Sink Your Teeth In

Overview: The shape of a mammal’s teeth and jaw are related to its diet. Students will determine a mammal’s diet by looking at these visual clues.

This lesson is part of a series. Select this text to learn more about the series and how to extend its usefulness, or proceed directly to a list and summary of related mammal activities.

Subjects: Science

Grades: 2-4

Length: Moderate

Materials:
Skull illustrations (provided)

Procedures:
1. Students will be drawing conclusions about a mammal’s diet by looking at its skull. After providing students with needed background information, this activity can be done as a problem solving activity where students make decisions based on what they see.
2. Place students in cooperative groups. Assign each group a picture and have them talk about what they think the mammal would eat. They should be able to explain their choice by pointing to certain parts of the skull such as the teeth or the location of the eyes.
3. After groups have organized their thoughts, they will share their ideas with the class. Have them guess which animal their skull belongs to, and whether it is a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore.
4. The instructor will help identify the skulls and diet for each mammal after the student presentations.

Answer Key
1. Horse—Herbivore
2. Beaver—Herbivore
3. Lion—Carnivore
4. Gorilla—Omnivore
5. Leopard—Carnivore
6. Boar—Omnivore