Plant and Animal Survival - 1st Grade Science

To mimic someone or something means to copy or act the same as. Little brothers and sisters like to mimic or copy older siblings to annoy them! Humans also mimic plants and animals to solve problems.

This is a true statement. Humans look at how plants use their external parts to survive and copy those features to help us in our own lives.

Plants are useful to humans because they are able to mimic or copy their structures for survival. We can copy their thorns or the way they float and use that information to make ways for us to do the same things.

The roots of a plant keep it stable and in place. Humans have mimicked or copied this survival strategy and used it to keep our houses in place and stable. Without strong roots or a strong foundation the plant or home would fall over.

There are many parts of a plant that humans use to solve their own problems and make new items. Rafts, helmets, fencing, and more are all modeled after plant parts.

Plants use their roots to absorb water from the ground to help them survive. Humans also need water to survive and a way we mimic (or copy) the way a plant solves this problem is by using a straw. We use a straw to drink water to help us live.

Humans can copy water lilies and use a raft to float on the surface of the water. The leaves of a water lily float on the surface of the water with their flat bottoms so they can absorb sunlight. We can also float on top of the water but we do not have leaves like plants do.

Plants have external structures used for survival. Roots are used to absorb water, the stem keeps a plant upright, leaves are used to absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide to make food, and the flowers are used for pollination.

One human problem that can be solved by mimicking (copying) plants is how we protect our heads on a bicycle. The shells of nuts like the acorn are hard and protect what is inside. Helmets are made to be hard and shaped like our heads to protect us if we fall.

Reptiles have scales and this protects their organs from damage. If a motorcycle rider crashes their special vests, jackets, and pants act like tough outer scales and keep them safe.

The tail of many animals keeps it upright and stable when standing on two legs. The tail acts as a third limb to keep it from falling over. The same thing happens with a tripod for a camera or phone. The three legs keep it steady.

Humans can mimic or copy the ways animals survive to help us as well. Porcupines raise their quills when a predator approaches to scare them away or even stick them if they get too close. Humans use sharp strips on the ground to pop car tires and warn drivers to stop. We are mimicking animals to solve problems.

Humans are mimicking animals' ears and eyes to help us keep our own houses safe. Many animals have excellent hearing and vision, and this keeps them safe from predators, especially at night. Humans cannot see in the dark, so motion detectors and lights help us to see cameras record what happens so we can watch it. The alarm system acts like eyes and ears to keep us safe.

Humans have mimicked or copied the elephants' trunk to create robotic limbs such as arms. The way the arms move and function is similar to the trunk of an elephant. Elephants use their trunks to grab, eat, drink, and care for their young. This is the same for humans with the robotic arm.

Humans modeled the first vehicles of flight after the design of birds. The wings and ability to glide or float were copied from birds. The features a bird uses to survive helped humans to solve a problem.

This is a true statement. The shells of turtles inspired the creation of bicycle helmets and elephant trunks spraying water are like hoses. These are just a few examples of human inventions that are the result of copying animals.

Fish use gills to take in oxygen under the water and survive. Humans use tanks and scuba diving equipment in order to breathe underwater. We do not have the ability to breathe underwater on our own like fish so we must mimic them to explore the ocean.

Polar bears are suited to freezing weather. They have thick skin and heavy fur to keep them warm and safe against cold temperatures and high winds. If we wanted to make clothing based on an animal, we should make heavy coats make of thick, fuzzy warm material. If we wanted to blend in with the snow like a polar bear we would even make the coat white!

A knife is sharp and has a blade similar to a sharks' tooth. The shark is a carnivore, which means it eats meat, so its teeth are adapted to help them catch and eat their prey. Humans have sharp teeth but need some help cutting up our food. Knives serve the same function as sharks' teeth.