TABLE OF CONTENTS - National Zoo

Topic: Diet and Dentition.
CONSERVATION & RESEARCH CENTER
Educational Outreach Program
“What’s for Lunch?”
Teacher Guide
Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) for Science targeted:
SOL 3.1.a,b,c,d,e,g – Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
a. questions are developed to formulate hypotheses;
b. predictions and observations are made;
c. data are gathered, charted, and graphed;
d. objects with similar characteristics are classified into at least two sets and
two subsets;
e. inferences are made and conclusions are drawn;
g. length is measured to the nearest centimeter;
SOL 3.5.b – Living Systems
The student will investigate and understand relationships among organisms in
aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts include
b. herbivore, carnivore, omnivore
Objective:
To teach students about how scientists study the three consumer categories
(herbivore, carnivore, omnivore). Emphasis will be placed on using the scientific
method to determine consumer category based on dentition. This will create an
awareness of how the structure and function of different types of teeth relate to the
kinds of foods animals eat. This project will involve students directly in
understanding animal systems and relating these concepts to their own world.
Overview:
This module has three sections. The first section will teach the students about the
different functions of their own teeth (incisors = cutters, canines = tearers, molars =
grinders). The second section will introduce the students to the concepts of
herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore. They will define each of these consumer
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