🔬 ScienceLevel 1Lesson 8
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How We Care for Living Things

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Describe at least three ways people care for plants, three ways people care for animals
  • 2Explain why protecting living things matters
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Mini Lesson

Living things depend on the world around them to survive. People have the power to help — or harm — plants, animals, and their habitats. Choosing to care is one of the most important things a scientist can do.

How we care for plants

  • We water plants regularly so they do not dry out.
  • We place them in sunlight so they can make food.
  • We use soil with the right minerals and protect them from pests.
  • Example: A gardener waters flowers every morning to keep them healthy.

How we care for animals and pets

  • We give pets food and clean water every day.
  • We provide a safe shelter — a home, cage, tank, or stable.
  • We take sick animals to a vet for help.
  • We show animals kindness — we do not hurt or frighten them.

How we protect living things in nature

  • We avoid littering — trash harms animals that mistake it for food.
  • We protect habitats by not cutting down too many trees or polluting water.
  • We can plant trees and create gardens that give wildlife a safe home.
Six ways people care for living thingsSix tiles showing caring actions: watering a plant, giving sunlight, providing pet food, giving water, visiting a vet, and planting trees.How we care for living things🌿Water plantsevery day 💧☀️Give sunlightnear a window 🪟🐾Feed petsfresh food 🍖💧Clean waterfor animals 🥣🏥Visit the vetwhen sick 🩺🌳Plant treesfor wildlife 🐦Comparing a cared-for plant and a neglected plantLeft side shows a healthy green plant with the label cared for. Right side shows a wilting brown plant with the label neglected. An arrow points from neglected to cared for showing the positive change when care is given.✅ Cared for❌ Neglectedtall and healthy!wilting — needs care!add care→ it recovers!
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Ask yourself: "What does this living thing need from me? Am I giving it food, water, safety, and kindness?"

Vocabulary
Care
To help and look after a living thinge.g. I care for my dog every day.
Shelter
A safe place where an animal livese.g. A cage is a shelter for a hamster.
Vet
A doctor who helps animals when they are sicke.g. My cat went to the vet.
Pollute
To make air, water, or land dirty and unsafee.g. Trash can pollute the ocean.
Protect
To keep something safe from harme.g. We protect trees by not cutting them down.
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← Lesson 7: Comparing Living ThingsLesson 9: The Earth's Land, Air, and Water →