Plants vs Animals
Elementary School
Definition
The two main groups of living things, distinguished by how they obtain food. Plants make their own food from sunlight through photosynthesis, while animals must eat plants or other animals for energy. They also differ in movement, growth, and structure.
Worked examples
A sunflower uses chlorophyll in its leaves to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into glucose through photosynthesis.
This shows how plants make their own food from sunlight, making them producers in ecosystems.
A rabbit must eat grass (plant tissue) to obtain the energy and nutrients it needs to survive and grow.
Animals are consumers — they cannot make food and must eat other organisms for energy.
Common mistakes
- Plants don't need energy because they don't move around → Plants do need energy; they make it through photosynthesis to power growth and cell processes All living things need energy. Plants make their own; they don't get a free pass.
- All animals move quickly and all plants stay completely still → Most animals move freely; plants grow and some parts move (leaves toward light, Venus flytraps snap) Movement is a spectrum. Plants respond and grow; they just don't locomote like most animals.
- Mushrooms are plants because they don't move → Mushrooms are fungi — they can't photosynthesize and must absorb nutrients from other organisms Fungi are a separate kingdom. The key plant trait is making food via photosynthesis, not just being stationary.
Where you'll use it next
You'll use this distinction when studying food chains and webs, ecosystems, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, and classification of life in biology.
See also
Reviewed by Pat Cheng, M.Ed. — StudyPug Curriculum Lead · Last updated June 6, 2026