Needs of Living Things

Start class with a quick Science Spotlight made just for your youngest scientists. In four short, easy-to-read stories, students figure out what a living thing needs to survive — food, water, sunlight, or shelter — and then decide whether the living thing is a plant or an animal.

The reading is kept simple on purpose: every story is just two short sentences with kindergarten-friendly words, so beginning readers can do the thinking themselves. A picture-clear word bank gives a one-line meaning for each need, so children have the support they need to name it and sort it.

The big idea stays front and center: all living things have needs. The goal line and the word bank both say “all living things need water,” so kids don’t walk away thinking only plants need water or only animals need food.

A gentle underline task builds early close-reading skills, and a clean answer key shows each need, the correct plant-or-animal choice, and the clue underlined in red — perfect for quick checking. Built for grades K–2 and aligned to NGSS K-LS1-1, with an early-reading tie-in. Just print and teach.