The worksheets focus on understanding the unique forms of life in animal and plant kingdoms.

Over this series of worksheets, we will explore the anatomy and structures of these unique creatures. We will also present the basic concepts that build us to evolve to plant and animal species. We will look at their habitat and discover new names for packs of animals and flora regions. Students will learn how to determine the ecosystem that a species belongs to as well as the water and nutrition requirements for various plants and animals. We will also look at the most fundamental differences between living and nonliving. We find a wide variety of creatures featured here including hydra, protozoan, monerans, and we introduce energy flows through ecosystems.



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Print Characteristics of Living Things Worksheets

Click the buttons to print each worksheet and associated answer key.

Living or Nonliving Worksheet

Living or Nonliving?

Check the boxes that apply to each specimen.

Living or Nonliving Worksheet

Living or Nonliving

Matter can be living or nonliving. Circle all the matter below that would be considered living.

Living or Not Worksheet

Living or Not

Matter can be living or nonliving. Cut out the pictures below. Paste them on the correct chart below.

Protozoan Diagram Worksheet

Protozoan Diagram

Provide the labels for the parts of the amoeba on the diagram below. Describe the purpose or function of each structure labeled.

Hydra Worksheet

Hydra

A hydra is drawn to the right. Provide the labels for the parts of the hydra and provide the purpose or function of each part on the blank lines below.

Monerans Quiz

Monerans Quiz

Put the correct answer to the questions in the blanks using the words from the list below.

Why They Live Worksheet

Where Do I Call Home?

Draw a line from the animal to where they live.

Animal Chart Worksheet

The Animal Chart

Complete the missing parts of the chart below. You will name animals, indicate how they reproduce, describe how they move and use their senses.

Animal Lookout Worksheet

The Animal Lookout

Choose an animal. Describe how your animal's characteristics in the boxes

Living in the Pond Worksheet

Living in the Pond

Take a look at various pond water samples. See if you can find any living organisms. Draw a picture and write a brief description of any living things you find.

Animals That Don't Belong Worksheet

Animals That Don't Belong

Place an X on the animal that does not belong to the group.

Describing Animals Worksheet

Which Animal is It?

Circle the correct animal described.

Animal Crossword Worksheet

Animal Crossword

Write the word for each picture in the puzzle.

Plant Crossword Worksheet

Plant Crossword

You will name the picture found in the puzzle.

Where are the Plants Worksheet

Where are all the Plants?

Cut and paste all plants into the box.

Where are the Animals Worksheet

Where are all the Animals?

Cut and paste all animals into the box.

Animal or Plant Worksheet

Animal or Plant?

Place a blue circle around animals. Place a red circle around plants.

What are the Characteristics of Living Things?

Generally, scientists will classify something as living or nonliving based on their ability to perform unique processes. To some extent a living thing will be able to demonstrate all of these abilities. If something is classified as nonliving it will lack the ability to perform at least one of these processes.

Growth

From the moment these creatures come into the world they will be able to grow in size and even reproduce smaller parts of their body along the way. In order to grow organisms, need to take in materials from their environment and arrange it in such a way to use energy for growth.

Responsiveness

All living things must be able to detect and react to changes in their neighboring environment. They must have a method to receive and process information about the surroundings. In humans, we refer to this as our sense. This allows them to move away from danger and sense safe surroundings.

Movement

All living things move in some manner. The obvious form is having the ability to walk, but some organisms will exhibit phototropism which means it will extent itself towards light. Many complex organisms need to have the ability to react to changes in their environment in order to carry on their life processes. For example, an animal may need to move towards an area that has more available food than their current environment. As climate changes occur, this becomes a vital part of continuing on.

Nutrition

Organisms will need to take in nutrients to use to support life functions. Organisms perform this action in many different ways. Some will eat food others, such as plants and algae, will make their own by using photosynthesis.

Respiration

This is a chemical reaction that releases usable energy from nutrients that are taken up by their environment or internal body chemistry. This takes place in their cells and is a biochemical process that combines glucose with oxygen to releases energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) which can be used to power cellular activities.

Excretion

As part of come metabolic activities a great deal of waste products is formed. A living thing uses the process of excretion to expel this waste outside of the cells. It also be used to expel excess liquids and gases from the organism.

Reproduction

In order to maintain the continuation of the species organisms will need to reproduce themselves and pass their genetic information to their offspring. They can reproduce sexually which requires two parents and results in an offspring that shares half of their genetic information. Certain organisms reproduce asexually which involves only one parent and results in an exact copy of that parent.

Non-living Things

They do not possess life.  They lack the ability to perform all of the fundamental process that we have discussed.  They do not take part in any metabolic activities.  They often do not a definite or fixed size of their own.  They take the form of what they are contained in.  Non-living things will sometimes experience growth through a process known as accretion.  This occurs by naturally accumulating outside material that surrounds it.

The world has changed a great deal from once it was created. About eighty percent of the original forest land has either been cleared or obliterated due to human activity. This action has caused near one million animal species to be on the bubble for possible extinction. Almost ninety percent of the foods we eat come from just thirty different plant species. Human primarily use six primary animals for nutrition (cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, sheep, and fish). Although fish is a much larger category that should be explored. We have so much to learn that we have yet to explore. We have only tapped one percent of the world's rainforest for medicinal human use. About a dozen commonly used medicines were discovered in the tropical rainforest. Jungles across the world are where most of these walks of life will be forced to intermingle with one another. Cool thing about jungles, they let a lot more light in then do rainforest areas. Due to this, plants grow thick and provide a great food source for a wide variety of animals. More than half of the world's population of animals and plants live in a jungle. Most jungles are found near the equator.