Life Systems: Needs and Characteristics of Living Things is a comprehensive Grade 1 science resource that explores living and non‑living things, the needs of plants and animals, human body parts and senses, and the interdependence of living things in the environment. Through hands‑on experiments, outdoor observations, STEM investigations, and structured worksheets, students learn how living things grow, adapt, and survive. The resource also emphasizes environmental responsibility, helping students understand how human actions affect ecosystems.

Across its eight major sections—environment, animals, plants, human body, senses, and interdependence—the resource integrates scientific inquiry skills such as predicting, observing, recording data, and drawing conclusions. Students engage in meaningful activities including plant growth experiments, animal classification, sensory exploration, and human body investigations. These lessons align with Canadian provincial standards, NGSS, and Common Core literacy expectations, making the resource academically robust and classroom‑ready.

Standards Alignment Charts

Canadian Standards Chart

U.S. Standards Chart

  Teacher Notes Include:

• At A Glance – List of Skills
• Introduction
• Student Assessment Form
• Teacher Assessment Form

Lesson Topics:

In each section you will find teacher notes designed to provide you guidance with the learning intention, the success criteria, materials needed, a lesson outline, as well as provide some insight on what results to expect when the experiments are conducted.

Suggestions for differentiation are also included so that all students can be successful in the learning environment.

Lesson One: In Your Environment: Students will learn about living and non-living things that are in their environment and the importance of showing care for their environment. 

Lesson Two: In the Animal Kingdom: Students will learn about the physical characteristics of a variety of animals.

 Lesson Three: The Plant World: Students will learn about the physical characteristics of plants and how they meet their needs.

Lesson Four: The Human Factor: Students will learn about the physical characteristics and the basic needs of humans and compare basic needs to other living things.

Lesson Five: Needs Intertwined!: Students will learn about what living things provide for each other, and the problems that could result from the loss of some kinds of living things. 

Lesson Six: Explore Your Senses: Students will learn about the five senses and how they are used to identify objects in our world. 

Lesson Seven: Applying Your Senses: Students will learn how the senses are applied to describe and sort things in our environment. 

Lesson Eight: The Human Body: Students will learn about the location and function of major parts in the human body and how they are used to meet our needs and explore our world.

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