Defining the Criteria for Life: A Scientific Debate Reading Worksheet | Middle School Life Science | Grades 6–8

Defining the Criteria for Life: A Scientific Debate Reading Worksheet is a reading passage with comprehension questions for Middle School Life Science (grades 6–8) on Defining the Criteria for Life: A Scientific Debate (chapter: Characteristics of Living Things).

Pairs with: Characteristics of Living Things Slide Show Presentation; Characteristics of Living Things Guided Notes; Characteristics of Living Things Lesson Quiz; Characteristics of Living Things Unit Test.

Sample item: “1. What are the five main criteria that biologists traditionally use to define a living organism?”

What's inside: Defining the Criteria for Life: A Scientific Debate - Characteristics of Living Things (editable .docx + PDF, about 1,379 words, 7 pages); answer key / model answers for the teacher.

Standards: NGSS Middle School Life Science (MS-LS) disciplinary core ideas and the science practices of analyzing data and constructing explanations.

Resource type: Reading Worksheet. Format: editable Microsoft Word file plus a ready-to-print PDF.

Classroom use: Assign as a reading for class or homework, then discuss the questions. Built for Middle School Life Science, grades 6–8.

Format note: These files are delivered in Microsoft Office formats (Word and/or PowerPoint). If you open a worksheet that includes tables in Apple Pages or another non-Microsoft app, table formatting may not display correctly. For best results, use Microsoft Word or PowerPoint (or upload the file to Google Docs). If you run into any formatting issues, contact us and we can send a PDF version.