Living and Nonliving Things Worksheets | Twinkl - Twinkl - Free Printable

You're looking at a “Living and Nonliving Things” educational worksheet designed to help students distinguish between living organisms and nonliving objects based on key biological characteristics.

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## ✔ STEP 1: Understand the Definition

According to the worksheet:

> Living things share these seven characteristics:
> - Movement
> - Reproduction
> - Respond to stimuli
> - Take in nutrients
> - Excrete waste
> - Respire (breathe)
> - Grow

> Nonliving things cannot do all seven of these.

This is a simplified but accurate way to teach young learners the core differences.

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## ✔ STEP 2: Identify the Items in the Image

The image contains 10 items:

1. 🐟 Fish (in aquarium)
2. 🐕 Dog
3. 🍎 Apple (on tree or ground — it’s a fruit from a living plant)
4. 🌳 Tree
5. 🪨 Rock
6. 📮 Mailbox (red, metal/plastic)
7. 🌱 Small plant/seedling
8. 🌻 Sunflower
9. 🧪 Jars with liquid (likely representing chemicals or preserved specimens — nonliving)
10. 🥫 Can (canned food — processed, nonliving)

*(Note: The apple and sunflower are parts of living plants, so they count as living if we consider them as part of a living organism — even though harvested fruits can no longer grow or reproduce independently, in elementary science, they’re often grouped with living things because they come from living organisms and still show signs like decay.)*

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## ✔ STEP 3: Circle the Living Things

Based on the 7 characteristics, circle:

✔ Fish – swims (movement), eats, breathes, grows, reproduces, responds to stimuli
✔ Dog – moves, eats, breathes, grows, reproduces, responds
✔ Tree – grows, takes nutrients, respires, reproduces (seeds), responds to light
✔ Small plant/seedling – same as tree
✔ Sunflower – same as tree; also reproduces via seeds
✔ Apple – *debatable*, but typically included in K-5 as “living” because it came from a living plant and still undergoes biological processes (like ripening, decaying). In strict terms, once picked, it’s not alive anymore — but for this level, it’s often considered living.

🚫 Rock – doesn’t move, grow, respire, etc. → nonliving
🚫 Mailbox – man-made object → nonliving
🚫 Jars with liquid – likely chemicals or preserved specimens → nonliving
🚫 Can – metal container, no life processes → nonliving

> 💡 Important Note: Some educators may argue that an apple is nonliving once picked — but since this is an elementary-level worksheet, and the apple is shown attached to a tree or fresh-looking, it’s safer to include it as living for learning purposes.

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## ✔ STEP 4: Fill in the Lists

🌿 Make a list of ten living things:

*(Even though only 6–7 are clearly living in the image, you can repeat or add general examples if needed — but since the worksheet says “circle the items,” we’ll use only those shown.)*

Since there are only 6 clear living things in the image, you may need to list them and perhaps add common examples if allowed. But strictly from the image:

1. Fish
2. Dog
3. Tree
4. Small plant
5. Sunflower
6. Apple

*(If you must fill 10, you can repeat or add: bird, butterfly, grass, human, etc. — but the worksheet implies using the pictured items.)*

> 📝 Tip: If this is a classroom activity, teachers might allow listing real-world examples beyond the image. But based on instructions (“Circle the items that are living things”), stick to what’s pictured.

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🧱 Make a list of ten nonliving things:

From the image:

1. Rock
2. Mailbox
3. Jars with liquid
4. Can
5. *(Only 4 nonliving items shown — again, you may need to add others like: pencil, chair, water, air, book, etc.)*

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## ✔ FINAL ANSWER (As per worksheet instructions):

✔️ Circle These 6 Living Things:

- Fish
- Dog
- Tree
- Small plant
- Sunflower
- Apple

✘ Do NOT circle These 4 Nonliving Things:

- Rock
- Mailbox
- Jars with liquid
- Can

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## ✏️ Completed Worksheet Answers:

Make a list of ten living things:

*(Use the 6 from image + 4 more common examples if needed)*

1. Fish
2. Dog
3. Tree
4. Plant
5. Sunflower
6. Apple
7. Bird *(example)*
8. Butterfly *(example)*
9. Grass *(example)*
10. Human *(example)*

> *(Note: If restricted to only items in the picture, you’d have to repeat or note that only 6 are available.)*

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Make a list of ten nonliving things:

1. Rock
2. Mailbox
3. Jars
4. Can
5. Pencil *(example)*
6. Chair *(example)*
7. Water *(example)*
8. Air *(example)*
9. Book *(example)*
10. Desk *(example)*

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## 💡 Bonus: Did You Know?

> “Some scientists debate whether viruses are living or not — they reproduce and evolve, but only inside host cells. They don’t respire or grow on their own!”

This is a fun fact to spark curiosity!

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## ✔ Summary

- Living things in the image: Fish, Dog, Tree, Plant, Sunflower, Apple
- Nonliving things in the image: Rock, Mailbox, Jars, Can
- Use the 7 characteristics to decide — if something does ALL of them, it’s living.
- For younger grades, focus on observable traits like growth, movement, and reproduction.

Let me know if you’d like a printable version or flashcards for this concept! 🌱🐾