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Living and Non-Living Things

Students answer questions about how scientists classify living organisms and differentiate between 'living', 'non-living' and 'never lived'.

'Living and Non-Living Things' worksheet

Key stage:  KS 1

Year:  Year 2 Science worksheets

Curriculum topic:   Living Things and Their Habitats

Curriculum subtopic:   Things Living, Dead or Never Alive

Popular topics:   Biology worksheets, Biology old worksheets

Difficulty level:  

Worksheet Overview

Everything on Earth can be divided into two groups - 'Living' and 'Non-Living'. If we think about it, we could say that movement is a good way of deciding between the two, but not always!

hedgehog Union Jack flag Trees covered in moss

Look at the pictures, a hibernating hedgehog does not appear to move, even her breathing is slow and shallow. A fluttering Union Jack Flag moves a lot, but is it alive? Very slow growing moss needs a lot of watching to see it move -  but we know moss is alive!

 

Let's think about 'Non-Living' things because thats not as simple as it seems. Many objects and materials which we use everyday can be described as 'Never-Lived'.

 

wooden chair ruby ring leather boots

It's important that we know the difference between things in these three groups. The chair is made of pine, which was once part of a living tree, the leather to make the boots also came from a living thing, the hide of a cow, but the materials needed to make the ruby ring have never lived - they've been mined from the earth.

 

Movement is not enough to decide if something is living. We know that living things also grow and reproduce. These three characteristics are part of the LIFE PROCESSES.

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