You will learn
- Name the basic needs of living things.
- Say what plants need and what animals need.
- Explain what happens when a need is not met.
- Say that people have the same basic needs as animals.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Living things have needs.
- Animals need food, water, air and shelter.
- Plants need water, light and air.
- If a need is missing, a living thing cannot grow well.
Words to know
something a living thing must have to live
what animals eat, and what plants make, to live and grow
a safe place to live
what we breathe
1. Discover: Two plants
Ama puts two bean plants on a shelf. She waters one plant every day and leaves the other dry. After a week, the watered plant is green and tall. The dry plant has droopy leaves. “The dry plant needs water,” says Ama. She gives it a drink, and after a day it looks better.
Think: What did the plant need?
2. Understand: What living things need
Idea 1: What living things need
All living things need water and air. Animals also need food and a safe place to live, which we call shelter. Plants need light.
Idea 2: Plants and animals are different
Plants make their own food using light, water and air. Animals cannot make food, so they eat plants or other animals.
Idea 3: When needs are missing
If a plant has no water, it droops. If an animal has no food or water, it becomes weak. Looking after living things means giving them what they need.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): What does a goat need?
A goat lives in a yard.
- Water to drink.
- Food such as grass.
- A safe place to sleep.
Answer: A goat needs water, food, air and shelter.
Example 2 (We do it together): What does a plant need?
A plant stands in a dark cupboard.
- Does it get light? No.
- Will it grow well? No.
- What does it need? Light, water and air.
Answer: It needs light, so it must be moved out of the dark.
Example 3 (You try): What is missing?
The leaves of a plant droop.
Show the steps and answer
- What might be missing? Water.
- Check the soil. Is it dry?
- Give a little water.
Answer: The plant probably needs water.
Did you know?
A camel can go many days without a drink, but it still needs water to live.
Why this matters
When we know what living things need, we can look after plants, pets and ourselves.
4. Explore: Two plants test
An adult sets up two bean plants of the same size on a shelf.
- Water plant A every day. Do not water plant B.
- Draw both plants every day for one week.
- Compare the two plants.
- Then water plant B and watch what happens.
Think about it: what did you notice?
Which plant looked better after a week? Plants need water.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A plant needs ___.
- An animal needs ___.
- Without water, a plant ___.
- To look after a pet, I give it ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Name one thing all living things need.
Water or air.
Question 2. What do plants need?
Water, light and air.
Question 3. What do animals need?
Food, water, air and shelter.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Name one thing all living things need.
- What do plants need?
- What do animals need?
- What is a shelter?
- What happens to a plant with no water?
Level 2: Grow
- Why does a pet dog need water?
- What can a plant not do well in a dark cupboard?
- Name two needs that people and animals share.
Level 3: Stretch
- Two plants are the same, but only one gets water. What happens and why?
- Explain how a farmer cares for chickens.
- Why do plants not need to eat like animals?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
How do you take care of a plant or a pet at home?
Show a sample answer
Give it water, food and a safe place.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Plants make their own food in their leaves.
Fix: Animals need water, air and shelter too.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name the basic needs of living things.
- I can say what plants need and what animals need.
- I can explain what happens when a need is not met.
- I can say that people have the same basic needs as animals.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Living things have needs.
- Animals need food, water, air and shelter.
- Plants need water, light and air.
- If a need is missing, a living thing cannot grow well.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Growth and change. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name two needs of animals. [2 marks]
- Name two needs of plants. [2 marks]
- What does a plant look like when it needs water? [2 marks]
- Why must we give a pet food and water? [2 marks]
- How can you test that a plant needs water? [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Any two: food, water, air, shelter [1 each]
- Any two: water, light, air [1 each]
- It droops [1]; leaves look dry or weak [1]
- They need them to live [1]; to grow and stay healthy [1]
- Water one plant and not another [1]; compare after some days [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Name one thing all living things need.
- What do plants need?
- What do animals need?
- What is a shelter?
- What happens to a plant with no water?
- Why does a pet dog need water?
- What can a plant not do well in a dark cupboard?
- Name two needs that people and animals share.
- Two plants are the same, but only one gets water. What happens and why?
- Explain how a farmer cares for chickens.
Homework
List what your pet, a plant or a family member needs. Draw one of the needs and say why it matters.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Name one thing all living things need. | Water or air. | 1 |
| 2. What do plants need? | Water, light and air. | 1 |
| 3. What do animals need? | Food, water, air and shelter. | 1 |
| 4. What is a shelter? | A safe place to live. | 1 |
| 5. What happens to a plant with no water? | It droops and cannot grow well. | 1 |
| 6. Why does a pet dog need water? | To live and stay healthy. | 1 |
| 7. What can a plant not do well in a dark cupboard? | Grow. | 1 |
| 8. Name two needs that people and animals share. | Water, food, air or shelter. | 1 |
| 9. Two plants are the same, but only one gets water. What happens and why? | The watered plant grows well and the dry plant droops, because plants need water. | 1 |
| 10. Explain how a farmer cares for chickens. | The farmer gives them food, water and a safe place. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Water or air.; 2 Water, light and air.; 3 Food, water, air and shelter.; 4 A safe place to live.; 5 It droops and cannot grow well.. Level 2: 1 To live and stay healthy.; 2 Grow.; 3 Water, food, air or shelter.. Level 3: 1 The watered plant grows well and the dry plant droops, because plants need water.; 2 The farmer gives them food, water and a safe place.; 3 Plants make their own food using light, water and air..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name the basic needs of living things | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Say what plants need and what animals need | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Explain what happens when a need is not met | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say that people have the same basic needs as animals | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Plants get food by eating.” Plants make their own food in their leaves.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Look at a real plant and a picture of a pet and name one need for each.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns what plants and animals need to live and grow. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Help your child water a plant or feed a pet.
- Ask, “What does it need? What happens if we forget?”
- Talk about what people need too.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name the basic needs of living things; say what plants need and what animals need; explain what happens when a need is not met; say that people have the same basic needs as animals.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. Two bean plants of the same size, water, a cup, chart paper, pencils and crayons. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Set up two plants of the same size. Write the needs on a chart: water, air, food, light, shelter.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Show a drooping plant and a healthy plant and ask what is different.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the needs of plants and animals with pictures. Ask what happens if a need is missing.
Guided activity (10 min). Set up the two-plant test and plan to watch it for a week.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners tell what a pet or a plant needs and why.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What does it need? What happens if the need is missing?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Plants get food by eating.” Plants make their own food in their leaves.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Look at a real plant and a picture of a pet and name one need for each. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 2, topic 6; Next Generation Science Standards, from molecules to organisms (what plants and animals need to survive); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, living things; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.