
6. What is the correct order of a flowering plant’s life cycle: Seed → Seedling → Mature plant with flowers → Fruit with seeds, or Fruit → Seed → Leaf?
Seed → Seedling → Mature plant with flowers → Fruit with seeds
A germinating seed grows into a seedling, matures, flowers and produces new seeds.
7. Is a seashell washed up on the beach “once part of a living animal” or “made of plastic”?
Once part of a living animal
Seashells are grown as protective coverings by living marine molluscs.
8. Which of these is a living organism: a coral polyp or a glass marble?
Coral polyp
Coral polyps are living marine animals.
9. Does a battery-powered toy robot count as a biological living thing just because it moves (Yes / No)?
No
A toy robot does not grow, respire, feed or reproduce, so it is non-living.
10. Which part of a plant cell gives it a rigid box-like shape and is not found in animal cells: the cell wall or the heart?
Cell wall
Plant cells have a cellulose cell wall outside the cell membrane.
11. Why do living animals move from place to place: to find food, water and shelter and escape danger, or to turn into stone?
To find food, water and shelter and escape danger
Locomotion helps animals obtain resources and avoid predators.
12. Are mushrooms and yeast living organisms (fungi) or non-living stones?
Living organisms (fungi)
Fungi are living organisms that absorb nutrients and reproduce via spores or budding.
12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification