Living and Non-living Things
FoundationLiving things grow, reproduce and respond to stimuli; non-living things do not — use these three signs to tell them apart.
- Living things grow, reproduce and respond to stimuli.
- Non-living things cannot grow, reproduce or respond.
- Things that move are not always living, like cars and robots.
文體小知識：說明文把知識講得清清楚楚。這一篇教你用三個方法，分辨身邊哪些是生物、哪些是非生物。
§Text Passage
1Around us there are all kinds of things: tall trees in the park, clouds in the sky, a puppy at home and cars on the road. Some are living things and some are non-living things. Living things have life, such as animals and plants; non-living things have no life, such as stones, toys and furniture.
2How do we tell them apart? Look for three signs. First, living things grow and develop: a puppy grows from a tiny pup into a big dog. Second, living things reproduce: a mother cat has kittens, and life goes on from one generation to the next. Third, living things respond to stimuli: call a dog and it runs to you, wagging its tail.
3Non-living things cannot grow, cannot reproduce and do not respond. Stones never grow bigger. A robot can walk and talk, but that is only a programme written by people; it never grows up and cannot have baby robots, so it is still non-living. Clouds change size, but that is only water droplets gathering and scattering — not growing.
4Knowing living from non-living helps us treat them properly: living things need air, water and food, and we must care for them; non-living things have no life but help us every day. Be a little observer — search the park and the street, and see what other living and non-living things you can find!
1Summary 重點摘要
Living things grow, reproduce and respond to stimuli; non-living things do not — use these three signs to tell them apart.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Something with life, such as animals, plants and people.
Something without life, such as stones, cars and toys.
To grow up and develop, like a seedling becoming a tree.
To have young, like a mother cat having kittens.
Something that makes a living thing react, such as sound, light or touch.
The reaction to a stimulus, like a mimosa closing its leaves when touched.
A machine made by people; it moves and talks but has no life.
To look carefully and pay attention to things around us.
What living things need to breathe to stay alive.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know what living things areThe things around us fall into two groups: living things and non-living things. Living things have life, such as animals like cats, dogs and birds, plants like trees and flowers, and us human beings. Living things need air, water and food to stay alive; without them, life cannot go on. Non-living things have no life, such as stones, cars, toys and clouds in the sky; they never eat and never fall ill. Telling whether something has life is the first step in understanding nature.
- Step 2: Remember the three signs of living thingsThree helpers help us judge whether something is alive. First, growth and development: a puppy is tiny when born and slowly becomes a big dog; a seedling takes in nutrients and grows into a tall tree. Second, reproduction: a mother cat has kittens, plants flower and make seeds, and the seeds grow into new plants, so life continues generation after generation. Third, response to stimuli: call a dog and it runs over wagging its tail; touch a mimosa and its leaves fold up. All three signs together mean it is living.
- Step 3: Know the features of non-living thingsNon-living things have no life and none of the three signs. Stones never grow bigger, grains of sand never have baby sand, and desks and chairs never answer when you call them. Non-living things do not need air, water or food, and they never fall ill or die. Yet non-living things are great helpers in our life: we live in buildings of brick and stone, ride cars to school and write with pencils. Though they have no life, they matter very much, so we should use and care for them well.
- Step 4: Watch out for tricky examplesSome things look very much like living things, so be careful. A robot can walk and talk and seems lively, but every movement comes from a programme written by people: it needs no food or water, never grows up and cannot have baby robots, so it is non-living. Clouds in the sky grow and shrink and drift about, but that is only water droplets and vapour gathering and scattering — not growth. Cars move very fast, but people drive them and petrol powers them, so they are not living either. Judge by the inside facts, not the surface.
- Step 5: Use three questions like a little detectiveIn the park or on the street, ask yourself three questions: First, does it grow? Second, can it have young? Third, does it react when touched, or to sounds or light? If the answer to all three is yes, it is living; if even one is no, it is non-living. For example, an ant grows, reproduces and runs away when touched, so it is living; a street lamp never grows and never reproduces, so it is non-living. The more you practise, the more accurate your judging becomes.
- Step 6: Care for living things, use non-living things wellOnce we can tell them apart, our attitude should differ too. Living things have life and need air, water, food and a safe home: feed pets properly, water the plants, and never hurt the little animals in the park. Non-living things have no life but help us daily, so use them wisely: treasure your toys and books, put things back after use, and try to repair what is broken. Be a little observer every day, and you will discover how wonderful the world of life really is.
5Worked example Example
Example: a cloud, a dog, a car, a big tree, a robot and an ant — which are living things and which are non-living? Why?
- The dog and the ant are animals: they grow, reproduce and react to touch and sounds, so they are living things.
- The big tree is a plant: it grows from a seed, gets taller, flowers and makes seeds that grow into new trees, so it is living too.
- The cloud, the car and the robot are not living: clouds never grow or reproduce, cars need drivers and petrol, and the robot only follows a programme.
- Remember the three questions: does it grow? can it reproduce? does it respond to stimuli? Only things that do all three are living.
- Answer: Living things are the dog, the tree and the ant, because they grow, reproduce and respond to stimuli. Non-living things are the cloud, the car and the robot, because they have no life and can neither grow nor reproduce.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What is the biggest difference between living and non-living things?
Q2A mother cat has kittens — which sign of life is this?
Q3A mimosa folds its leaves when touched — what does this show?
Q4A robot can walk. Is it a living thing?
Q5Name one non-living thing.
8Recap Recap
- Living things grow, reproduce and respond to stimuli.
- Non-living things cannot grow, reproduce or respond.
- Things that move are not always living, like cars and robots.
- Ask three questions: grow? reproduce? respond?
- Living things need air, water and food — care for them.