Case Study-Living Creatures: Exploring Their Characteristics

Case Study 1: Avadhi and Aayush Learn About Living and Non-living Things

Avadhi and Aayush go for a morning walk with their parents. Avadhi notices some shells and tries to pick them up. Her mother advises her not to do so and explains that the shell could be home to a living snail and is actually a part of its body. Avadhi and Aayush wonder how the shell that is not even moving could have a living being inside! Later that day in school, Avadhi and Aayush share this incident with their friends. They approach the teacher to understand how a shell, which is not even moving, could be a body part of a living snail. The teacher initiates a discussion in the class on living and non-living things.

Questions & Answers:

1. Why did Avadhi’s mother stop her from picking up the shell?
   Answer: Because the shell could be home to a living snail, and it is a part of its body.

2. Why did Avadhi and Aayush find it surprising that the shell could have life inside?
   Answer: They thought that since the shell was not moving, it could not be a living thing.

3. What discussion did the teacher start in class?
   Answer: The teacher started a discussion about the differences between living and non-living things.

4. What are some characteristics that differentiate living and non-living things?
   Answer: Living things move, grow, reproduce, respond to stimuli, and need food, whereas non-living things do not.

5. Give an example of a non-living thing that can move.
   Answer: A car can move, but it is non-living because it does not grow, breathe, or reproduce.

Case Study 2: Movement in Plants

Avadhi and Aayush learn that movement is a characteristic of living beings. However, they wonder why plants are also considered living if they do not move like animals. Their teacher explains that while plants do not move from one place to another, they show movement in other ways. The opening of flowers and the movement of climbers around objects are examples of plant movement. The teacher also introduces them to insectivorous plants like Drosera, which moves to trap insects. This helps them understand that movement is not limited to animals but is present in plants too.

Questions & Answers:

1. Why do plants not move like animals?
   Answer: Plants are fixed to the ground, but they still show movement in different ways, such as opening flowers and growing towards light.

2. What is an example of a plant that moves?
   Answer: Insectivorous plants like Drosera move their hair-like structures to trap insects.

3. How do climbers show movement?
   Answer: Climbers grow by winding themselves around objects.

4. Why is movement considered a characteristic of living beings?
   Answer: Because all living beings, including plants and animals, show some form of movement, either in their body or growth.

5. Name a plant that folds its leaves when touched.
   Answer: The touch-me-not (Mimosa) plant folds its leaves when touched.

Case Study 3: Growth in Living Beings

One day, Avadhi compares her childhood photo with her current self. She realizes that she has grown taller and bigger. Her teacher explains that growth is a characteristic of all living beings. Unlike non-living things, living beings increase in size over time. Plants grow by developing new leaves and branches, while animals grow by increasing their body size. Even small seedlings grow into large trees over the years. The teacher asks students to observe different animals and plants in their surroundings to see how they grow over time.

Questions & Answers:

1. How did Avadhi realize that living beings grow?
   Answer: She compared her childhood photo with her current self and saw that she had grown taller and bigger.

2. How do plants grow?
   Answer: Plants grow by developing new leaves, branches, and roots over time.

3. How do animals grow?
   Answer: Animals grow by increasing in body size and developing organs.

4. Do non-living things grow?
   Answer: No, non-living things do not grow on their own; they remain the same unless changed by external forces.

5. Give an example of a living being that grows very slowly.
   Answer: A banyan tree grows very slowly but can live for hundreds of years.

Case Study 4: Breathing and Respiration

The teacher asks students to observe their breathing after different activities like walking, running, and dancing. Avadhi and Aayush notice that they breathe faster after running. The teacher explains that breathing is part of respiration, a process in which living beings take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Plants also respire through tiny pores on their leaves called stomata. This helps all living beings get energy for survival.

Questions & Answers:

1. What is respiration?
   Answer: Respiration is the process of taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide to produce energy.

2. Why did Avadhi and Aayush breathe faster after running?
   Answer: Because their bodies needed more oxygen to produce energy for the increased activity.

3. How do plants respire?
   Answer: Plants respire through small pores called stomata on their leaves.

4. What gas do living beings inhale and exhale?
   Answer: Living beings inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.

5. What happens if a living being does not get oxygen?
   Answer: Without oxygen, living beings cannot survive because they cannot produce energy.

Case Study 5: Life Cycle of a Frog

During a school trip, students visit a pond and see small creatures moving in the water. Their teacher explains that these are tadpoles, the young ones of frogs. Frogs undergo different stages in their life cycle: eggs, tadpoles, froglets, and adult frogs. The students learn that tadpoles look very different from adult frogs. Over time, they develop legs, lose their tails, and transform into frogs that can live on both land and water.

Questions & Answers:

1. What are the four stages in a frog’s life cycle?
   Answer: The four stages are eggs, tadpoles, froglets, and adult frogs.

2. How do tadpoles differ from adult frogs?
   Answer: Tadpoles have tails, live in water, and do not have legs, while adult frogs have legs and can live on both land and water.

3. What happens to the tadpole’s tail as it grows?
   Answer: The tail gradually disappears as the frog develops legs.

4. Where do frogs lay their eggs?
   Answer: Frogs lay their eggs in water, where they hatch into tadpoles.

5. Why is the frog’s life cycle called metamorphosis?
   Answer: Because the frog undergoes drastic changes in its body shape during its growth stages.