NCERT Textbook: Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics | Science Class 6 PDF Download

 Page 1


Living Creatures: Exploring 
their Characteristics
10 Chapter
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. 
Chapter 10.indd   183 10-07-2024   18:21:03
Page 2


Living Creatures: Exploring 
their Characteristics
10 Chapter
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. 
Chapter 10.indd   183 10-07-2024   18:21:03
184
Activity 10.1: Let us record 
We are surrounded by numerous things. Just look around 
in your classroom and you may find many examples—the 
pencil that you are holding, the book that you are reading or 
the pigeon near the window. 
 ? List them in Table 10.1 and identify each of them as 
living or non-living on the basis of your understanding 
in column II. 
 ? Write a reason for grouping them as living or non living 
in column III. 
10.1 What Sets the Living Apart from the  
Non-living? 
Look at Table 10.1. Why do you think a pencil is non-living 
but a pigeon is living? What do you think are the differences 
between living beings and non-living things according to 
you? What similarities do the identified living beings share 
with each other? 
You may have identified movement as one of the 
similarities among living beings. You have also seen cars 
moving on a road. Does it mean that a car is living? List the 
(III) (V) (I) (II) (IV)
Name
My guess 
(Living/
Non-
living) 
Reason/
Remarks
Correct 
answer
Reason/
Remarks for 
the correct 
answer
Pencil Non-living
Book
Pigeon Living
Car
Plant
Any other
Table 10.1: Living beings and non-living things in our 
surroundings
184
Curiosity | Science Textbook | Grade 6
Chapter 10.indd   184 10-07-2024   18:21:03
Page 3


Living Creatures: Exploring 
their Characteristics
10 Chapter
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. 
Chapter 10.indd   183 10-07-2024   18:21:03
184
Activity 10.1: Let us record 
We are surrounded by numerous things. Just look around 
in your classroom and you may find many examples—the 
pencil that you are holding, the book that you are reading or 
the pigeon near the window. 
 ? List them in Table 10.1 and identify each of them as 
living or non-living on the basis of your understanding 
in column II. 
 ? Write a reason for grouping them as living or non living 
in column III. 
10.1 What Sets the Living Apart from the  
Non-living? 
Look at Table 10.1. Why do you think a pencil is non-living 
but a pigeon is living? What do you think are the differences 
between living beings and non-living things according to 
you? What similarities do the identified living beings share 
with each other? 
You may have identified movement as one of the 
similarities among living beings. You have also seen cars 
moving on a road. Does it mean that a car is living? List the 
(III) (V) (I) (II) (IV)
Name
My guess 
(Living/
Non-
living) 
Reason/
Remarks
Correct 
answer
Reason/
Remarks for 
the correct 
answer
Pencil Non-living
Book
Pigeon Living
Car
Plant
Any other
Table 10.1: Living beings and non-living things in our 
surroundings
184
Curiosity | Science Textbook | Grade 6
Chapter 10.indd   184 10-07-2024   18:21:03
Living Creatures: Exploring their 
Characteristics
185
tasks that you can do but a car cannot. You are a wonderful 
example of a living being. Whenever you attempt to group 
things around you as living or non-living, you can compare 
them with yourself. Which characteristics help you in 
differentiating yourself from a car? For instance, a car 
does not grow. Does it mean it is non-living? Now, which 
characteristics have you used to classify a car as non-living? 
Continue your discussion in a similar way to identify the 
essential characteristics of living beings.
What are some common characteristics that make living 
beings very different from the non-living things? Let us 
learn about them.
Can we consider movement as one of the characteristics to 
differentiate between the living and the non-living? List five 
things around you that can move on their own. Do you think 
that all five things that you have listed can be considered as 
living just because they can move on their 
own? However, unlike animals, plants do 
not move from one place to another. Do 
you consider them as living? 
Even though plants do not move from 
one place to another , they do show certain 
types of movements. Opening of flowers is 
one of the examples of movement in plants. 
Another example of movement in plants is 
seen in insectivorous plants. Insectivorous 
plants are dependent on insects for their nutrition. Drosera 
is one of the examples of an insectivore. Drosera is 
featured with saucer-shaped leaves having many hair-like 
projections of unequal length with sticky ends. Whenever 
an insect enters the saucer, hairs move inward and 
trap the insect with their sticky ends. Try to observe 
the mechanism of movement in other insectivorous 
plants. Climbers also wind themselves around 
any object placed close to them. That means, 
even though plants do not move from 
one place to another, they do show 
some movements.
Compare yourself with the 
picture of your childhood. Can you 
Activity 10.1: Let us record 
We are surrounded by numerous things. Just look around 
in your classroom and you may find many examples—the 
pencil that you are holding, the book that you are reading or 
the pigeon near the window. 
 ? List them in Table 10.1 and identify each of them as 
living or non-living on the basis of your understanding 
in column II. 
 ? Write a reason for grouping them as living or non living 
in column III. 
Growth of a child
Drosera
Chapter 10.indd   185 10-07-2024   18:21:08
Page 4


Living Creatures: Exploring 
their Characteristics
10 Chapter
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. 
Chapter 10.indd   183 10-07-2024   18:21:03
184
Activity 10.1: Let us record 
We are surrounded by numerous things. Just look around 
in your classroom and you may find many examples—the 
pencil that you are holding, the book that you are reading or 
the pigeon near the window. 
 ? List them in Table 10.1 and identify each of them as 
living or non-living on the basis of your understanding 
in column II. 
 ? Write a reason for grouping them as living or non living 
in column III. 
10.1 What Sets the Living Apart from the  
Non-living? 
Look at Table 10.1. Why do you think a pencil is non-living 
but a pigeon is living? What do you think are the differences 
between living beings and non-living things according to 
you? What similarities do the identified living beings share 
with each other? 
You may have identified movement as one of the 
similarities among living beings. You have also seen cars 
moving on a road. Does it mean that a car is living? List the 
(III) (V) (I) (II) (IV)
Name
My guess 
(Living/
Non-
living) 
Reason/
Remarks
Correct 
answer
Reason/
Remarks for 
the correct 
answer
Pencil Non-living
Book
Pigeon Living
Car
Plant
Any other
Table 10.1: Living beings and non-living things in our 
surroundings
184
Curiosity | Science Textbook | Grade 6
Chapter 10.indd   184 10-07-2024   18:21:03
Living Creatures: Exploring their 
Characteristics
185
tasks that you can do but a car cannot. You are a wonderful 
example of a living being. Whenever you attempt to group 
things around you as living or non-living, you can compare 
them with yourself. Which characteristics help you in 
differentiating yourself from a car? For instance, a car 
does not grow. Does it mean it is non-living? Now, which 
characteristics have you used to classify a car as non-living? 
Continue your discussion in a similar way to identify the 
essential characteristics of living beings.
What are some common characteristics that make living 
beings very different from the non-living things? Let us 
learn about them.
Can we consider movement as one of the characteristics to 
differentiate between the living and the non-living? List five 
things around you that can move on their own. Do you think 
that all five things that you have listed can be considered as 
living just because they can move on their 
own? However, unlike animals, plants do 
not move from one place to another. Do 
you consider them as living? 
Even though plants do not move from 
one place to another , they do show certain 
types of movements. Opening of flowers is 
one of the examples of movement in plants. 
Another example of movement in plants is 
seen in insectivorous plants. Insectivorous 
plants are dependent on insects for their nutrition. Drosera 
is one of the examples of an insectivore. Drosera is 
featured with saucer-shaped leaves having many hair-like 
projections of unequal length with sticky ends. Whenever 
an insect enters the saucer, hairs move inward and 
trap the insect with their sticky ends. Try to observe 
the mechanism of movement in other insectivorous 
plants. Climbers also wind themselves around 
any object placed close to them. That means, 
even though plants do not move from 
one place to another, they do show 
some movements.
Compare yourself with the 
picture of your childhood. Can you 
Activity 10.1: Let us record 
We are surrounded by numerous things. Just look around 
in your classroom and you may find many examples—the 
pencil that you are holding, the book that you are reading or 
the pigeon near the window. 
 ? List them in Table 10.1 and identify each of them as 
living or non-living on the basis of your understanding 
in column II. 
 ? Write a reason for grouping them as living or non living 
in column III. 
Growth of a child
Drosera
Chapter 10.indd   185 10-07-2024   18:21:08
Curiosity | Textbook of Science | Grade 6
186
wear the dress that you used to wear four years ago? No, 
because you have become larger in size. This is due to growth 
in your body. Plants and other living beings also grow. Can 
we consider growth as a characteristic of living beings? 
Living beings need food (nutrition) for their growth 
and development. List five living beings that require food  
to grow.
Now, think of a process without which we cannot live. 
Count the number of breaths you take per minute after 
a normal walk, after a run, and after a few dance steps. 
Record the data and observe. Do you notice any difference 
in the number of breaths after each situation? Do you notice 
the process of breathing in other animals like dogs, cats, 
cows and buffaloes? Notice the movement of their abdomen 
while they are taking rest. 
In the process of breathing, when we inhale, the air 
moves from outside to inside our body. When we breathe 
out, the air moves from inside our body to outside. 
Breathing is part of a process called respiration. Do 
plants also respire? There are tiny pores called stomata 
on the surface of leaves. These pores help plants in taking 
air in and out. Interact with senior class students in your 
school and request if they can demonstrate stomata using 
a microscope in your class. All living beings respire.
Have you noticed white patches forming on shirts around 
the armpits during summers? These 
patches are formed due to sweat. The 
sweat consists of water and salts removed 
by the body as waste products. Removal 
of waste products from the body is called 
excretion. Urine is also formed as a 
product of excretion in animals. Do you 
know that plants also excrete? You may 
notice plants excrete excess water and 
minerals in the form of small droplets on 
leaves. For example, grasses and roses.  All 
living beings excrete.
Let us look at another characteristic. 
What is your reaction if you unexpectedly 
step on a sharp object, such as a thorn, 
Water droplets on grass
Chapter 10.indd   186 10-07-2024   18:21:08
Page 5


Living Creatures: Exploring 
their Characteristics
10 Chapter
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. 
Chapter 10.indd   183 10-07-2024   18:21:03
184
Activity 10.1: Let us record 
We are surrounded by numerous things. Just look around 
in your classroom and you may find many examples—the 
pencil that you are holding, the book that you are reading or 
the pigeon near the window. 
 ? List them in Table 10.1 and identify each of them as 
living or non-living on the basis of your understanding 
in column II. 
 ? Write a reason for grouping them as living or non living 
in column III. 
10.1 What Sets the Living Apart from the  
Non-living? 
Look at Table 10.1. Why do you think a pencil is non-living 
but a pigeon is living? What do you think are the differences 
between living beings and non-living things according to 
you? What similarities do the identified living beings share 
with each other? 
You may have identified movement as one of the 
similarities among living beings. You have also seen cars 
moving on a road. Does it mean that a car is living? List the 
(III) (V) (I) (II) (IV)
Name
My guess 
(Living/
Non-
living) 
Reason/
Remarks
Correct 
answer
Reason/
Remarks for 
the correct 
answer
Pencil Non-living
Book
Pigeon Living
Car
Plant
Any other
Table 10.1: Living beings and non-living things in our 
surroundings
184
Curiosity | Science Textbook | Grade 6
Chapter 10.indd   184 10-07-2024   18:21:03
Living Creatures: Exploring their 
Characteristics
185
tasks that you can do but a car cannot. You are a wonderful 
example of a living being. Whenever you attempt to group 
things around you as living or non-living, you can compare 
them with yourself. Which characteristics help you in 
differentiating yourself from a car? For instance, a car 
does not grow. Does it mean it is non-living? Now, which 
characteristics have you used to classify a car as non-living? 
Continue your discussion in a similar way to identify the 
essential characteristics of living beings.
What are some common characteristics that make living 
beings very different from the non-living things? Let us 
learn about them.
Can we consider movement as one of the characteristics to 
differentiate between the living and the non-living? List five 
things around you that can move on their own. Do you think 
that all five things that you have listed can be considered as 
living just because they can move on their 
own? However, unlike animals, plants do 
not move from one place to another. Do 
you consider them as living? 
Even though plants do not move from 
one place to another , they do show certain 
types of movements. Opening of flowers is 
one of the examples of movement in plants. 
Another example of movement in plants is 
seen in insectivorous plants. Insectivorous 
plants are dependent on insects for their nutrition. Drosera 
is one of the examples of an insectivore. Drosera is 
featured with saucer-shaped leaves having many hair-like 
projections of unequal length with sticky ends. Whenever 
an insect enters the saucer, hairs move inward and 
trap the insect with their sticky ends. Try to observe 
the mechanism of movement in other insectivorous 
plants. Climbers also wind themselves around 
any object placed close to them. That means, 
even though plants do not move from 
one place to another, they do show 
some movements.
Compare yourself with the 
picture of your childhood. Can you 
Activity 10.1: Let us record 
We are surrounded by numerous things. Just look around 
in your classroom and you may find many examples—the 
pencil that you are holding, the book that you are reading or 
the pigeon near the window. 
 ? List them in Table 10.1 and identify each of them as 
living or non-living on the basis of your understanding 
in column II. 
 ? Write a reason for grouping them as living or non living 
in column III. 
Growth of a child
Drosera
Chapter 10.indd   185 10-07-2024   18:21:08
Curiosity | Textbook of Science | Grade 6
186
wear the dress that you used to wear four years ago? No, 
because you have become larger in size. This is due to growth 
in your body. Plants and other living beings also grow. Can 
we consider growth as a characteristic of living beings? 
Living beings need food (nutrition) for their growth 
and development. List five living beings that require food  
to grow.
Now, think of a process without which we cannot live. 
Count the number of breaths you take per minute after 
a normal walk, after a run, and after a few dance steps. 
Record the data and observe. Do you notice any difference 
in the number of breaths after each situation? Do you notice 
the process of breathing in other animals like dogs, cats, 
cows and buffaloes? Notice the movement of their abdomen 
while they are taking rest. 
In the process of breathing, when we inhale, the air 
moves from outside to inside our body. When we breathe 
out, the air moves from inside our body to outside. 
Breathing is part of a process called respiration. Do 
plants also respire? There are tiny pores called stomata 
on the surface of leaves. These pores help plants in taking 
air in and out. Interact with senior class students in your 
school and request if they can demonstrate stomata using 
a microscope in your class. All living beings respire.
Have you noticed white patches forming on shirts around 
the armpits during summers? These 
patches are formed due to sweat. The 
sweat consists of water and salts removed 
by the body as waste products. Removal 
of waste products from the body is called 
excretion. Urine is also formed as a 
product of excretion in animals. Do you 
know that plants also excrete? You may 
notice plants excrete excess water and 
minerals in the form of small droplets on 
leaves. For example, grasses and roses.  All 
living beings excrete.
Let us look at another characteristic. 
What is your reaction if you unexpectedly 
step on a sharp object, such as a thorn, 
Water droplets on grass
Chapter 10.indd   186 10-07-2024   18:21:08
Living Creatures: Exploring their 
Characteristics
187
while walking without shoes, or you accidentally touch a hot 
cup of tea? Stepping on a thorn and touching a hot object are 
stimuli. Any thing or any event that prompts living beings 
to respond is called a stimulus. List three stimuli (plural 
of stimulus) and your body’s 
instant response to them. 
Do plants also respond to 
stimuli? Yes, plants also respond 
to stimuli. For example, touch-
me-not (mimosa, chhui-mui, 
lajjalu) plants fold their leaves 
when we touch them. Have you 
also observed that certain plants 
fold their leaves after sunset? 
Specifically, the leaves of certain 
plants facing each other tend 
to come together. This can be 
observed in the sleeping leaves 
of amla (Indian gooseberry) 
tree. All living beings respond to stimuli. Find a few more 
plants in your neighbourhood which fold their leaves after 
sunset. 
Why do the leaves of chhui-mui and amla plants respond 
in this way? Which stimulus could be responsible for their 
behaviour?
Have you seen young ones of cats, dogs or other animals? 
List young ones of five different animals. Have you seen 
young ones of any non-living things such as a pencil, a chair 
or an electric bulb?
All living beings reproduce. Reproduction is the 
process of producing new ones of one’s own kind. Why is 
reproduction necessary? It is necessary for the continuity 
of life. 
When a living being is not able to exhibit all of the above 
mentioned characteristics, despite the availability of all 
resources (like food, air and water) needed for being alive, 
it is said to be dead. 
From the above discussion, we can understand that 
all living beings share some common characteristics. For 
example, all living beings show movement, they need 
Touch-me-not (chhui-mui) plant
Chapter 10.indd   187 10-07-2024   18:21:11