Level 1: Core Concepts Check (Aiming for a Pass - 'S')

1. List: Name the eight characteristics of living organisms.

2. Define: What is nutrition?

3. Define: What is respiration in cells?

4. Define: What is excretion?

5. Identify: Is a plant an autotroph or a heterotroph?

6. Recall: What is the name of the process by which plants make their own food?

7. Identify: Name one way a plant shows movement.

8. List: Name the two types of reproduction.

9. Recall: What is the basic unit of life?

Level 2: Connecting the Dots (Aiming for a Credit - 'C')

1. Compare: Explain the difference between growth in a living organism (like a tree) and the "growth" of a non-living thing (like a salt crystal).

2. Explain: Give one "living" and one "non-living" characteristic of a virus.

3. Differentiate: Explain the key difference between breathing and cellular respiration.

4. Apply: A robot can move, uses energy, and responds to some stimuli. Give two reasons why it is not considered a living organism.

5. Discuss: Explain how the characteristics of nutrition and excretion are linked in an animal.

Level 3: Exam Challenge (Aiming for a Distinction - 'A'/'B')

1. Scenario Analysis: An astronaut discovers a new object on Mars. It is observed to slowly increase in size and occasionally release small particles into the Martian soil. (a) Which two characteristics of life might these observations suggest? (b) Describe two other investigations you would need to carry out to be more certain if the object is truly alive. For each investigation, state the life characteristic you are testing for. (c) If the object was found to be made of cells and carried out respiration, would you classify it as living? Justify your answer.