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Lesson 1 of 9

More than one sign

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5 min

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Rainwater runs fast down the gutter. A snail sits still beside it. Which is alive?

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Six signs. Check them all.
Step 1 of 7
  1. Six signs. Check them all.
  2. Grows — gets bigger over time.
  3. Moves — fast, or very slowly.
  4. Needs food and air, again and again.
  5. Gets rid of waste.
  6. Responds to what happens around it.
  7. Makes more of its own kind.

The six signs

The snail is alive, even though the water moves faster. It grows, eats and breathes.

The six signs
SignIn a few words
GrowsGets bigger over time
MovesFast, or very slowly
Food and airTaken in again and again
WasteLets go of what it does not need
RespondsReacts to what happens nearby
Makes moreStarts a new living thing

One sign alone cannot prove life. Water moves fast. A toy frog hops. Neither the water nor the toy grows or eats.

Try the lab to finish this lesson.