Living Things Change Their Surroundings
Students observe examples of plants, animals, and people changing their surroundings and use evidence to explain how those changes help meet living things’ needs.
Illustrations are auto-generated and may be placeholders. They can be refreshed to match the narration.
Notice Changes Around Us
Living things can change the places where they live. A change is something that becomes different. Look for clues in a place. A small hole in the ground may show that an animal dug there. A sidewalk pushed upward may show that tree roots grew beneath it. A garden may show that people planted and watered seeds. We can compare what a place looked like before and after a change. We can also ask, “What living thing made this change?” and “How did the change help it?” For example, a bird gathers twigs and builds a nest in a tree. The nest was not there before. The bird changed its surroundings, and the nest gives its eggs and chicks a protected place to rest and grow.
How Plants Change Places
Plants change their surroundings as they grow. A seed may begin in a small patch of soil. Its roots grow down and spread through the soil to take in water and help hold the plant in place. Its stem and leaves grow upward toward sunlight. As the plant becomes larger, its leaves may make shade on the ground. The shade can help the soil stay cooler and slow some water from drying up. For example, a young sunflower has only a few short roots and leaves. Later, the sunflower has a tall stem, wide roots, and many leaves. The space above and below the soil has changed. These changes help the sunflower get the water, sunlight, air, and space it needs to live and grow.
How Animals Change Places
Animals change places to find food, water, shelter, and safety. Some animals dig holes or tunnels. A rabbit may dig a burrow in the ground. The burrow gives the rabbit a sheltered place to rest, hide from danger, and care for its young. Other animals build above the ground. Birds make nests, and spiders spin webs. Beavers make a bigger change by placing branches, sticks, and mud across a stream. This structure is called a dam. The dam slows the moving water and can form a pond. The pond gives beavers deep water near their lodge, where they can find shelter and move away from danger. The branches, water, and land are arranged differently after the beavers work. These changes help the animals meet their needs.
How People Change Places
People are living things, and people change their surroundings to meet their needs. People build homes for shelter from rain, wind, heat, and cold. They make roads and sidewalks to travel from place to place. They also dig soil, plant seeds, and carry water to grow food in gardens. For example, imagine an empty schoolyard with a sunny patch of hard soil. People can loosen the soil, add garden beds, plant vegetable seeds, and water them. The schoolyard then has growing plants where there were none before. This change can provide food, but human activities can also affect other living things. A garden may give insects food, while litter can make a place unsafe. People can help by using trash cans, saving water, and caring for plants and animals.
Sort the Examples
We can sort changes by the living thing that made each one. Use three categories: plants, animals, and people. Picture cards might show tree roots lifting soil, vines covering a fence, and leaves making shade. Those three cards belong in the plant category. Cards showing a bird nest, a rabbit burrow, and a beaver dam belong in the animal category. Cards showing a house, a garden, and a road belong in the people category. Count the cards after sorting them. There are three plant examples, three animal examples, and three people examples. Each category has the same number. Now explain one choice. A beaver dam belongs with animals because beavers place branches and mud in a stream. Sorting and counting help us notice that many kinds of living things change their surroundings.
Draw and Explain with Evidence
Choose one living thing and make a drawing that shows how it changes its surroundings. Include details that can be used as evidence. For example, draw a rabbit beside a burrow with an opening and an underground resting space. Then share your idea by speaking, dictating, or writing. You might say, “I think the rabbit changes the ground to make a safe shelter.” Give evidence from your drawing: “The hole and underground space show where the rabbit can hide and rest.” Your first sentence tells what you think. Your next sentence gives a clue that supports your idea. You may also explain why the change helps the living thing meet a need. Check that your picture and words show the living thing, the change it made, and the need the change helps meet.
