How Do Animals Brush Their Teeth?
Mon, Apr 29, 2019 4:15 PM
How Do Animals Brush Their Teeth
A teacher began to notice her students growing fascination with teeth. The teacher took this fascination and used it to teach the students about their own teeth and the teeth on animals. On the first day, the teacher engaged the students in a discussion about what they know about their teeth. This lead the students to identifying the types of foods they eat and how those foods affect their teeth. The flowing day the students tested the effects of different items on “teeth”. The students poured liquids over eggs allowing the liquid stain the eggs. The students were then asked to brush the stains away using a toothbrush. This was a great activity that allowed the students to see how difficult it is to brush away the stains of certain drinks. On the third day the teacher introduced the students to animals teeth. The teacher began the lesson by asking the students if animals brush their teeth. The discussion lead to the being able to identify what an animal eats by looking at their teeth. The fourth day the students were assigned to design a toothbrush for an animal. The students were given information on the animal and told to create a toothbrush for that specific animal. Finally, on the fifth day the students were given the opportunity create the toothbrush they designed the day prior. The students were able to test their designs by brushing the teeth of a model of their animal. I absolutely love this lesson because it allows the students to have a hands-on experience and use their problem-solving skills. I loved that the teacher used a topic that was relevant to the students to tie in a science objective. This lesson teachers about so much more than just teeth. It teaches about predators, prey, habitat, physical features, and even making healthy choices. I love that this lesson can be used to teach so many topics while still staying relevant and engaging for the students.