--- title: S1L1 description: S1L1 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the basic needs of plants and animals. image: https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Right%20Image.png --- [![Teacher Login](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/347944/f56bee57-133e-4975-8055-799f1f23588b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/347944/f56bee57-133e-4975-8055-799f1f23588b) [Teacher Login](https://app.knowatom.com/signin) [![KnowAtom Logo](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/KnowAtom%20Logo.svg "KnowAtom Logo")](https://www.knowatom.com/) # S1L1 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the basic needs of plants and animals. [![Download a Sample Unit](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/347944/20eee377-e175-48fe-a039-ae723137a2a6.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/347944/20eee377-e175-48fe-a039-ae723137a2a6) Science & Engineering Practices - [Developing and using models](https://www.knowatom.com/developing-and-using-models) - [Planning and carrying out investigations](https://www.knowatom.com/planning-and-carrying-out-investigations) - [Constructing explanations and designing solutions](https://www.knowatom.com/constructing-explanations-and-designing-solutions) - [Engaging in argument from evidence](https://www.knowatom.com/engaging-in-argument-from-evidence) - [Obtaining evaluating and communicating information](https://www.knowatom.com/obtaining-evaluating-and-communicating-information) Disciplinary Core Ideas - [Weather and Climate](https://www.knowatom.com/weather-and-climate) - [Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer](https://www.knowatom.com/conservation-of-energy-and-energy-transfer) Crosscutting Concepts - [Patterns](https://www.knowatom.com/patterns) - [Cause and Effect](https://www.knowatom.com/cause-and-effect) [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/347944/b5a1446e-d782-4a5f-a019-0b3b98c8304f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/347944/b5a1446e-d782-4a5f-a019-0b3b98c8304f) ## Browse S1L1 Lesson Plans Grade Ranges All K-2 3-5 6-8 [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Living-and-Nonliving-Things.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/living-and-nonliving-things) ## [Living and Nonliving Things In this unit, students discover living things, beginning with an investigation into the differences between living and nonliving things. Students then explore how water helps plants grow and develop the structures they need to survive.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/living-and-nonliving-things) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/living-and-nonliving-things) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Parent-and-Offspring-Behaviors-2.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/parent-and-offspring-behaviors) ## [Parent and Offspring Behaviors In the last unit, students analyzed how engineers can mimic plant and animal structures to solve problems facing people. In this unit, students begin by exploring animal behaviors of parents and offspring that help the offspring survive.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/parent-and-offspring-behaviors) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/parent-and-offspring-behaviors) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Parent-and-Offspring-Behaviors-2.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/engineering-dams) ## [Engineering Dams In this unit, students explore the science phenomena of animal behaviors of parents and offspring that help the offspring survive. This page is a high-level extract of lesson two in which students mimic the beaver’s behavior of building dams to design their own dams that solve the problem of flooding.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/engineering-dams) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/engineering-dams) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/bird-beak-structure-and-function1.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/engineering-litter-collectors) ## [Engineering Litter Collectors In this unit, students explore the science phenomena of engineers mimicking plant and animal structures. Students apply what they have learned about the structures of plants and animals to mimic those structures to solve problems facing people.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/engineering-litter-collectors) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/engineering-litter-collectors) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image2-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/parts-of-plants) ## [Parts of Plants During this second unit of Kindergarten, students explore the differences between living and nonliving things and discover what living things need to survive. ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/parts-of-plants) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/parts-of-plants) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image3-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/germinating-seeds) ## [Germinating Seeds In this Life Science unit, Kindergartners explore plants and what they need to live and grow. This page is a high-level extract of lesson four in which students make models of adult sunflower plants to explore how plants have different parts that help them get what they need to grow.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/germinating-seeds) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/germinating-seeds) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image2-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/growing-plants) ## [Growing Plants In the second unit of Kindergarten, students explore living things and discover what plants and animals need to survive. This page provides a snapshot of lesson five which has students conducting a class experiment with bean plants to observe what they need to live and grow.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/growing-plants) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/growing-plants) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image3-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/animal-habitats) ## [Animal Habitats In this Life Science unit, students explore living things and discover what plants and animals need to survive and thrive. During this portion of the unit, the focus shifts from plants to animals as students begin to explore animal habitats. ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/animal-habitats) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/animal-habitats) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image2-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/living-things-in-their-habitat) ## [Living Things in Their Habitat In this unit, students are introduced to living things on Earth. They begin by exploring the differences between living and nonliving things and then investigate what plants and animals need to survive by watching bean plants grow and observing a cricket in its habitat. They then create a model to show how living things depend on other living things and their environment to survive, and can change their environment to help them get what they need.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/living-things-in-their-habitat) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/living-things-in-their-habitat) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image3-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/human-shelter) ## [Human Shelter In this unit, students are introduced to living things on Earth. They begin by exploring the differences between living and nonliving things and then investigate what plants and animals need to survive in their habitats. Now students take their understanding of animal habitats to then apply their understanding of the topic to consider how human shelter varies depending on where we live.  ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/human-shelter) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/human-shelter) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/image2-2.png) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/earth-and-human-activity) ## [Earth and Human Activity In the second unit of Kindergarten, students explore living things on Earth. They analyze the differences between living and nonliving things and then investigate what plants and animals need to live and grow. Following this, students explore human needs and activities and how those impact the planet.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/earth-and-human-activity) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/kindergarten-science/earth-and-human-activity) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function) ## [Insect Anatomy - Structure and Function In this unit, students focus on animals, analyzing how animals’ body parts help them survive and grow. This page is a high-level extract of the first lesson of the unit in which students build insect models to investigate the science phenomena of an insect’s body parts’ structure and function. Students observe how ants use their body parts to get what they need to survive. ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/insect-anatomy-structure-and-function1.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/ant-behavior-and-food) ## [Ant Behavior and Food Once students have modeled the science phenomena of insects’ body parts, they then focus on one kind of insect: the ant. They conduct an experiment to test the taste preference of harvester ants, and observe how ants use their different body parts to get food, communicate with one another, and carry out other life functions.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/ant-behavior-and-food) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/ant-behavior-and-food) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/bird-beak-structure-and-function.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/bird-beak-structure-and-function) ## [Bird Beak Structure and Function In the last unit, students explored how animals have body parts that help them survive and grow. In this unit, students apply what they have learned about the structures of plants and animals to mimic those structures to solve problems facing people. ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/bird-beak-structure-and-function) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/bird-beak-structure-and-function) [![](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Living-and-Nonliving-Things1.jpg) ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/plant-structures) ## [Plant Structures In this unit, students begin an exploration of  life sciences. Once students have described the differences between living and nonliving things and analyzed what all living things need to survive, they focus on the parts of plants that help them get what they need to survive.](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/plant-structures) [ VIEW LESSON ](https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/1st-grade-science/plant-structures) Standards citation: NGSS Lead States. 2013. *Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By State*s. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it. ![KnowAtom Logo](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/KnowAtom%20Logo.svg "KnowAtom Logo") Quick Links Resources Sign Up for Our Blog ### Sign Up for Our Blog Connect with Us - - - - © 2026 KnowAtom LLC  •  10 Brady Drive Unit 3   •  Ipswich MA •   01938 USA [DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION](https://www.knowatom.com/do-not-sell-my-personal-information) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.knowatom.com/privacy-policy) | [Terms of Use](https://www.knowatom.com/terms-of-use) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "USA", "addressLocality" : "Salem", "addressRegion" : "MA", "postalCode" : "01970", "streetAddress" : "27 Congress Suite 410" }, "alternateName" : "KA", "areaServed" : { "@type" : "GeoCircle", "geoMidpoint" : { "@type" : "GeoCoordinates", "latitude" : "+42.5182274", "longitude" : "-70.8877569" }, "geoRadius" : "150 km" }, "description" : "Next Generation Science STEM Curriculum", "email" : "fvigeant@knowatom.com", "image" : "https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/KA-GSD.png", "logo" : "https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/logo-1.png", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.knowatom.com/s1l1", "@type" : "WebPage", "description" : "S1L1 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the basic needs of plants and animals." }, "name" : "KnowAtom", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.facebook.com/KnowAtom", "https://twitter.com/KnowAtom", "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS0rbN0RfqaU1xaISrdVpTA", "https://plus.google.com/110709105138117096940" ], "telephone" : "(617) 475-3475", "url" : "https://www.knowatom.com" } ```