What is Alive

What's Alive?

Are you like a cat?You don't look like a cat. A cat is furry. It has a long tail and four legs. You have two legs and no fur. But you canrun and jump like a cat.

Are you like a flower or a tree?You don't look like a flower or a tree. A tree is tall. Its green leaves grow high up inthe air, and its roots grow deep underground. A flower can have petals of pink or yellow or red. You have no petals, and you won't grow as tall asa tree. But, like a flower and a tree, you are growing.

Are you like a bird?You don't look like a bird. A bird flies on feathered wings. You have no feathers and cannot fly. But abird, a flower, a cat, a tree, and you are all alikein one important way. You are all alive.

Many things are not alive. A stone is not alive. Your tricycle, a book, the swing set, a doll—none of these is alive. Do you know how to tell if something is aliving thing or not? All living things are alike in certain ways. All living things need water and food and air. Living things use water and food and air togive them energy. They need this energy togrow and move.

When a cat is born it is small. It is called akitten. A kitten gets food from its mother. Asthe kitten grows bigger, it begins to lap up waterand nibble on food from a bowl. It breathes airin and out through its nose. The kitten is aliveand growing. Kittens and cats need food, water, and air togive them energy so they can run and jump andplay.