What Living Things Need

ScienceOrganisms & Life ProcessesAges 5–7

Understand what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive: water, food, air, and suitable conditions

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Teaching Table

Set out your lesson

Compare the needs of animals and green plants without depriving a living thing.

Activity

Can attend to a short explanation and respond orally, by pointing, drawing or writing; check relevant prerequisite understanding rather than assuming age proves readiness.

Policy

Check readiness rather than assuming age or source graph order establishes attainment.

Materials

Prepared passage, worksheet materials are available in each step.

Preparation

Open the teaching material first. Keep the adult key and check sheet separate until their named stage. No printing, purchase or external media is required for the supplied adapted text tasks.

Safety

Discussion only; no withholding food, air, water, sleep, warmth or shelter from living things.

Optional Observation

Only record a real observation after the activity is actually carried out safely; otherwise mark not carried out.

Materials are ready in each step. Use them on screen or print just the current step. Put teaching examples aside before the learner tries.

What this lesson covers and its limits

These are bounded opportunities, not learner attainment. Partial and blocked source requirements remain so.

partial: Understand what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive: water, food, air, and suitable conditions
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using repeated-application evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: List the basic needs of animals: water, food, air, shelter
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using repeated-application evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: List the basic needs of plants: water, light, air, suitable temperature
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using repeated-application evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: Explain what happens if one basic need is missing (e.g. 'the plant wilts without water')
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using repeated-application evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: If you ask {{name}} what a pet dog or a garden plant needs to stay alive, can they list the basic things like water, food, and air?
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using repeated-application evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.

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Compare the needs of animals and green plants without depriving a living thing.

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Check understanding

List the basic needs of animals: water, food, air, shelter
List the basic needs of plants: water, light, air, suitable temperature
Explain what happens if one basic need is missing (e.g. 'the plant wilts without water')

“If you ask your child what a pet dog or a garden plant needs to stay alive, can they list the basic things like water, food, and air?”

Curriculum record

Type: Conceptual
Subject: Science
Domain: Organisms & Life Processes
Age range: Ages 5–7

Standards

ngss-k5:K-LS1-1uk-nc-2013:Y2.Sci.A.2uk-nc-2013:Y2.Sci.P.2