Living Things1

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● Complete the table. Use these words.

name: Canadian lynx

vertebrate:skin co vering:sense organs:movement:eating habits:

Observing and recording

carnivoremammal

legs eyesfur mouth ears nose

lynx

5

1

6

2

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Reporting● Discuss the reading.

– Where can you find lynx in America?

– What do the y eat?– Why are these animals

in danger of extinction?

● Think and discuss.

– Would the extinction of the lynx be a seriousproblem? Why?

– Do you know an ybodywho works to protectnature? What do they do?

● What is your favorite animal? Why do you like it?

Learn about the unitPlants, animals, fungi, algae and bacteria are living things.● They are all made up of cells.● They are bor n, grow, reproduce and die.● These processes differentiate them from nonliving

things, such as rocks or wind.

In this unit, we are going to learn about living things:

● What are the y like?● What are the y made of?● What types are there?

Key SkillsExpressing facts:there are three principalcauses; they grow…

Defining: the process that enables…;substances that plants use…

Describing abilities:living things carry out lifeprocesses; sensitivity enablesplants to respond

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The LynxOne of the most endangered animalsis the lynx. This terrestrial mammalhas four legs and a tail. Its fur is brown with black spots.

Lynx are predators. These carnivoreseat animals, such as sheep, birds andrabbits. Some of the animals they eat are useful for humans. As a result, lynx causeproblems for humans. However, people use lynxfur for clothing.

The lynx population in the United States is small. There arethree principal causes: starvation, poaching and road deaths.First, the lynx habitat is smaller now, so finding food is moredifficult. Without food, they starve. Second, people hunt lynxfor their fur. Third, many lynx die in traffic accidents.

There are lynx populations in Canada and Alaska, and they have been reintroduced to the state of Colorado, wherethey were extinct. These cats usually live in cold habitats, forexample, mountain areas.

The World Wildlife Organization is trying to protect the lynx.

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● nonliving: not alive, lifeless

1. Principal characteristics

In nature there are nonliving things and livingthings. Rocks, air and wind are nonliving things.People, animals and plants are living things.

We can recognize living things because the yshare the following characteristics:● They are born. All living things come from

other living things.● They eat. All living things need food.

The type of food ma y vary.● They grow. All living things increase in size

during their lifetime. Sometimes the y changein appearance.

● They react. Living things can perceive what isgoing on around them, and they react towhat they perceive.

● They reproduce. Living things can createoffspring similar to themselves.

● They die. At some time, all living things stopfunctioning and cease to live.

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What Living Things Are Like

Vocabulary

Living things and nonliving things. Plants are livingthings. Rocks are nonliving things.

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Nutrition. This process begins with eating. The rest of the process takes place inside the body.

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2. Life processes

All living things depend on life processes to sta y alive. W e are going to focus on threebasic processes:● Nutrition● Sensitivity● Reproduction

3. Nutrition

Nutrition is the process b y which living thingsingest food substances, transform them for their utilization and eliminate waste.Food contains essential nutrients. These aresubstances that living things use to grow .Nutrients give living things the energ y to car ryout life processes.

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What six characteristics do all living things ha ve in common? Living things…

How many nonliving things can you name?

Complete the following sentences: Reproduction, Nutrition or Sensitivity.

a. involves ingesting food substances.

b. enables living things to perceive what is

happening around them.

c. enables living things to create offspring .

Define each life process with a dra wing or photograph.4

3

2

1

4. Sensitivity

Sensitivity is the process that enables livingthings to perceive what is happening aroundthem. Sensitivity enables living things torespond to what the y perceive.

Thanks to this function, all living things can findfood and escape from danger . Humans, like allanimals, use their sense organs to perceivewhat is happening around them. Then the yreact: the y move, talk, etc.

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There are living things and nonliving things innature. Living things carry out life processes:nutrition, sensitivity and reproduction.

A C T I V I T I E S

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Sensitivity. When plants detect warmer weather, theybloom. This is an example of reaction or sensitivity.

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Reproduction enables life to continue from generationto generation. Ostrich chicks are born.

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5. Reproduction

Reproduction is the process that enables livingthings to create offspring similar tothemselves.Many animals, including humans, need a mateto reproduce. Ne w living things replace the ones that die.

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Summary

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Plant cells seen under a microscope. These cells aremagnified 500 times.

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The parts of animal and plant cells3

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1. What is a cell?

Living things are made up of a large number of very small units called cells.

A cell is the smallest living unit that makes up aliving thing.

Most cells are ver y small, so we need a microscope to see them. A microscope is an instr ument that magnifies the images of small objects. It is lik e a magnifying glass,but much more pow erful.

The number of cells in a living thing varies.Some living things are made up of a single cell.They are called unicellular: they can only beseen with a microscope. Other living things aremade up of man y cells: the y are calledmulticellular.

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The Internal Organization of Living Things

2. What are cells like?

Cells are living things. This means that, likeother living things, they carry out the lifeprocesses of nutrition, reproduction andsensitivity .

Not all cells are alik e. Cells differ in shape,in size, and in the tasks the y carry out. For example, skin cells are different from bone cells.

3. Parts of a cellCells ha ve three main par ts:● The membrane is a co vering that sur rounds

the cell, and separates it from the exterior . ● The nucleus is the par t that controls

the function of the cell.● Cytoplasm is the space betw een the nucleus

and the membrane.

Plant cells also ha ve a hard cell wall around the membrane. This is wh y some plant stemsare very hard.

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membrane

cytoplasm

nucleus

Animalcell

Plantcell

nucleus

cytoplasm

membrane

wall

People use microscopes to study small things.2

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Levels of organization in living things. 4

What is a cell? What life processes do cells car ry out?

Order these le vels of organization from 1 = the simplest, to 5 = the most complex.

Describe a multicellular living thing . Star t like this: These organisms are made up of cells. Cellsform tissues.

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systemorgancellorganismtissue

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4. How living things are organized

Multicellular living things are ver y organized. In fact,levels of organization exist:● Cells group together to for m tissues. ● Tissues are made up of similar cells that car ry

out a common function. F or example, muscletissue is made up of man y muscle cells groupedtogether.

● Tissues for m organs. Organs are made up of a group of tissues that wor k together to car ry outa common function. F or example, muscles andbones are organs.

● Organs for m systems. Systems are made up of a group of organs that wor k together to car ry out a common function. F or example, the skeletalsystem is made up of bones.

● When all the systems wor k together, they form an organism. An organism is a complete livingthing.

For a living thing to be health y, all the systems in an organism must wor k together.

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All living things are made up of cells. Cells grouptogether to form tissues. Tissues form organs.Organs form systems.An organism is a complete living thing.

muscle cell

cell

tissue

organ

system

LEVELS

muscle tissue

muscle

musclesystem

horse

Organism

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A C T I V I T I E S

Summary

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1. Kingdoms of living things

Living things are classified into large groupscalled kingdoms. All living things that belong tothe same kingdom share some commoncharacteristics. In other words, living thingsfrom one kingdom are different from the livingthings in other s.

There are five kingdoms. These three are the principal ones:● The animal kingdom

● The plant kingdom

● The fungi kingdom

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2. The animal kingdom

Animals share these characteristics:● Animals are multicellular .● They eat other living things.● They can mo ve from one place to another . ● They have a ner vous system and sense

organs. The y can react quickly to stimuli.

Humans belong to the animal kingdom.

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3. The plant kingdom

Plants share these characteristics:● Plants are multicellular .● They use sunlight and substances

from the soil and air to mak e their own food.

● They are anchored to the ground.

Plants have no sense organs or ner voussystems, but they can react to some stimuli.For example, many plants grow toward the light.

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How Living Things Are Classified

The principal kingdoms of living things1

Animals can move. Flock of geese2

Chlorophyll is a substance. Plants use it to make their own food. Chlorophyll makes plants green.

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PRINCIPAL KINGDOMS

Plant Animal Fungi

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4. The fungi kingdom

Fungi can be unicellular or multicellular . The cells in multicellular fungi for m long , slender threads calledhyphae. Fungi are usually found underground, on piecesof wood or on decomposing food. Some fungi produce a stem, also called a fr uiting body.This is the reproductive par t of the fungus. Mold is also afungus. It grows on bread, but it does not produce a large, reproductive par t like the mushroom.Some common characteristics of fungi are:● They do not mak e their own food. The y depend on

other organisms for food. ● They are attached to something . They cannot mo ve by

themselves.

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5. Other kingdoms

Many living things belong to other kingdoms. Algae live in the w ater and mak e their own food lik eplants. Man y algae are for med by a single cell, but othersare multicellular and can be as big as a tree.Bacteria are unicellular, and can live in different environments: w ater, soil, air or inside other living things.Some can only be seen with a microscope. The y aremicroorganisms. The y often feed on deca ying matter,such as dead animals or plants. 5

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Parts of a fungus. Most of a fungus isunderground. The part above ground is themushroom, the reproductive part.

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Bacteria (in red) on the head of a pin.Bacteria are very small living things.

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hyphae mushroom

Can you name one characteristic of each kingdom: animal, plant and fungi?

What kingdom do these living things belong to?:a. They depend on other organisms for food; the y are attached to the ground. b. They are made up of man y cells and can mak e their own food. c. They can mo ve and eat other living things.

How are plants and algae similar? How are the y different?

Which living things feed on fallen lea ves or dead animals?4

3

2

1

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Living things are grouped into kingdoms. There are threeprincipal kingdoms: animal, plant and fungi.

A C T I V I T I E S

Summary

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UNDERSTAND FIGURE IT OUT

5. Classify these living things: animal, plantor fungi.

6. Match each photo with a life process: are born, move, react, eat, reproduce.

● Describe each process.

Example:a. Living things….

APPLY

1. Identify the life processes: reproduction,sensitivity, nutrition.

a. enables mushrooms to obtain nutrients and grow .

b. enables birds totravel to w armer places in winter .

c. enables poppies toproduce other poppies.

2. Match the columns and write sentences.

A tissue ● ● similar cells

An organism ● ● a group of similar tissues

A system ● ● a group of similar organs

An organ ● ● various systems

Example: A tissue is made up of…

3. Read and write yes or no in each box.

● Draw a living thing from each kingdom.

4. Label the parts of a plant cell.

A B

C D

E F

A B

C D

E

A C T I V I T I E S

a.

b.

c.

d.

feed on dead plants or animalscan make their own food

can move

PlantsAnimals Fungi

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I CAN DO IT

How to Observe and Describe a Fungus

Procedure

To describe a living thing , first obser ve it carefully .Then talk about its size, color and shape. For example, to describe a mushroom, answer these questions:

1. What size is it? Measure the height of the mushroom and the width of the cap.

2. What color is the cap?

3. What shape is the cap? Flat, convex or conca ve.4. What color are the gills?

5. What color is the stem?

6. What shape is the stem?Is it cylindrical or does the thickness change?

7. Does the stem have rings?

Do it yourself

Choose a mushroom and describe it. Use the photos or a real fungus:● First, answer the questions.● Then complete a char t like

the one abo ve.Blue foot mushrooms. Size: diameter5-15 cm, height 8-10 cm.

Oyster mushrooms. Size: diameter 3-9 cm, height 5-8 cm.

SIZE Height 10 to 20 centimeter s15 to 25 centimeter sRed with white spots

Concave

White

White

Wider at the bottom

Yes

Width Color

Shape

Lamellae(gills)

Color

Shape

Ring

CAPFlat:

Concave: Convex:

STEM

Amanita mushrooms

width

gills

gills

cap

ring

heig

ht

Description of larger mushroom on the left.

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3. Answer the questions.

● What are three basic life processes? ● What are the main par ts of a plant cell?● What are cells? ● What is an organism?

4. Complete the word map. Draw pictures, too.

Principal kingdoms of living things

for example: for example: for example:

Check what you know

1. Complete the word map.

carry out are made up of

life processes

that include

sensitivity

2. Copy and complete the sentences. Use words from the word map.

● Living things carry out that include ,

and .● are made up of that form ,

that form .● things are grouped into that include .

Living things

are grouped into

that includethat form

that form

that form

systems

the plant kingdom

are

Animal kingdom

Now I Know

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Microbes Can Be Helpful or Harmful

Some microbes are helpful, but others are harmful.Microbes help us make yogurt, cheese and bread. They give a uniquetexture and taste to the food.Other microbes are harmful: they can make you sick.● Diseases like measles and mumps are caused by microbes.● Microbes cause foods to decay. If you eat moldy bread,

you can have stomach problems.● Microbes also cause tooth decay.

How can you be safe from harmful microbes?Do you do these things?● Wash your hands. ● Avoid contact with sick people.● Clean your teeth. ● Store food carefully.

Citizenship

Find out and write

Cheese. Milk is fermented with special types of bacteria to make cheese.

A Report on a Living Thing

1. Find information. ● Choose a plant, animal or fungus. ● Find information: use the Inter net, etc.

2. Select and organize information.Put your infor mation in order. Include these sections:a. Title. The name of the living thingb. Appearance. What is it lik e? Describe the size, shape

and color. Number the par ts.c. Habitat. Where does it live?

Indicate the area (USA, Latin America,…).Type of place (forest, river, coast,…).

d. Type of food. How does it live? Is it food for living things?e. Usefulness for humans. Do humans use this living thing? How?f. Interesting facts. Curious or unusual infor mation you ha ve found.

3. Write and illustrate the report.● Write two or three sentences for sections b, c, d, e and f. ● Include a photograph or dra wing.

4. Review your report carefully.● Have you included all the sections? Ha ve you answ ered the questions? ● Check the spelling , too.

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