Why It Lives There is a free printable Kindergarten science worksheet on the needs of a living thing and the place it lives, aligned to Common Core standard K-ESS3-1. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils 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.
Draw a line from each living thing to where it lives.
1.Draw a line from each one to its match.
A woodlouse
An oak tree
A cactus
A fish
A.Water, because it takes in air through gills
B.A dry desert, because it holds water in its stem
C.Under a stone, because it dries out in the sun
D.Deep soil, because its roots grow long and wide
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
A duck
A snail
A polar bear
A worm
A.Under a damp log, because it needs to stay wet
B.Cold ice and snow, because its thick fur keeps heat in
C.A pond, because it feeds on the water
D.Damp soil, because it eats and moves through it
LessonPrint · K-ESS3-1 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Why It Lives There
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. A woodlouse — C (Under a stone, because it dries out in the sun) 2. An oak tree — D (Deep soil, because its roots grow long and wide) 3. A cactus — B (A dry desert, because it holds water in its stem) 4. A fish — A (Water, because it takes in air through gills)
2.1. A duck — C (A pond, because it feeds on the water) 2. A snail — A (Under a damp log, because it needs to stay wet) 3. A polar bear — B (Cold ice and snow, because its thick fur keeps heat in) 4. A worm — D (Damp soil, because it eats and moves through it)
Questions about Why It Lives There
What does the Why It Lives There worksheet cover?
It practises the needs of a living thing and the place it lives — 2 questions for Kindergarten, all on Common Core K-ESS3-1: Model why particular plants and animals live where they do. The instruction to pupils is “Draw a line from each living thing to where it lives”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Why It Lives There practise?
K-ESS3-1 — K-ESS3-1, in the Earth and Space Science domain for Kindergarten. The published standard reads: “Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Why It Lives There is written for Kindergarten, typically ages 5-6. It is one of the sheets on K-ESS3-1, so it suits any pupil working at that standard — including older pupils revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Why It Lives There come with an answer key?
Yes. All 2 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 Why It Lives There can I print?
25 — one per pupil, 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 Why It Lives There free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Why It Lives There, 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.
Is there a lesson plan to teach K-ESS3-1?
Yes — “Why It Lives There” is a 45-minute Kindergarten plan for K-ESS3-1, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Why It Lives There is the practice that follows it.
More practice for K-ESS3-1
Model why particular plants and animals live where they do.
Teaching this next? Why It Lives There is the 45-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.