Living and Non-living Things

Looking around

Our environment has living things like plants and animals, and non-living things like soil, rocks and water. In the KICD Science and Technology curriculum, Grade 4 learners observe and classify things around them.

Characteristics of living things

Remember MRS GREN or the seven features:

1. Movement: animals move from place to place; plants bend toward light.
2. Respiration: they take in oxygen to release energy.
3. Sensitivity: they respond to changes such as light or touch.
4. Growth: they get bigger and develop.
5. Reproduction: they produce young ones.
6. Excretion: they get rid of waste.
7. Nutrition: they need food.

Examples

Living: maize plant, cow, hen, person, mushroom. Non-living: stone, pencil, water, soil, bicycle.

A tricky case

A bicycle or matatu moves, but it does not grow, feed or reproduce, so it is non-living. A seed looks still, but it is alive and will germinate when given water.

Why classify?

Grouping things helps scientists study and protect them, for example when conserving animals in Maasai Mara or Tsavo.

Try it

• Walk around the school compound and list five living and five non-living things.
• Explain why a tree is living.
• Water a bean seed and observe it for one week.