1. Qualifications of Living Things
Dead or Alive?
Qualifications of Living Things
This stAIR was created by Jessica Scaggs

2. What will you learn? 7 characteristics of living things
3 categories of non-living things
Notes to the Teacher:
Introduction In this stAIR, students will learn the seven characteristics of living things.
Audience
The intended audience of this stAIR is 7th and 8th grade students working at grade level. Students completing this module are not expected to have any prior knowledge of the subject matter. This stAIR may be used as an introductory session to a biology unit on taxonomy or as an additional independent learning module to your science curriculum.
Instructional Objectives Upon successful completion of this stAIR, students will be able to:
Recall and describe the seven characteristics of living things.
Recall and explain three categories of non-living things.
Classify an unknown materials or organism as either living or non-living.
*Instructional objectives derived from National Heritage Academies 8th grade curriculum objectives

3. Why is this important?
You are a living thing – Know why scientists classify you as one!
You will be able to clarify questions you may have had such as, “Is a wooden table a living thing?”
You will be able to look at a new substance or species and classify them as living or non-living.

4. 7 Characteristics of Living Things
What are 7 characteristics of
living things?

5. Living Things
The scientific word for “living things”
is organism
Organism

6. Overview of 7 Characteristics
Feeding
Movement
Breathing
Excretion
Growth
Sensitivity
Reproduction

7. Feeding – Living Things Eat
Take in (ingest) substances from the environment
Water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and elements
Use these substances for energy and growth
This snake wants to ingest this frog and use it for energy and growth The frog does not look happy . . .

8. Movement – Living Things Move
All living things have internal movement
They can move substances from one part of their body to another (water, oxygen, food)
Many living things also have external movement
They can move around from place to place by walking, swimming, slithering, or flying
This cat has internal and external movement.

9. Breathing – Living things Exchange Gases with their Environment
Animals, including humans, breath in (inhale) oxygen and breath out (exhale) carbon dioxide
Plants “inhale” carbon dioxide and “exhale” oxygen
Some bacteria (called NC10) take in methane gas and exhale oxygen
This person is protecting themselves from inhaling harmful gases from their environment.

10. Excretion – Living Things Get Rid of Waste
Keeping waste in the body would become poisonous for the organism
Living things “go to the bathroom” to eliminate some waste
Animals also eliminate gaseous waste when we exhale carbon dioxide

11. Growth – Living Things Bigger
Living things use some of their energy for growth
They get larger and more complex as they grow
Different kinds of organisms have different cycles for growth

12. Sensitivity – Living Things Respond to their Environment
Living things respond to the changes around them such as temperature, light, sound, and touch
Living things also try to maintain homeostasis within themselves as they respond to these changes
To learn more about homeostasis, click on the hyperlink above!

13. Reproduction – Living Things Produce Young
Humans make babies
Chickens lay eggs
Dogs make puppies
Frogs lay eggs
Plants make seeds
Mold makes spores

14. Mini-Quiz: Living Things
1. How many characteristics are there of living things? 4 6 5 7

15. Sorry, that is incorrect . . .
Your answer is too low!
Would you like to:
Try Again
Get a clue

16. Congratulations! You are correct!
Click to move to the next question 

17. Mini-Quiz:
2. Which of the following is a characteristic of a living thing?
Reproduce
Grow
Feed
All of the
Above

18. Sorry, that is incorrect . . .
Your answer is true, but there may be others!
Would you like to:
Try Again
Get a clue

19. Overview of 7 Characteristics
Feeding
Movement
Breathing
Excretion
Growth
Sensitivity
Reproduction
Return to question 

20. Congratulations! You are correct!
Click to move to the next question 

21. Mini-Quiz: True or False
3. In order to be classified as a living thing, an organism must have all 7 characteristics of a living thing.
True
False

22. Sorry, that is incorrect . . .
You must have all 7 characteristics of living things to be classified as a living thing. It’s all or nothing!
Try Again

23. Congratulations! You are correct!
Click to learn about non-living things 

24. Example: Non-Living Thing
A rock is an example of something that has never lived.
It does not have ANY of the 7 characteristics of living things

25. Example: Non-Living Thing
A fallen tree is an
example of a non-living
thing that was once alive
and is now dead.

26. Example: Non-Living Thing
Milk is an example of a
non-living thing that was
once a part of a living
thing.

27. 3 Categories of Non-Living Things
There are three
categories of non-living
things
Things that have never lived
Things that were once alive and are now dead
Things that were never alive, but part of a living thing

28. Get Ready to Test Your Knowledge!
Get a lined sheet of paper and pen/pencil.
Divide the paper into four equal columns (up and down).
You have the POWER to do this because
knowledge is POWER!

29. Label the Columns Name the 1st column “Substance”.
Name the 2nd column “My Guess”
Name the 3rd column “Actual Answer”
Name the 4th column “Why”

30. What Next?
Lastly, number the rows 1 – 20. Skip a line between each one so you have enough room to write.
You may use another piece of paper if you need more room.

31. You’re All Set to Take the Quiz!
There are 20 questions on the quiz.
Please fill in something for each column for each question.
It is alright if your guess was wrong because you will learn from your mistakes!
Have fun!

32. Quiz: Living and Non-Living Things
Click on the following
hyperlink to take a 20
question online quiz about
living and non-living
things.
Take Living and Non-Living Thing Quiz

33. Good Work! Please turn in your paper to your teacher and accept
this award for a job
well done!
You deserve it!
THE END!