Name ______Date ______Period ______
Visualizing the Characteristics of
Living Things Poster
Background: From our Cells Unit, we have been learning about the characteristics necessary for life. The seven characteristics are broad enough to include the great diversity of life on Earth, from the 2700 known bacterial species to the more than 1.5 million named animal species!
Activity: You will create a poster that represents the six characteristics of life. Listed below are the items needed on your poster to obtain full credit. You will be graded using the poster rubric. Remember – posters grab attention and are usually very “eyecatching.” Ex.) Use color, be neat – use rulers when necessary, make your poster balanced – watch your layout…spelling also counts!
*Items to display on your poster:
1. List and explain all of the 6 characteristics
2. List the six characteristics of living things
3. Draw or find pictures that represent each of the seven characteristics (this means that you
should have at least seven pictures!)
4. Make the title large and legible “The Characteristics of Living Things”
5. Write your name, date and period
These are the seven easily observable characteristics of living things:
- Adapted to environment
- growth and development
- response to stimuli (reacts to changes in the environment)
- reproduction
- use of energy
- cellular structure (having cells)
Characteristics of Living Things Poster Rubric
Point Value / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / TotalPictures x 2 / 0-1 colored pictures / 2-3 colored pictures / 4-5 colored pictures / 6 colored pictures
Relevance of pictures x 2 / 0-1 characteristics of life appropriately represented / 2-3 characteristics of life appropriately represented / 4-5characteristics of life appropriately represented / 6characteristics of life appropriately represented
Explanation of characteristics x 2 / 0-1 accurate explanations represented / 2-3 accurate explanations represented / 4-5 accurate explanations represented / 6accurate explanations represented
Total ______/ 24
Characteristics ofLiving Things Poster
This is an example of what your poster should have on it. It does not have to be formatted this way. You can design the poster any way you like as long as it has all of the elements of the project.
Growth and Development
Picture
Explain why the picture shows this characteristic / Response to stimuli (reacts to changes in the environment)
Picture
Explain why the picture shows this characteristic
Reproduction
Picture
Explain why the picture shows this characteristic / Use of Energy
Picture
Explain why the picture shows this characteristic
Cellular Structure (having cells)
Picture
Explain why the picture shows this characteristic / Adapted to environment
Picture
Explain why the picture shows this characteristic