Living and Non-living Things

Living Things and Non living Things for Class 2 EVS

The environment comprises different things and objects. Plants and animals together make living things, whereas objects we use, sun, air, moon, land, water, etc., make non-living things.
The following concept will introduce the learners to the characteristics of living and non living things around them.

After reading the concept, students will be able to—

• Understand the difference between living and non living things
• Characteristics of living and non living things
• Give examples for Natural things and man made things

Each concept is explained to class 2 students using descriptions, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.
Download the Living and non living things worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions provided in PDF format.

We see a variety of things around us every day. Some of them can move from one place to another, eat food and grow over time, like a dog. On the other hand, some things are stationary, do not eat food, and don’t grow over time, like a wooden table.

Living Things:

• The things that have life are called living things.
• Life involves the ability of an organism to grow, respond to external stimuli, give birth to offspring, obtain energy from food and show different types of movement.

  Examples:

    Plants, animals, humans.

Characteristics of Living Things:

1. Living Things Breathe or Exchange Gases:

• • Carbon dioxide and oxygen are two life-supporting gases exchanged between the environment and living things.
  • Animals do it using their nose and respiratory system.
  • Plants do it using tiny pores called stomata on their leaves.

2. Living Things Need Food and Water:

• • Living things need food and water to stay alive.
  • Food provides the necessary energy to perform all bodily functions.
  • Water keeps us hydrated, which is essential for our body's proper functioning.

3. Living Things Grow During Their Lifetime:

• • Living things grow and enter into different stages of their life cycle.
  • A baby grows into an infant and then into an adult.
  • A seed grows into a seedling and then into a plant or tree.
  • Birds lay eggs that, on hatching, give birth to chicks. These chicks then grow into adults.

4. Living Things Move from One Place to Another:

• Animals move from one place to another in search of food and shelter.
• Humans move from one place to another to accomplish everyday tasks.
• Plants cannot move from their place, but they show movement in the form of the growth of roots and shoots in response to gravity and light, respectively.

Example: The sunflower plant's movement in the sun's direction.

5. Living Things Respond to Stimulus:

• Stimulus is any change in the surroundings that causes a living being to respond. It can be a sound, a change in light, rainfall, etc.
• Living things respond to these changes around them.

Examples:

• • • You respond when your mother calls your name.
    • Dragging your hand away from a hot object.

6. Living Things Produce Offspring

• The young ones of living organisms are called offspring.
• Living things produce offspring for the continuity of life and species.

7. Living Things Die:

• • All living beings grow, become old and die.
  • Humans, animals, and plants live for a short or a long time.
  • A human being lives for about 75 to 80 years, while different animals live for different life spans, such as a dog, for almost 12 years.
  • Plants also have different durations of life span. Some plants live very long, while some live for a few months.

What are Non-Living Things?

The things which do not possess life are called non-living things.

Characteristics of Non-Living Things:

• Non-living things do not grow.
• Non-living things do not move.
• Non-living things do not require food and water.
• Non-living things do not breathe.
• Non-living things do not produce offspring.
• They do not die; rather, they decay over time and become unfit for use.

Natural and Man Made Things:

Non-living things can be grouped as follows—

1. Natural Things: Non-living things like rocks, stars, sun, soil, water, and moon are natural non-living as they are created by nature.
   
2. Man-Made Things:Man makes several non-living things using different materials available in nature.

   Examples:

      Books, paper, plastic bottles, football, table, vehicles, computer, buildings, etc.
   

New Words:

Did You Know?

• The phenomenon of giving birth to young ones is called reproduction.
• Some animals reproduce by giving birth to young ones, whereas some reproduce by laying eggs.
• The tortoise can live for about 80-150 years.
• The life span of the banyan tree is around 200-500 years. The banyan tree in Kolkata's botanical garden is known to be the oldest living banyan tree, and its age is over 250 years.