Grade 3 Science Worksheet (Age 9) — Things Around Us: Living, Non-living & Once-Living | 70 Questions (40 Objective, 20 Short Answer, 10 Problem Solving)

Instructions

Read each question carefully. For Part A, choose the best answer, write True or False, fill in the blank, or match the items. For Part B, write your answer in a short sentence. For Part C, think like a scientist to solve the problems.

Part A: Objective Questions

Circle the correct answer for questions 1-10.

1. Which of the following is a living thing?

• A) Rock
• B) Tree
• C) Water

2. What do all living things need to survive?

• A) Toys
• B) Food and water
• C) Electricity

3. Which of these is a non-living thing?

• A) A bird
• B) A fish
• C) A plastic bottle

4. A wooden chair is an example of something that was...

• A) never alive.
• B) always alive.
• C) once alive.

5. Which of these things can grow and change on its own?

• A) A kitten
• B) A teddy bear
• C) A bicycle

6. Plants are living things because they can...

• A) make their own food.
• B) walk around the garden.
• C) talk to people.

7. A book is made of paper, which comes from trees. A book is...

• A) a living thing.
• B) a non-living thing.
• C) a "once alive" thing.

8. Which is NOT a characteristic of a living thing?

• A) It breathes.
• B) It needs to be charged.
• C) It reproduces (has babies).

9. What is a key difference between a real flower and a plastic flower?

• A) The real flower can grow.
• B) The plastic flower is prettier.
• C) They are both non-living.

10. A fallen feather from a bird is considered...

• A) living.
• B) once alive.
• C) non-living.

Write 'True' or 'False' for statements 11-20.

11. A car is a living thing because it can move. _______________

12. All living things eventually die. _______________

13. A rock can have baby rocks. _______________

14. A plant responds to sunlight by growing towards it. _______________

15. A glass window is a living thing. _______________

16. Leather shoes are made from animal skin, so they were once alive. _______________

17. Humans are non-living things. _______________

18. A river is a living thing because it flows. _______________

19. A seed has the potential to become a living plant. _______________

20. Non-living things do not need food. _______________

Fill in the blanks for questions 21-30 using the words from the box below.

21. A cat is _______________, so it needs food and water.

22. All living things can _______________, which means they can have young ones.

23. A table made from a tree is made of _______________.

24. Fish use their gills to _______________ under water.

25. A plant needs _______________ to make its own food.

26. A chair is a _______________ thing; it cannot grow.

27. A puppy will _______________ into an adult dog.

28. Most animals can _______________ from place to place to find food.

29. All living things need _______________ to stay hydrated.

30. To stay healthy, animals need to eat _______________.

Match the item in Column A to the correct category in Column B for questions 31-40.

Part B: Short Answer Questions

Write a short answer for each question.

1. Name two things a plant needs to live.

2. List three characteristics of living things.

3. Why is a toy car a non-living thing?

4. What is the difference between a real cat and a stuffed toy cat?

5. Give one example of a living thing.

6. Give one example of a non-living thing.

7. Give one example of something that was once alive.

8. How do you know a tree is a living thing?

9. A river flows, but it is not alive. Why?

10. What does it mean for something to "reproduce"?

11. Where does paper come from?

12. Do non-living things grow?

13. Name an animal and a non-living thing you might find in a forest.

14. Why do you need to eat food every day?

15. Is fire a living thing? Explain why or why not.

16. What material that was "once alive" might your shoes be made of?

17. A seed is not moving or eating. Why is it considered a living thing?

18. What would happen to a pet fish if you forgot to feed it?

19. Name one way a plant can move.

20. What is the main difference between a non-living thing (like a rock) and a "once alive" thing (like a wooden stick)?

Part C: Problem Solving

Read the scenarios and answer the questions.

1. The Odd One Out: Look at this list: Cat, Dog, Rock, Fish. Which one does not belong? Explain why.

2. The Forgotten Plant: Mia plants a bean seed in a pot with soil. She puts it in a dark closet and forgets to water it. What do you think will happen to the seed? Why?

3. The Talking Robot: You see a robot that can walk, talk, and wave its arms. Is it a living thing? Explain your reasoning.

4. Sorting Challenge: Sort these items into the correct columns in the table below: Sun, Cat, Woolly Jumper, Computer, Seed, Salad, Rock, Wooden Spoon, Glass, Butterfly.

5. The Beach Trip: On a trip to the beach, you find a crab, a seashell, and a plastic bucket. Classify each one as Living, Non-living, or Once Alive.

6. Is it Alive?: A car uses fuel for energy and moves. A person uses food for energy and moves. Why is the person alive and the car is not?

7. The Cotton T-Shirt: A t-shirt is made from cotton, which is a plant. Which category does the t-shirt belong to (Living, Non-living, or Once Alive)? Explain your choice.

8. A Growing "Thing": A crystal can "grow" bigger in a special liquid. Does this make it a living thing? Why or why not?

9. From Forest to Furniture: Describe the journey of a tree to becoming a wooden table, using the words "living" and "once alive".

10. What if?: What if there were no non-living things like water and air on Earth? What would happen to all the living things?

Answer Key

Part A: Objective Questions

1. B) Tree
2. B) Food and water
3. C) A plastic bottle
4. C) once alive.
5. A) A kitten
6. A) make their own food.
7. C) a "once alive" thing.
8. B) It needs to be charged.
9. A) The real flower can grow.
10. B) once alive.
11. False
12. True
13. False
14. True
15. False
16. True
17. False
18. False
19. True
20. True
21. alive
22. reproduce
23. wood
24. breathe
25. sunlight
26. non-living
27. grow
28. move
29. water
30. food

Matching: 31. A, 32. B, 33. C, 34. A, 35. B, 36. C, 37. C (or A if just picked), 38. B, 39. A, 40. C

Part B: Short Answer Questions

(Example answers. Student's answers may vary slightly.)

1. Sunlight and water. (Also accept soil, air)
2. They grow, they breathe, they need food. (Also accept reproduce, move, respond)
3. It cannot grow, breathe, or make babies on its own.
4. The real cat is a living thing that can grow and breathe, but the toy cat is non-living.
5. Dog, flower, person (any valid example).
6. Rock, water, toy (any valid example).
7. Wooden table, paper, cotton shirt (any valid example).
8. It grows, makes seeds (reproduces), and needs sunlight and water to live.
9. It does not breathe, grow, or reproduce. It is just moving water.
10. It means to have babies or create more of its own kind.
11. Paper comes from trees.
12. No, non-living things do not grow on their own.
13. Animal: squirrel, bird, deer. Non-living thing: rock, stream, dirt.
14. Because my body is a living thing and needs energy from food to grow and move.
15. No, fire is not a living thing. It can grow and move, but it doesn't breathe, reproduce, or need food in the same way living things do.
16. Leather (from animal skin).
17. It has the potential to grow into a plant if it gets water, soil, and sunlight.
18. It would get very sick and eventually die because it is a living thing that needs food.
19. It can grow towards sunlight, or its roots can grow down into the soil.
20. A "once alive" thing comes from a living thing (like wood from a tree), while a non-living thing was never alive (like a rock).

Part C: Problem Solving

(Example answers. Student's answers should show correct reasoning.)

1. Rock does not belong. It is the only non-living thing in a list of living things (animals).
2. The seed will probably not grow. It is a living thing that needs water and sunlight to sprout and live.
3. No, it is a non-living thing. It was built by humans and runs on electricity. It cannot grow, reproduce, or think for itself.
4. • Living: Cat, Seed, Butterfly
   • Non-Living: Sun, Computer, Rock, Glass
   • Once Alive: Woolly Jumper, Salad, Wooden Spoon
5. Crab: Living. Seashell: Once Alive (it was part of a living animal). Plastic Bucket: Non-living.
6. A person can grow, reproduce, and is made of cells. A car is a machine built by people and cannot do those things.
7. It is Once Alive. It is made from a material (cotton) that came from a living plant, but the t-shirt itself is not alive.
8. No. It does not have the other characteristics of life, like breathing, reproducing, or needing food. It "grows" by adding more non-living material.
9. A tree in the forest is a living thing. When it is cut down and made into a table, the wooden table is now a product that was once alive.
10. All the living things would die. Plants and animals need non-living things like water to drink, air to breathe, and sunlight for energy.