Living things function and interact with their physical environments. Living things cause changes in the environments where they live; the changes can be very noticeable or slightly noticeable, fast or slow.
Living things change the environment on Earth. Plants grow and if not maintained in some way, can become crowded with some plants taking over. Trees grow and provide shade and shelter to living things. Plants attract animals that eat plants. Animals are food sources for other animals. Animals can cause damage in the environment when their numbers become great. Other animals help to create soil. Can students think of more examples?
Today we’ll look for living and nonliving things. Students start by drawing and labeling three living things in the garden.
Then, they’ll add nonliving things to their picture by looking for clues to help them identify what the nonliving things are. Students label the nonliving things.
Gather your students together to discuss how living and nonliving things interact. Focus on how the environment impact living things. How do the nonliving things affect the living things? What do plants and animals need from nonliving things?