--- title: K.LS.1 description: K.LS.1 Living things have specific characteristics and traits. image: https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Right%20Image.png --- [![Teacher Login](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/347944/f56bee57-133e-4975-8055-799f1f23588b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/347944/f56bee57-133e-4975-8055-799f1f23588b) [Teacher Login](https://app.knowatom.com/signin) [![KnowAtom Logo](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/KnowAtom%20Logo.svg "KnowAtom Logo")](https://www.knowatom.com/) # K.LS.1 Living things have specific characteristics and traits. [![Download a Sample Unit](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/347944/20eee377-e175-48fe-a039-ae723137a2a6.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/347944/20eee377-e175-48fe-a039-ae723137a2a6) Science & Engineering Practices - [Developing and using models](https://www.knowatom.com/developing-and-using-models) - [Planning and carrying out investigations](https://www.knowatom.com/planning-and-carrying-out-investigations) - [Constructing explanations and designing solutions](https://www.knowatom.com/constructing-explanations-and-designing-solutions) - [Engaging in argument from evidence](https://www.knowatom.com/engaging-in-argument-from-evidence) - [Obtaining evaluating and communicating information](https://www.knowatom.com/obtaining-evaluating-and-communicating-information) Disciplinary Core Ideas - [Weather and Climate](https://www.knowatom.com/weather-and-climate) - [Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer](https://www.knowatom.com/conservation-of-energy-and-energy-transfer) Crosscutting Concepts - [Patterns](https://www.knowatom.com/patterns) - [Cause and Effect](https://www.knowatom.com/cause-and-effect) [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/347944/b5a1446e-d782-4a5f-a019-0b3b98c8304f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/347944/b5a1446e-d782-4a5f-a019-0b3b98c8304f) ## Browse K.LS.1 Lesson Plans Grade Ranges All K-2 3-5 6-8 [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Living-and-Nonliving-Things.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/living-and-nonliving-things) ## [Living and Nonliving Things In this unit, students discover living things, beginning with an investigation into the differences between living and nonliving things. Students then explore how water helps plants grow and develop the structures they need to survive.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/living-and-nonliving-things) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/living-and-nonliving-things) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image2-Oct-07-2023-10-34-47-2249-AM.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/habitats) ## [Habitats In the last unit, students explored patterns in land and water on Earth. They build on that knowledge in this unit with a focus on how living things are found in different habitats around the planet, and how living things depend on both living and nonliving components of their environment for survival.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/habitats) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/habitats) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image1-4.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/how-plants-grow) ## [How Plants Grow In the last unit, students explored how living things are found in different habitats around the planet and depend on both living and nonliving parts of their environment for survival. In this unit, students focus on plants. They begin with an experiment that investigates the science phenomena of how light and water help plants grow from a seed into an adult plant, and then focus on the function of flowers, which produce seeds.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/how-plants-grow) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/how-plants-grow) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image3-Oct-07-2023-10-43-09-6276-AM.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/flowers) ## [Flowers In this unit, students explore how plants have different parts that help them get what they need to survive from the environment. They begin with experiments that investigate the cause-and-effect relationship between water, light, and the ability of plants to grow. This page is a high-level extract of the second lesson in which students explore flowers. ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/flowers) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/flowers) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image2-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/characteristics-of-living-things) ## [Characteristics of Living Things In the second unit of Kindergarten, students explore life on Earth. They begin by exploring what makes something a living thing, and then investigate what plants and animals need to survive. To begin their study of life science, students make observations and construct explanations about those observations to explore the characteristics that all living things have in common. ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/characteristics-of-living-things) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/characteristics-of-living-things) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image3-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/living-nonliving-once-living) ## [Living, Nonliving, and Once-Living In Unit 2 of Kindergarten, students explore characteristics of living things and investigate what plants and animals need to survive. They will also discover plant and animal life cycles, and learn about habitats. This page is a high-level extract from lesson two, where students use patterns of shared characteristics to help them sort photos of different things into groups according to whether they are living, once-living, or nonliving.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/living-nonliving-once-living) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/living-nonliving-once-living) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image2-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/living-things-in-their-habitat) ## [Living Things in Their Habitat In this unit, students are introduced to living things on Earth. They begin by exploring the differences between living and nonliving things and then investigate what plants and animals need to survive by watching bean plants grow and observing a cricket in its habitat. They then create a model to show how living things depend on other living things and their environment to survive, and can change their environment to help them get what they need.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/living-things-in-their-habitat) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/living-things-in-their-habitat) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function) ## [Insect Anatomy - Structure and Function In this unit, students focus on animals, analyzing how animals’ body parts help them survive and grow. This page is a high-level extract of the first lesson of the unit in which students build insect models to investigate the science phenomena of an insect’s body parts’ structure and function. Students observe how ants use their body parts to get what they need to survive. ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function1.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/ant-behavior-and-food) ## [Ant Behavior and Food Once students have modeled the science phenomena of insects’ body parts, they then focus on one kind of insect: the ant. They conduct an experiment to test the taste preference of harvester ants, and observe how ants use their different body parts to get food, communicate with one another, and carry out other life functions.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/ant-behavior-and-food) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/ant-behavior-and-food) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image3-Oct-07-2023-10-37-09-5416-AM.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/predator-prey-relationships) ## [Predator-Prey Relationships This unit has students exploring animal habitat and predator-prey relationships. Once students model the living and nonliving parts of different habitats, they focus on how living things depend on other living things in their habitat for survival. As a class, students model the predator-prey relationship between foxes and rabbits in a forest habitat, and then dissect owl pellets to analyze a barn owl’s diet.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/predator-prey-relationships) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/predator-prey-relationships) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image1-Oct-07-2023-10-47-49-4529-AM.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/butterfly-life-cycle) ## [Butterfly Life Cycle In the last unit, students investigated whether plants need light and water to grow, and then explored how flowers have specific structures that help them attract pollinators to make seeds. In this unit, students focus on one kind of pollinator—the butterfly. ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/butterfly-life-cycle) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/butterfly-life-cycle) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image3-Oct-07-2023-10-52-20-1918-AM.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/butterfly-structure-and-function) ## [Butterfly Structure and Function In this unit, students continue to learn about living things, focusing on animals. They begin by observing the metamorphosis of a butterfly and then model the parts of a butterfly that help it survive in its environment. This page highlights each component of lesson two in which students explore a butterfly’s body structure and function. ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/butterfly-structure-and-function) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/butterfly-structure-and-function) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Living-and-Nonliving-Things1.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/plant-structures) ## [Plant Structures In this unit, students begin an exploration of  life sciences. Once students have described the differences between living and nonliving things and analyzed what all living things need to survive, they focus on the parts of plants that help them get what they need to survive.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/plant-structures) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/plant-structures) Standards citation: NGSS Lead States. 2013. *Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By State*s. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 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