1-LS1-1: Solving Problems Like Plants and Animals
Also called NGSS 1-LS1-1 · Topic: Structure, Function, and Information Processing · Life Science
The Official Wording
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.
Clarification statement: Examples of human problems that can be solved by mimicking plant or animal solutions could include designing clothing or equipment to protect bicyclists by mimicking turtle shells, acorn shells, and animal scales; stabilizing structures by mimicking animal tails and roots on plants; keeping out intruders by mimicking thorns on branches and animal quills; and, detecting intruders by mimicking eyes and ears.
NGSS Lead States, 2013 · Read it on nextgenscience.org · checked October 15, 2026
What 1-LS1-1 Means in Plain English
First graders look at how plants and animals use outside body parts like shells, spines, roots and big feet, then borrow those ideas to fix a people problem. A bike helmet modeled on a turtle shell or a snowshoe shaped like a hare's foot are examples.
The focus is outside parts children can see and touch, so organs and how bodies work inside wait for 4-LS1-1. The work uses the design steps of K-2-ETS1-1 and builds on kindergarten's look at what living things need (K-LS1-1).
1-LS1-1 I Can Statements
- I can name an outside part that helps an animal survive.
- I can copy a plant or animal part to solve a problem.
- I can test my design and tell how it helped.
1-LS1-1 Worked Example
A design challenge built around the snowshoe hare, whose wide hind feet keep it on top of deep snow.
Can big feet like a snowshoe hare's keep a toy from sinking into soft snow?
Set It Up: A deep tub of fine cornmeal as pretend snow, a small plastic toy figure with two pennies taped on top for weight, cardboard, scissors and tape.
- Look at photos of a snowshoe hare and talk about how its big back feet help in deep snow.Big, furry feet spread out
- Set the toy gently on the cornmeal and let go.It sinks until cornmeal covers its feet
- Smooth the cornmeal, tape on two cardboard feet the size of a thumbnail, and try again.Sinks a little less
- Smooth the cornmeal, swap in two big feet the size of a playing card, and try again.Toy stays on top
- Compare the three prints the toy left in the cornmeal.Biggest feet: shallowest print
The bigger the cardboard feet, the less the toy sank, just as the hare stays on top of snow.
Why it works: Big feet spread the toy's weight over more cornmeal, so each spot is pressed less and the surface holds it up.
Common Mistakes with 1-LS1-1
Copying the look, not the job
A helmet painted with a turtle shell pattern but made of soft paper
Try this: Ask what the part does for the animal, like a hard shell blocking bumps, and make sure the design does that same job.
Skipping the test
“It has big feet, so it works.” without ever trying it
Try this: Try the design next to one without the copied part. Seeing the difference is the evidence that the idea from nature helped.
Thinking only animals have useful parts
“Plants just sit there. They can't help with ideas.”
Try this: Look at thorns that keep animals from eating a rosebush, or roots that hold a tree up in wind. Plants solve problems too.
Where 1-LS1-1 Fits
Practice 1-LS1-1
Quick Check
- How do a snowshoe hare's big back feet help it?
- A porcupine has sharp quills. What people problem could that idea solve?
- Why test a design next to one without the copied part?