How Do We Know It Is Alive? is a free printable Kindergarten science worksheet on using needs, growth and young as evidence that something is alive, aligned to NGSS performance expectation K-LS1-1. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
B.No, it does not need food, water or air, and it cannot grow
C.Yes, because it moves
2.A cloud moves across the sky and changes shape. Is it alive?
A.No, it does not eat, breathe or have young
B.Yes, because it changes shape
C.Yes, because it moves
3.Which of these can grow and have young?
A.A rabbit
B.A teddy bear
C.A rock
4.A rock has been in the yard for a hundred years. Is it alive?
A.Yes, because it is old
B.No, it needs nothing and it does not grow
C.Yes, because it is in the yard
5.A seed looks like a tiny stone. How could you find out if it is alive?
A.Paint it
B.Shake it
C.Plant it, water it and see if it grows
6.A ladybird lays eggs that hatch into baby ladybirds. What does that show?
A.Ladybirds are toys
B.Eggs never hatch
C.Living things make young like themselves
7.A tree grows new leaves every spring. What does that show?
A.It is a building
B.It is alive and growing
C.It is not alive
8.How is a real fish different from a toy fish?
A.The toy fish is bigger
B.The real fish needs water, food and air to stay alive
C.The real fish is shinier
LessonPrint · K-LS1-1 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — How Do We Know It Is Alive?
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.No, it does not need food, water or air, and it cannot grow
2.No, it does not eat, breathe or have young
3.A rabbit
4.No, it needs nothing and it does not grow
5.Plant it, water it and see if it grows
6.Living things make young like themselves
7.It is alive and growing
8.The real fish needs water, food and air to stay alive
Questions about How Do We Know It Is Alive?
What does the How Do We Know It Is Alive? worksheet cover?
It practices using needs, growth and young as evidence that something is alive — 8 questions for Kindergarten, all on NGSS K-LS1-1: Notice what plants and animals need in order to stay alive. The instruction to students is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does How Do We Know It Is Alive? practice?
K-LS1-1, under Life Science for Kindergarten. The published performance expectation reads: “Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
How Do We Know It Is Alive? is written for Kindergarten, typically ages 5-6. It is one of the sheets on K-LS1-1, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does How Do We Know It Is Alive? come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of How Do We Know It Is Alive? can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is How Do We Know It Is Alive? free to print and photocopy?
Yes. How Do We Know It Is Alive?, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
More practice for K-LS1-1
Notice what plants and animals need in order to stay alive.