Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune in: Understanding structural features and behaviours

15 minutes

Find out: What do our teeth have to do with where we live and what we eat?

20 minutes

Take action: Caring for our teeth

5 minutes

Reflection

Tune in: Understanding structural features and behaviours

Step 1.

Begin by inviting students to read the Structural Features and Behaviours of Animals fact sheet. This fact sheet includes a column to the right of the text; in this column, ask students to record the following:

two things in this factsheet that are new to you
two things from this factsheet that you find interesting or important
two questions you have about the information in this factsheet

Once complete, invite students to share their thoughts and questions with the class. Spend some time discussing and attempting to answer the questions through class discussion - can someone in the class provide the answers? You could also keep a record of any unanswered questions; these could be used to guide further inquiry or extension.

Extension

Students could attempt to come up with their own definition for ‘structural features in animals’ and their own definition for ‘behaviours in animals’.

Step 2.

Work as a class to come up with your definitions for ‘structural features’ and ‘behaviours’. Add this to your class glossary.

Find out: What do our teeth have to do with where we live and what we eat?

Step 1. Explain:

One structural feature not covered in the Structural Features and Behaviours of Animals fact sheet is teeth. The teeth of animals have features that help them eat the types of food that can be found in the environments that they live in. By looking at the teeth of animals, we can (broadly) see what diet that animal has.

Pose the questions:

What are the main different diets you can think of when you think of animals? (Suggested answers: carnivore, herbivore, omnivore)
What types of teeth can you imagine would match these diets?

Invite students to suggest what teeth shapes would be suited to the different diets. For example, what might animals who catch their own prey need in terms of teeth? Does an animal that only chews grass need sharp teeth?

Step 2.

Give each student access to a mirror. Invite them to open their mouths and see if they can identify three main types of teeth.

Pose the question:

What are the main types of teeth they can see and feel?

Invite students to sketch these main types of teeth in their workbooks (clue: there are three main types!).

Explain that there are three main types of teeth in our mouths: incisors, canine teeth, and molars. Point out where these teeth are in your mouth or by using Teeth Image.

Step 3. Pose the question

What do you think these three types of teeth might be used for?

Suggested answer: Broadly speaking, incisors are used for cutting, canines are used for gripping, and molars are used for chewing and grinding. The size of each of these teeth will vary in different animals according to their diets.

Take it further: If time permits, you could give each student half a carrot. Direct students to:

use their incisors to grate or scrape off the carrot skin
use their canines to grip the carrot and to bite a piece off
use their molars to grind and chew the carrot.

Step 4. Pose the question

How might canines, incisors and molars be different to accommodate different diets?

Step 5.

You can then share The Features of Teeth Presentation. As you work through the presentation, invite students to record any thoughts or questions they have about what they are seeing.

Take a moment to share thoughts and questions with the class - what questions do you need to record and return to later?

Extension:

You could assign students with questions to research, answer and present to the class. Alternatively, you could invite students to create definitions for key terms relating to teeth and structural features and behaviours. This could be used to satisfy the literacy general capability for this lesson.

Take action: Caring for our teeth

Step 1.

Now pose the following questions to students:

What might happen to an animal whose teeth get broken or rotten or are missing?
How might poor oral health affect an animal and how it survives in its environment?

Allow students some time to share their ideas before explaining:

For all the animals with teeth (that includes us!), having healthy teeth is vital. It is through our mouths that we put the food that gives our body the nutrients it needs to thrive and survive. Without their teeth, an animal's chances of survival are limited. It is the same for us! Looking after our teeth is clearly important, and we’re lucky that we have tools and tricks to help care for them.

Step 2.

Share the Oral Health fact sheet with students and ask them to read through it.

Step 3.

Students will create a poster or presentation that:

explains the main types of teeth in their mouthexplains why they need each type of tooth (how these types of teeth are suited to their diet)includes information about how to look after all types of teeth.

Students can use this assessment rubric to guide their work.

Step 4.

Students can share their presentations or posters in groups of 3 or 4 students. They will need to provide feedback on each other's work using the following:

one thing I learned from this presentation/poster
one thing I liked about this presentation/poster
one thing I think could be improved about this presentation/poster.

Reflection

Students can complete the Connect Extend Challenge task on the Student Worksheet:

How was the information presented in this lesson connected to what I already knew?
How did the information presented in this lesson extend my understanding of this topic? What was new to me?
What is still challenging to me about this topic? What questions do I still have?

Differentiated learning

We trust that teachers are the best equipped to know how to cater to the diversity in their classes. At Cool.org, we incorporate a variety of differentiation strategies into each lesson. Firstly, each lesson in this unit appeals to an array of different learning preferences. Learning activities can be completed in a number of different ways - if a student feels more comfortable speaking rather than writing, there are opportunities to accommodate this. In lessons that feature group work or learning stations, we trust that teachers will use their discretion in knowing how to best organise their students in accordance to positive working relationships and ability. Graphic organisers and scaffolds are often included so students can ‘visually think’ and keep a record of their work. While our lessons are designed to be 55 - 60 minutes in length, we trust that teachers will manipulate lesson and segment times according to the needs of their students.

Smile Squad - How Do Teeth Help Us Live in Our Environment?

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