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Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Earth’s Systems

Describe how the change helps the plant or animal meet its needs.

Living things change to get the food, water, and shelter they need.

Explore the lesson 7 min read
A microscope with leaf and experiment flask for elementary science discovery
Inside this lesson 10 sections 5 questions 4 figures

SECTION 1

Why Do Living Things Change?

Have you ever watched a caterpillar? It turns into a butterfly! That is a big change.

People have always been curious about how plants and animals change. Let's see what they found out!

Long Ago • Farmers Watch Plants

Farmers saw that plants grow toward the sun. They need sunlight!

Many Years Ago • People Watch Animals

People saw birds fly south when it gets cold. Birds need warm places to find food.

Today • Scientists Study Changes

Scientists watch how living things change to get what they need. We can be scientists too!

Here is our big question: How do changes help plants and animals get what they need?

SECTION 2

What Do Living Things Need?

All living things have needs. That means things they must have to live and grow.

1

Water

All plants and animals need water to drink or soak up.
2

Food

Animals eat food. Plants make their own food using sunlight!
3

Shelter

A safe place to live. That means a home to stay warm and dry.
4

Sunlight

Plants need light from the sun to grow big and strong.
🌱

KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about your own needs. You need food, water, and a home. Plants and animals need those things too! When something changes around them, they change to keep getting what they need. It is like putting on a coat when it gets cold outside.

SECTION 3

See How a Tree Changes with the Seasons

Let's look at our anchoring phenomenon! That means a real thing we can see and wonder about.

A big tree looks different in summer and winter. Why does it drop its leaves when it gets cold?

Summer TreeGreen leaves catch sunlight.The tree makes food!Winter TreeLeaves drop. The tree rests.It saves water and energy!Change!
In summer the tree has green leaves to catch sunlight and make food. In winter, the tree drops its leaves to save water. This change helps the tree survive!

The tree changes with the seasons. That means the different times of year. Dropping leaves helps the tree save water when it is cold and dry. This is how the change meets the tree's needs!

SECTION 4

How Do Changes Help?

When the world around a plant or animal changes, the plant or animal may change too. Let's think about why!

Animals Change to Meet Their Needs

A rabbit grows thick fur in winter. That means its coat gets fluffy and warm. This change helps the rabbit stay warm. Staying warm is a need!

Some animals move to a new place when the weather changes. Birds fly south to find food. Moving helps them meet their need for food.

Plants Change to Meet Their Needs

A sunflower turns its face to follow the sun. It needs sunlight. Turning toward the sun helps it get more light!

Some plants grow deeper roots when the soil is dry. Deeper roots help the plant reach water far underground.

💡

Think Like a Scientist!

Look outside. Can you see a plant or animal? What might it need right now? Ask a question about it! Scientists always start by asking questions.

SECTION 5

More Changes That Help

Let's look at more ways plants and animals change to meet their needs. Each change has a reason!

Changes That Help Animals and Plants🐻 Bear HibernatesChange: Sleeps all winter.Need: Saves energy whenfood is hard to find.Zzz...🌻 Sunflower TurnsChange: Faces the sun.Need: Gets more sunlightto make food.🐛 Caterpillar GrowsChange: Becomes a butterfly.Need: Butterfly can fly tofind food and a mate.→ 🦋🌵 Cactus Stores WaterChange: Thick stem holds water.Need: Gets water in avery dry desert.
Each box shows a living thing, the change it makes, and the need the change helps it meet.

Every change has a job! The bear sleeps to save energy. The sunflower turns to get light. The caterpillar grows wings to find food. The cactus holds water inside its body.

SECTION 6

Let's Figure It Out Together!

Let's be scientists! We will look at a squirrel and figure out how its changes help it meet its needs.

Why Does a Squirrel Hide Nuts?

  1. 1

    Step 1 — Observe

    We watch a squirrel in fall. It digs holes and puts nuts inside. What do we see? The squirrel is hiding food in the ground.
  2. 2

    Step 2 — Ask a Question

    Why does the squirrel hide nuts? What need might this meet? We know animals need food.
  3. 3

    Step 3 — Think About the Change

    In winter, there are no nuts on the trees. The ground is cold and snowy. If the squirrel did not hide nuts, it would have nothing to eat!
  4. 4

    Step 4 — Explain

    The squirrel's change is hiding nuts in fall. This helps it meet its need for food in winter.
    Hiding nuts helps the squirrel eat when food is hard to find!

SECTION 7

Plants and Animals Change in Different Ways

Plants and animals both change. But they change in different ways! Let's compare.

Living ThingChange It MakesNeed It Meets
🐻 BearSleeps all winterSaves energy (food)
🐦 BirdFlies to warm placesFinds food and warmth
🌻 SunflowerTurns toward the sunGets more sunlight
🌳 TreeDrops its leavesSaves water
🐿️ SquirrelHides nuts in fallHas food in winter

Examples of changes that help living things

🌟

KEY TAKEAWAY

Animals can move to a new place or change their bodies. Plants cannot walk, so they change how they grow. Both kinds of changes help them get food, water, shelter, or sunlight. It is like how you put on boots when it rains — you change what you do to stay dry!

SECTION 8

Bigger Ideas About Living Things

You are learning something amazing! When you grow up, you will learn even more about how living things change.

What We Learn NowWhat You Will Learn Later
Plants and animals change to meet needs.Some changes happen over many, many years!
A bear sleeps in winter to save energy.You will learn why some animals can do this and others cannot.
Plants grow toward sunlight.You will learn how parts inside the plant make this happen.

For now, the big idea is this: every change has a reason. When you see a plant or animal doing something new, ask yourself: what need is it meeting?

SECTION 9

Practice Time!

Great job learning! Now let's try some questions. These are about a pond in a park. In summer the pond is full of water. In winter the pond freezes!

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

A frog lives by the pond. In winter, the frog digs into the mud and goes to sleep. What need does this change help the frog meet? A) The frog needs to play. B) The frog needs to stay warm and save energy. C) The frog needs more sunlight.
Show answer
The answer is B! The frog digs into the mud and sleeps to stay warm and save energy. In winter it is very cold. There are not many bugs to eat. Sleeping helps the frog survive until spring.

Question 2: BASIC OBSERVATION

Cattail plants grow at the edge of the pond. Their roots reach deep into the wet mud. What need do the deep roots help the plant meet? A) Shelter from the wind. B) Water from deep in the ground. C) More sunlight.
Show answer
The answer is B! Deep roots help the cattail reach water. Even if the top of the pond dries a little, the roots find water underground. Water is something every plant needs to live.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

Ducks at the pond grow extra feathers before winter. How does this change help the ducks? A) Extra feathers help them look pretty. B) Extra feathers help them stay warm. C) Extra feathers help them find food.
Show answer
The answer is B! Extra feathers keep the ducks warm when the air and water get cold. Staying warm is a need. The fluffy feathers trap warm air next to the duck's body, like wearing a warm coat.

Question 4: APPLIED

In spring, a mother duck builds a nest in the tall grass by the pond. She hides the nest with leaves and feathers. What need does this change help meet? A) The duck needs more food. B) The duck needs water. C) The duck needs a safe shelter for her eggs.
Show answer
The answer is C! The mother duck builds a hidden nest to keep her eggs safe and warm. Shelter is a need for the baby ducks growing inside the eggs. Hiding the nest protects them from animals that might eat the eggs.

Question 5: THINK AND SHARE

Imagine you are a scientist watching the pond. You see a turtle climb onto a sunny rock. Why do you think the turtle does this? What need is the turtle meeting? Talk about your idea with a friend or grown-up!
Show answer
Great thinking! The turtle climbs onto the rock to warm its body in the sun. Turtles need warmth to move and find food. Sitting in the sun is a change that helps the turtle meet its need for warmth. Scientists call this basking. You just made an observation and explained it, just like a real scientist!

SUMMARY

What Did We Learn?

Summary

All living things have needs like water, food, shelter, and sunlight. When the world changes, plants and animals change too. A tree drops its leaves to save water. A bear sleeps in winter to save energy. A sunflower turns toward the sun to get more light.

Every change helps a plant or animal meet a need. When you see a change, ask: what need does this help? You are a scientist! Keep watching, asking questions, and learning about the living world around you. 🌎

Varsity Tutors • Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Describe how the change helps the plant or animal meet its needs.