Copying What Already Works
A 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on solving a human problem by copying a body part that helps a plant or animal survive.
Copying What Already Works is a free 50-minute Grade 1 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 1-LS1-1 — solve a human problem by copying a body part that helps a plant or animal survive. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 1
- Length:
- 50 minutes
- Standard:
- 1-LS1-1
Grade 1 · Life Science
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.
Objective
Students will be able to name what a body part does and use the same idea to solve a human problem.
Students are successful when they can
- Says what the body part does for the animal or plant.
- Names a human problem the same idea would solve.
- Draws or builds the copy.
What you need
- A burr, a duck's webbed foot picture, a mole picture, hook-and-loop tape
- Card, tape and scissors for building
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — the sticky seed
5 min- Press a burr onto a jumper and ask why it sticks.
- Show a strip of hook-and-loop tape and ask what it reminds them of.
Teach — what it does, then who needs it
13 min- Say the burr's job: tiny hooks catch on fur so the seed travels.
- Say the human problem: fastening a shoe without a knot.
- Do the duck's webbed foot: pushes more water, so swimming flippers.
- Do the mole's wide paws: shifts more soil, so a broad spade.
- Say the two-step move: name what the part DOES, then find a problem needing the same job.
- Warn off the shortcut: copying how it looks without knowing what it does.
“What is that part for? Who else needs that job done?”
Investigate — copy one
17 min- Pairs pick a plant or animal part from a card set.
- They write what it does for the living thing.
- They name a human problem it could solve and build or draw the copy.
- They test the copy if it can be tested, and say whether it did the job.
Independent practice
12 min- Students complete the 'Copying What Already Works' page.
- Check the match is by job rather than by shape alone.
Close
3 min- Ask which copy the class would actually use, and for what.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Copies the look and not the job.
Why: The look is what you can draw.
Fix: Ask what the part does. A flipper shaped like a foot that pushes no water is not a copy.
Thinks the animal designed its part on purpose.
Why: Design is the lesson's word.
Fix: The duck did not choose its foot. We are the ones copying.
Names a human problem the copy does not solve.
Why: Any problem will do.
Fix: Ask whether the copy would actually help. If not, find a different problem.
If they are not there yet
- Three parts with the job already written.
- Draw the copy rather than build it.
If they finish early
- Find a part whose job nothing human copies yet.
- Improve an existing copy using a second animal.
- Say why a copy might work better than the original for people.
Exit ticket
A burr has tiny hooks that catch on fur. What job is that, and what human problem does the same idea solve?
What to look for: Catching and holding on, solving how to fasten something without a knot. A copy with no job named means the first step is missing.
Printable practice for 1-LS1-1
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Copying What Already WorksDraw a line from each living thing to what it inspired.
Questions about Copying What Already Works
How long does the Copying What Already Works lesson take?
50 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, investigate 17 min, independent practice 12 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Copying What Already Works teach?
1-LS1-1 — 1-LS1-1, Life Science for Grade 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.” In plain terms, solve a human problem by copying a body part that helps a plant or animal survive.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A burr, a duck's webbed foot picture, a mole picture, hook-and-loop tape, card, tape and scissors for building and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: copies the look and not the job; thinks the animal designed its part on purpose and names a human problem the copy does not solve. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “A burr has tiny hooks that catch on fur. What job is that, and what human problem does the same idea solve?.” Catching and holding on, solving how to fasten something without a knot. A copy with no job named means the first step is missing. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Copying What Already Works?
Yes — 1 printable 1-LS1-1 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Copying What Already Works free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to 1-LS1-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.