Read aloud the worksheet directions for Part 1: Prediction.
They will test their predictions by collecting more information. Tell students that they are now going to make predictions about how their teeth and jaws compare to those of a lion. Humans are omnivores so their mouths are designed to eat both meat and plants. Explain that an animal that eats a variety of organisms, including plants and animals, is an omnivore. Ask volunteers: Are you a meat-eater or a plant-eater? Elicit from students that most humans eat both plants and animals. Prompt students to list what they ate for breakfast or lunch. Have students predict how their teeth and jaws compare to those of a lion. The shape and size of a lion’s teeth and jaws help it to be a successful predator.Ģ. Ask: What are predators? Explain that predators are meat-eaters that feed on other animals. Ask: What is prey? Explain that prey are animals that are hunted and eaten by other animals. Explain that in the wild, the lion is a predator and the gazelle is its prey. Tell students to look at the differences in the shape and size of the animals’ teeth and jaws. Ask: What types of animals do you think these are? How do you know? Elicit from students that one is a human, one is a meat-eating lion, and the other is a plant-eating gazelle. Distribute the worksheet Big Cats Tooth Comparison and have students examine the images of the skulls. Activate students’ prior knowledge about big cat predators and their prey.ĭiscuss with students what they think of when they hear “big cats.” Ask: What pictures or words do you think of when I say "big cat"? What are some types of big cats that you can think of? Elicit from students that big cats include lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, and other large predatory cats.