LIVING THINGS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT Notes, Quizzes & Revision

Living things are organisms that grow, move (or respond), reproduce and need food, water and air to survive. They show signs of life:

• Move or respond to changes (plants bend to light; animals seek shelter).
• Grow and develop (seed → seedling → tree; calf → cow).
• Reproduce (many plants make seeds; animals have young).
• Need food, water, air and a place to live (habitat).

A habitat is the place where an organism lives. Kenya has many environments that support different living things:

• Savanna (e.g., Maasai Mara): grasses, acacia trees, elephants, lions, zebras.
• Forests (e.g., Kakamega, Mau): many trees, primates, birds, insects.
• Freshwater (e.g., Lake Victoria, rivers): tilapia, papyrus plants, frogs.
• Coastal (Indian Ocean): mangroves, crabs, fish, coral reefs.
• Mountains (e.g., Mt. Kenya): unique plants, mountain antelopes, cooler climates.

Organisms depend on each other for food. A simple food chain shows who eats whom.

Many food chains join to form a food web. When one part is removed (e.g., overfishing tilapia), others are affected.

• Giraffes: long necks to reach leaves on acacia trees.
• Camouflaged insects and birds: blend into forest leaves to avoid predators.
• Fish in Lake Victoria: have bodies shaped for different water zones.
• Plants in dry areas: deep roots or small leaves to reduce water loss.

People change environments in many ways. Some changes harm living things, but people can also protect them.

• Negative effects: deforestation, pollution, overgrazing, illegal hunting, overfishing.
• Positive actions: national parks (e.g., Amboseli, Tsavo), tree-planting programs, protected fishing rules, community conservancies.

• Habitat: home of a living thing.
• Ecosystem: all living things and non-living things in an area working together.
• Producer: makes its own food (plants).
• Consumer: eats other organisms (animals).
• Decomposer: breaks down dead things (fungi, bacteria).
• Adaptation: a feature that helps an organism survive.

1. List five living things you can find near your home and name their habitats.
2. Draw a simple food chain of three organisms found in Kenya and label the roles (producer, consumer).
3. Explain one way people can help protect an environment near you (school, village, town).
4. Classify the following as living or non-living: stone, mango tree, water in a pond, spider.

Living things need a suitable environment to survive. In Kenya, different habitats support a wide variety of plants and animals. Understanding food chains, adaptations and human impact helps us care for our environment and protect the living things that share it with us.