Fangs

This activity explores types of teeth.

Learning Objectives/Opportunities

teeth collage.jpg
  • Build basic knowledge about human and animal teeth

  • Science process skills:

  • Executive Function skills:

Materials:

  • Hand or Compact Mirror

Activity Instructions

  1. Using a mirror, observe the shapes of the teeth in your mouth

  2. Using your fingers, feel your teeth. Do you have flat teeth? Pointy teeth? Thin teeth? Wide teeth? Can you count your teeth?

  3. Compare your teeth to the teeth of an adult or friend. Do you have the same teeth? Different teeth?

  4. Compare your teeth to the teeth of a pet. What kind of teeth do your pets have?

Examining the Experiment:

Teeth come in different shapes, sizes, and number. That’s because animals have all different types of food. They type of food an animal eats determines what kind of teeth it needs.

Horses, for example, eat grass and hay. They need flat teeth to grind up their food. Sharks on the other hand eat fish. They need sharp teeth to sink into their prey before it swims away. Some animals like baleen whales don’t have teeth at all, they have a thick net-like structure that allows them to capture tiny plankton.

What kind of food do you eat? Do you have the right teeth for your diet?

STEMSpark Stumper

The mythical figure Dracula is a vampire. Vampires, although they are a form of human have fangs. Can you think of 5 other animals that have fangs?

Monster MayhemNatasha Chlebuch