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Science · Grade 1

Design from Nature

Plants and animals have parts that solve problems: shells protect, webbed feet push water, thick fur keeps out the cold. People copy these ideas to solve human problems, from helmets to hook-and-loop fasteners inspired by sticky burrs. Learners match inventions to the nature ideas behind them, then design a 'duck-foot' paddle glove, test it against a bare hand and use the results to improve it.

  • 3 lessons
  • About 65 minutes
  • Design from nature check: 7 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, match pairs, type a number and put in order
See plans Included with Family, Teacher and School plans. Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Explain how a plant or animal part solves a problem for that living thing.
  • Match a human problem to a solution that copies a plant or animal part, and name the idea that was copied.
  • Design, test and improve a solution that copies an animal part, using test results as evidence.

Lessons

  1. Nature solves problems 3 steps2 practiceabout 18 min
  2. Copy nature's ideas 4 steps2 practiceabout 20 min
  3. Design, test and improve 7 steps3 practiceabout 27 min
  4. Design from nature check 7 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

More 1st grade science

Guide for grown-ups