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Living Things - Living, Non-Living or Dead
Plants and animals grow but only animals eat.

Living Things - Living, Non-Living or Dead

Explore how to sort things into living, dead, or never alive, using simple checks like growing, moving, breathing and changing over time.

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(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

When we say something is dead, it was once alive but is not alive now, like a dried leaf or a fallen tree branch.

In KS1 Science, you learn to decide if something is living, dead, or never alive. We look for signs like growth, movement, feeding, breathing, and having babies.

Key Terms

  • Living thing: Something that grows, needs food and water, breathes or respires, moves in some way, and can have babies.
  • Dead: Something that was once alive but no longer grows, moves, breathes, or reproduces, like a fallen leaf.
  • Non-living: Something that has never been alive, such as rocks, plastic toys, metal spoons, or glass.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do children learn the difference between living, dead and non-living in KS1?

In KS1, children use simple questions: Does it grow? Does it need food and water? Can it have babies? If yes, it is living. If it once did, it is dead.

What are some easy examples of non-living things for KS1 science?

Easy non-living examples include rocks, tables, pencils, cars, and plastic toys. They do not grow, eat, breathe, or have babies and were never alive.

Is a dead leaf living, dead or non-living?

A dead leaf is classed as dead. It was once part of a living plant, but it no longer grows, takes in water, or carries out life processes.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .
Molly is pretending to feed her doll. Why can the doll not eat the food?
The doll is not a living thing
The doll is full up
The doll does not like porridge
The doll is poorly
Playing with dolls is good fun. But dolls are not living things
2 .
What is the plant doing?
Walking
Talking
Growing
Eating
That’s right - all living things grow when they are young - plants and animals
3 .
The mother is feeding her baby. How do you know the baby is NOT a doll?
The baby is small
The baby eats her food
The baby has hair
The baby has big eyes
You can play with dolls. You can pretend to feed them. But dolls cannot really eat food. Dolls are not living things. Babies are living things, just like you
4 .
Jacob is eating a sandwich. Jacob eats his food. Which of these things eats food?
Flowers
Trees
Grass
Animals
That’s right - animals eat to get their food. Have you ever seen a plant eating a sandwich?
5 .
These horses are running. What are the horses doing?
Eating
Talking
Sleeping
Moving
Animals can move about. Horses can run. Birds can fly. Fish can swim
6 .
Which one of these is alive?
Chair
Table
Dog
House
People live in your house. But the house is not a living thing. Houses are made from bricks and stone
7 .
Look at the picture carefully. How do we know the bear is alive?
The bear is catching its food
There are fish in the river
The water is wet
The bear is brown
They are all true! But which one tells us the bear is alive? The bear catches fish. It eats fish. The bear has to eat food to stay alive
8 .
Which of these is NOT a living thing?
Teddy Bear
Cow
Lion
Elephant
This teddy bear is cuddly, but he doesn’t really eat, sleep or walk
9 .
How will the boy get to be as tall as his father?
The boy will read
The boy will talk
The boy will grow
The boy will watch television
All animals grow when they are young. Plants grow, too!
10 .
What about these four? Which one of these is a living thing?
Sunflower
Stone
Rock
Brick
Don’t forget - it’s not just animals that are living things. Plants are living things, too!
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Dead, living and non-living

Author:  David Bland (Former Physics Teacher, KS1 Science & Geography Quiz Writer)
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