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Kindergarten · Science · Unit 5 of 13

What Living Things Need

Air, water, food, heat, shelter, space

What your child practices

The six basic needs of living things (air, water, food, heat, shelter and space) and how plants, animals and people help each other.

Alabama Course of Study content standard: K.4 · the air, water, food and light that plants and animals, including people, need

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Living things need air, water and food.
  2. They also need heat, shelter and space.
  3. Shelter is a safe home, like a nest or burrow.

Example: A bird sits in its nest. What need does the nest meet? A nest is a safe home. A safe home is shelter. Answer: shelter

What Living Things Need in Alabama

In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 5 of 13 in Kindergarten Science, after Living Things and before From Seed to Plant.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Put it in order. What does a seed need to become a plant?

    • 🪴Plant grows tall
    • 🌱Sprout grows
    • 🌰Seed in soil
    • 💧Add water

  2. Question 2

    A squirrel stores nuts for winter. What need is it planning for?

    🐿️
    • food
    • a toy
    • a hat

  3. Question 3

    Which one do plants need to grow?

    🌱
    • TV and games
    • candy and toys
    • water, light and air

  4. Question 4

    A dog needs food, water and…

    🐶
    • 🎩a hat
    • 🏠shelter
    • 📺a TV

  5. Question 5

    Which one needs air?

    🐶
    • a puppy
    • a spoon
    • a rock

  6. Question 6

    Which living thing needs sunlight to make its own food?

    🌿
    • a plant
    • a dog
    • a fish

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