Basic 3 · Science · Living and Non-Living Things
Classifying Plants and Animals
In this topic you will group living things into plants and animals by how they carry out life processes.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Compare how plants and animals feed
- Compare how plants and animals move
- Sort living things into plants and animals
What you already know
- Life processes
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Diversity Of Matter
- Sub-strand
- Living and Non-Living Things
- Indicator
- B3.1.1.1.1 – Classify living things (plants and animals) by their life processes
Introduction
A cow walks to find grass. A maize plant stays in one place and makes its own food. Both are living, but they are different groups.
1. Plants and Animals Compared
| Life process | Plants | Animals |
|---|---|---|
| nutrition | make their own food using sunlight | eat plants or other animals |
| movement | stay in one place; parts turn to light | move from place to place |
| sensitivity | grow towards light and water | see, hear, smell, feel |
| reproduction | seeds and cuttings | eggs or live young |
2. Sorting
| Plants | Animals |
|---|---|
| mango tree | goat |
| grass | snail |
| cassava | fish |
| hibiscus | butterfly |
New words
- classify
- To put into groups.
- plant
- A living thing that makes its own food.
- animal
- A living thing that eats other living things.
- sunlight
- Light from the sun.
Summary
- Plants make their own food; animals eat other things.
- Plants stay in one place; animals move about.
- We classify living things into plants and animals.
Class activity: Sort and Explain
- Sort the leaves, seedlings and animal pictures.
- Explain why each belongs in its group.
You need: Local leaves, Potted seedlings, Printed photographs of local animals, Two raffia sorting hoops
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Which makes its own food?
- A. Maize
- B. Goat
- C. Fish
- D. Snail
Show answer
Answer: MaizePlants make food using sunlight.2. How do animals get food?
- A. They eat plants or animals
- B. They use sunlight
- C. They drink only
- D. They do not eat
Show answer
Answer: They eat plants or animalsAnimals cannot make food.3. A butterfly is an animal.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueIt moves and feeds on nectar.4. Plants walk to find water.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalsePlants stay in one place.5. To put into groups is to ______.
Show answer
Answer: classifyThat is classifying.6. Give two differences between plants and animals.
Show answer
Answer: E.g. plants make food, animals eat; plants stay still, animals move.Compare life processes.
Homework
- List five plants and five animals near your home.