Unit Plan 12 (Grade 1 Science): Mimicking Nature Solutions

Focus: Design and build simple tools inspired by plant/animal structures (e.g., hooks, claws, filters) to solve a human problem, using sketches and models to show how shape helps something work.

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: Science (Life Science • Engineering Design • Structure & Function)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students become nature engineers who look closely at how plants and animals use their external parts to help them survive and meet their needs. Students explore examples like burrs that hook onto fur, claws that grab, beaks that pick up, and natural “filters” (like how some animals use bristles or how plants/roots can trap particles in soil).

Students then choose a simple human problem—such as picking up small objects, carrying items, catching “seeds,” or cleaning dirty water (simulated safely)—and design a tool that mimics a nature structure. They sketch, build, test, and improve a prototype, then share how their design copied an idea from nature.

Essential Questions

• How do plants and animals use their external parts to help them survive and meet their needs?
• What does it mean to mimic nature, and why do engineers do it?
• How does shape help a tool do its job?
• How can testing help us improve a design?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Observe and describe how a plant/animal part works (e.g., hooks stick, claws grab, filters trap).
2. Identify a human problem and explain how a nature structure could inspire a solution.
3. Create a simple sketch/model showing how the shape of a tool helps it function.
4. Build a prototype using classroom materials and test it in a simple, safe challenge.
5. Improve a design after testing and explain what changed and why.

Standards Alignment — Grade 1 (NGSS-Aligned)

• 1-LS1-1 — Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
  • Example: Design a picker inspired by claws, a catcher inspired by hooks, or a simple trap inspired by filtering.
• K-2-ETS1-2 — Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
  • Example: Draw a tool shape and explain which part helps it grab, hold, catch, or filter.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can describe a plant/animal part and what it helps the plant/animal do.
• I can explain how my tool mimics a nature structure.
• I can make a sketch that shows the shape of my tool and how it works.
• I can test my tool and tell what worked and what didn’t.
• I can improve my design and explain the change I made.