Living Things Notes, Quizzes & Revision

Overview

"Living Things" are organisms that grow, move, reproduce and respond to their environment. These notes use simple language and Kenyan examples (maize, mango, cow, chicken) to help learners aged age_replace understand how to recognise and care for living things.

Specific learning outcomes

• Identify living and non-living things in the local environment.
• Describe common characteristics of living things (movement, growth, reproduction, response).
• Classify simple examples into plants and animals using observable features.
• Explain basic ways to care for living things (watering, feeding, sheltering).

Key characteristics of living things

• Grow — living things get bigger or change over time (seed → seedling → plant).
• Move — animals move from place to place; plants may move parts (leaves turn to the sun).
• Reproduce — they produce young ones (animals have babies; plants make seeds).
• Respond to the environment — react to light, water, heat or sound (shrinking from heat, opening flowers to the sun).
• Breathe / Respire — exchange gases or use oxygen (humans and animals breathe; plants respire too).
• Need food / nutrition — get energy from food (animals eat; plants make their food by photosynthesis).
• Excrete — remove waste (animals pass urine/feces; plants shed leaves).
• Made of cells — all living things have cells (too small to see without a microscope).

How to tell: Living or Non-living?

Look for signs. Tick the features you can observe:

• Does it grow? ✅
• Does it reproduce (have young or seeds)? ✅
• Does it move or respond to touch/light/sound? ✅
• Does it need food or water? ✅

If most answers are "yes", it is likely living. Example: a mango tree grows, makes flowers and fruits (seeds), and responds to watering and sunlight. A rock does not.

Examples from our Kenyan environment

Simple visual: Life cycle (plant)

Seed → Germination → Seedling → Mature plant → Flowers → Fruit with seeds

How to care for living things

• Plants: water regularly, plant in good soil, give enough sunlight, protect from pests.
• Animals: provide shelter, clean water, balanced food, and veterinary care when sick.
• Humans: eat nutritious food, drink clean water, sleep well, keep clean.
• Environment: keep the school compound and village clean to protect living things.

Key terms (glossary)

Organism

Any living thing (plant, animal, fungus, microbe).

Photosynthesis

How plants make food from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.

Germination

When a seed begins to grow into a plant.

Habitat

The natural place where a living thing lives (farm, forest, pond).

Activities

1. Class walk: list 8 living and 8 non-living things you see around the school. Note how you decided.
2. Seed planting: plant a bean seed in a cup, water it, and record growth for two weeks (draw pictures).
3. Sorting cards: make cards with pictures of plants and animals and sort them into two groups.
4. Care plan: in groups, choose one local plant and write three ways to care for it.

Assessment (short)

1. Give two examples of living things found on a farm. (2 marks)
2. Name three characteristics of living things. (3 marks)
3. True or False: A rock grows. (1 mark)
4. Explain why a seed is considered living. (2 marks)

Teaching tips for teachers/parents

• Use local examples (maize field, household animals) to make learning relevant.
• Encourage drawing and simple labelled diagrams to show growth stages.
• Keep language simple for age_replace learners and use Kiswahili/English translations where helpful.