Why do animals need teeth? How do they use their teeth? And how do they keep them healthy just like we do?
Teeth
Elephants, Sloth Bears
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
IT-PMP 9; P-PMP 4; P-SCI 1; P-SCI 2; P-SCI 3; P-SCI 6
Resources and Activities
Check out fun and easy classroom activities to help teachers, families, and children further explore the topic of teeth with other Smithsonian museums!
Carnivore Teeth ›
Teeth come in different shapes and sizes. The shape of a tooth helps scientists know what food the animal eats or ate when it was alive. In this lesson, students will join learn about different shapes and sizes of teeth from prehistoric carnivores. Students will also make and share observations of different teeth, go on a fossil hunt in their classroom, and make their own fossil teeth necklace.
| Resource Description | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Lesson Plan, Video, Movement Activity |
| ELOF Standards: | Goal P-SCI 1 |
| Video Length: | 6:00 |
| Project Time: | 10+ |
| Best for Ages: | 3+ |
How to Brush Sloth Bear Teeth ›
In this video, learn why and how National Zoo keepers brush the teeth of their sloth bears. Afterward, watch Pinky learn how to brush her own teeth!
| Resource Description: | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Video |
| ELOF Standards: | Goal P-SCI 2, Goal P-SCI 3, Goal P-SCI 6 |
| Video Length: | 4:21 |
| Best for Ages: | 2+ |
Animal Adaptations: Tusks ›
Did you know that tusks are actually teeth? In this lesson, discover why mastodons and elephants look similar and different and what they used their tusks for!
| Resource Description: | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Lesson Plan, Sensory Play Activity |
| ELOF Standards: | Goal P-SCI 2, Goal P-SCI 3, Goal P-SCI 6 |
| Project Time: | 15+ minutes |
| Best for Ages: | 3+ |
African Elephant, Woolly Mammoth, & Mastodon Teeth ›
In this lesson, learn about two extinct relatives of the modern elephant - woolly mammoths and mastodons. With the help of pictures and puppets, discover what mastodon, woolly mammoth, and African elephant teeth look like and how they use them to eat food!
| Resource Description: | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Lesson Plan, Indoors and Outdoors Activity |
| ELOF Standards: | Goal P-SCI 2, Goal P-SCI 3, Goal P-SCI 6 |
| Project Time: | 10+ |
| Best for Ages: | 3+ |
Nick's Music Playlist ›
Put on your dancing shoes! Find all the songs you loved from the program, plus more songs from Nick the Music Man and Pinky Jackalope!
Explore More Programs
Three Cheers for Trees ›
In this field trip, children will learn about tree characteristics and their role in the natural and man-made world.
Trees
Two-toed sloth, Red-rumped agouti
Suited for Survival ›
Suited for Survival, special Halloween edition, explores animal adaptations from prehensile-tailed porcupines to super soft chinchillas. Students will learn how unique adaptations help animals survive.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1
mammals, survival, adaptations, animal traits, animal behavior
patterns, structure and function
Free
Wild Medicine ›
What happens to a seal who has a toothache? How does an orangutan get a checkup? Wild Medicine invites students to Join our team of veterinarians and other animal health professionals to explore how animals go to the doctor, just like us!
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, 3-LS1-1, 4-LS1-1
Health, animal care, veterinary medicine
Patterns, cause and effect, systems and system models, structure and function
Free
What Makes a Habitat a Home? ›
From deserts to rainforests, what makes a habitat a suitable animal home? What Makes a Habitat a Home explores habitats around the world and some of the animals that live in these habitats.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 3-LS4-3
habitat, animals, survival, four basic needs, adaptations
cause and effect, systems and functions
Free
Community Helpers ›
In this field trip, children will learn about community helpers, who they are, and how they help take care of a community.
Community
Beaver, Meerkat, Western lowland gorilla
Caring About Conservation ›
What is conservation? Why is it important? Caring About Conservation explores the meaning of "conservation," some of the animals Smithsonian scientists are trying to save, and what we can all do to protect wildlife.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 3-5-ETS1-2
Conservation, sustainability, animals, wildlife, science
Cause and effect, systems and system models, structure and function, and stability and change
Free
Valen-TINY Mammals ›
What makes an animal a mammal? Valen-TINY mammals gives students an up-close look at mammal traits from some cute and tiny zoo animals.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, 1-LS1-2, 1-LS3-1, 3-LS1-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1, 5-PS3-1, 5-PS3-1
Mammals, animal groups, adaptations
Patterns, cause and effect, energy and matter
Free
Music and Sound All Around ›
In this field trip, children will learn about the importance of music and sound for both people and animals. What sounds do animals make and why? What objects can make sounds, and how can you play them to create music?
Music and Sound
Siamang, Kunekune pig, Gorilla
Explore the Rainforest ›
Fly, leap and swim along on an adventure through the Amazon Rainforest to explore the sights and sounds of plants and animals living in this unique ecosystem.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS1-1, 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 4-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1
Amazon, rainforest, biodiversity, rainforest layers, animals
Patterns, cause and effect, scale proportion and quantity, and systems and system models
Free
Saving Endangered Species ›
What does it mean when an animal is endangered and what can we do to help? Meet one of the National Zoo’s most endangered species and learn how staff care for these special animals.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 5-ESS3-1
endangered species, conservation
Free
Big, Small, Let's Measure Them All ›
In this field trip, children will practice identifying what is big, medium, and small. In addition, kids will become familiar with other measurement terms such as longer, shorter, taller, bigger, and smaller.
Size and Measurement
Asian elephant, Black and rufous elephant shrew
Discovering Amphibians ›
Join us as we celebrate Amphibian Week. Learn about amphibians, get an up-close look of some of them and chat with an amphibian expert.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1
amphibians, adaptations, habitats, life cycles
Free
Happy Birthday! ›
Join us as we celebrate Head Start's birthday and America's 250th birthday!
Birthday
Bald eagle, California sea lion, Eastern screech owl