Educational worksheet helping children determine if things are living by comparing a tree, a butterfly, and rocks.

Let's solve the worksheet titled "Is It Living?" step by step. The goal is to determine whether each item (a tree, a butterfly, and rocks) is living based on the characteristics of life. The key traits listed at the top are:

> All living things: grow, reproduce, move, breathe, make waste, react to things, need food (energy), and grow.

We’ll evaluate each item one by one using these criteria.

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1. A Tree

- Does it grow? ✔ Yes – Trees grow over time, increasing in height and girth.
- Does it reproduce? ✔ Yes – Trees produce seeds or spores to create new trees.
- Does it move? ✘ No – Trees don’t move from place to place like animals, though their parts (like leaves) can sway.
- Does it breathe? ✔ Yes – Trees perform respiration (take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide).
- Does it make waste? ✔ Yes – Trees release waste products like oxygen (during photosynthesis), and dead leaves fall off as waste.
- What food does it need? 🌿 Sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide (for photosynthesis).

✔ Conclusion: A tree is living.

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2. A Butterfly

- Does it grow? ✔ Yes – Butterflies go through metamorphosis (egg → larva → pupa → adult), growing significantly.
- Does it reproduce? ✔ Yes – Adult butterflies lay eggs to produce offspring.
- Does it move? ✔ Yes – Butterflies fly and crawl.
- Does it breathe? ✔ Yes – They have a respiratory system (tracheae) that takes in oxygen.
- Does it make waste? ✔ Yes – Butterflies excrete waste (e.g., frass).
- What food does it need? 🍃 Nectar from flowers (mainly), sometimes tree sap or rotting fruit.

✔ Conclusion: A butterfly is living.

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3. Rocks

- Do they grow? ✘ No – Rocks do not grow in the biological sense. They may change size due to erosion or deposition, but not through life processes.
- Do they reproduce? ✘ No – Rocks do not reproduce or create offspring.
- Do they move? ⚠️ Sometimes – But only due to external forces (wind, water, gravity). They don’t move on their own.
- Do they breathe? ✘ No – Rocks do not respire or exchange gases.
- Do they make waste? ✘ No – Rocks do not produce metabolic waste.
- What food do they need? ✘ Nothing – Rocks don’t need food or energy.

✘ Conclusion: Rocks are not living.

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✔ Final Answers:

| Item | Living? | Reason |
|------------|--------|--------|
| Tree | Yes | Grows, reproduces, breathes, makes waste, needs food |
| Butterfly | Yes | Grows, moves, breathes, reproduces, makes waste, needs food |
| Rocks | No | Does not grow, reproduce, breathe, or need food |

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This worksheet helps students understand that being alive involves more than just movement or appearance—it requires specific biological functions. Only organisms that show most or all of the traits of life are considered living.