Describe patterns in needs like food

SECTION 1

Why Do We Wonder About Living Things?

People have always watched animals and plants. They noticed something cool!

Every living thing needs certain things. Long ago, people started to see this pattern. A pattern is when something happens again and again.

Long Ago

Farmers Watch Plants

Farmers saw that plants need water and light to grow big and strong.

Long Ago

People Care for Animals

People gave animals food and water. The animals grew healthy!

Later

Scientists Look for Patterns

Scientists asked: Do ALL living things need the same things? Yes, they do!

Today

You Are a Scientist Too!

You can look for patterns in what living things need. That is what scientists do!

Here is our big question: What do ALL living things need? Let us find out together!

SECTION 2

What Do Living Things Need?

Every living thing needs certain things to stay alive. That means animals, plants, and even you!

Water

All living things need water. You drink water every day. Plants need water too!

Food or Energy

All living things need energy to grow. You eat food for energy. Plants get energy a different way.

Air

All living things need air. You breathe air in and out. Animals and plants need air too.

A Place to Live

All living things need a safe place to live. You live in your home. A bird lives in a nest!

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about your pet or a plant at home. You give it water, right? Now think about a fish in a pond. It needs water too! And a tree in a park? It needs water as well! When we see the same thing happening again and again, that is called a pattern. The pattern is: ALL living things need water, energy, and air!

SECTION 3

See the Pattern!

Look at this picture! It shows three living things. They are a dog, a child, and a flower. Can you see what they all need?

Look at the check marks! The dog, the child, and the flower ALL need water, energy, and air. A dog eats food. A child eats food. A flower needs light. But they all need energy to grow. That is the pattern!

Did you see it? Every living thing has the same needs. Animals eat food for energy. Plants need light for energy. But they all need energy, water, and air. That is a pattern!

SECTION 4

How Do We Know Something Is Alive?

How can you tell if something is alive? Living things do special things!

Living things grow. That means they get bigger over time. You are growing right now! A tiny seed grows into a big plant.

Living things need things. They need water, air, and energy. Without these things, they cannot live.

Non-living things do not grow. They do not need water or air. A rock does not grow. A toy does not need water. They are not alive.

🔬 Scientist Tip!

When you look at something, ask: Does it grow? Does it need water? Does it need air? If the answer is YES, it is probably a living thing! If the answer is NO, it is probably not alive. Scientists call this making observations. That means watching carefully.

SECTION 5

Living Things and Non-Living Things

Let us sort some things! Some things are alive. Some things are not alive. Look at this picture to see which is which.

The cat, tree, fish, and you are all living things. They all grow and have needs. The rock, toy bear, spoon, and brick are not living. They do not grow and do not need water or air.

Do you see the pattern? Every living thing on the left side grows and has needs. Every non-living thing on the right does not grow and does not have needs. The same thing happens again and again!

SECTION 6

Let Us Think Like Scientists!

Let us practice! Imagine you visit a farm. You see a horse, a rabbit, and a tomato plant. What do they all need?

Farm Visit — Finding the Pattern

Step 1 — Ask a QuestionScientists start by asking a question. Our question is: What do the horse, rabbit, and tomato plant all need?

Step 2 — Make ObservationsWe watch carefully. The farmer gives the horse water. The farmer gives the rabbit water. The farmer waters the tomato plant.

They all need water!

Step 3 — Look for More CluesThe horse eats hay. The rabbit eats carrots. The tomato plant grows outside in the light. All three need energy to grow!

They all need energy!

Step 4 — Find the PatternThe horse, the rabbit, and the tomato plant all need water, energy, and air. They are all alive. They all grow and change over time.

Pattern: ALL living things need water, energy, and air!

SECTION 7

Animals and Plants — Same and Different

Animals and plants are both alive. But they get their energy in different ways! Let us compare.

Animals and plants both need water, energy, and air. They both grow!

What They Need	Animals 🐾	Plants 🌱
Water	Yes! They drink it.	Yes! They soak it up.
Energy	They eat food.	They need light.
Air	Yes! They breathe.	Yes! They need air too.
Do they grow?	Yes! They grow bigger.	Yes! They grow bigger.

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about making a sandwich. You need bread, you need something inside, and you need hands to make it. A plant is different — it gets energy from light, not from eating. But both you and the plant still need energy. That is the pattern! Animals and plants get energy in different ways, but they all need it.

SECTION 8

What You Will Learn Next!

Great job learning about patterns! As you grow bigger, you will learn even more cool things about living things.

You are building a strong foundation for future science learning!

What You Know Now 🌟	What You Will Learn Later 🚀
Living things need water.	How water helps plants and animals grow.
Living things need energy.	Where plants and animals get energy.
Living things grow and change.	The life cycle of plants and animals!

For now, remember the big pattern: all living things have needs. You are already thinking like a real scientist!

SECTION 9

Practice Problems

Imagine you visit a pond. You see a frog sitting on a lily pad. You see a duck swimming in the water. You see cattails (tall plants) growing by the edge. You also see a big gray rock in the water. Use what you know to answer these questions!

PROBLEM 1 — CONCEPTUAL

The frog, the duck, and the cattails ALL need water. What do we call it when the same thing happens again and again? A) A guess B) A pattern C) A color

PROBLEM 2 — BASIC

Which of these is something ALL living things at the pond need? A) Toys B) Water C) A pond

PROBLEM 3 — INTERMEDIATE

The cattail is a plant. Is it a living thing? Does it have needs like the frog and the duck? A) No, plants are not alive. B) Yes, but plants only need water. C) Yes, the cattail is alive and has needs.

PROBLEM 4 — APPLIED

Is the big gray rock in the pond a living thing? How can you tell? A) Yes, it lives in the pond. B) No, it does not need water or air. C) Yes, it is big like a living thing.

PROBLEM 5 — CRITICAL THINKING

Think and Share: If a new animal came to live at the pond — maybe a turtle — what do you think it would need? How do you know? Talk about the pattern you see!

SUMMARY

What We Learned Today!

Today we learned that all living things have needs. They all need water, energy, and air. Animals eat food for energy. Plants need light for energy. But they all need energy to grow! Living things also grow and change over time. Non-living things like rocks and toys do not grow and do not have needs.

When we see the same thing happening again and again, we call it a pattern. The big pattern is: ALL living things need water, energy, and air. You found this pattern by making observations — that means watching carefully, just like a real scientist! Keep looking for patterns everywhere you go!