Making crafts is a great way to help students visualize complex ideas, especially those that are too small for them to see or those that are not usually visible. Without doing a teeth project for school, most students might believe that teeth are solid, but a hands-on activity will help them discover that teeth are actually much more complex than they think.
Teachers have many options when assigning a teeth project for school. They can have students construct model teeth with names of the various parts of a tooth labeled. They can also have students create a set of teeth model, so students can see that not every tooth is the same, and each tooth has a different purpose.
Formative Assessments About Teeth
For students to create a set of teeth model, they will first need to learn about teeth a little bit before they break out the craft supplies. Giving students a worksheet to do together as a class is one way to teach the parts of an individual tooth as well as the types of teeth in the human mouth. Large projects should work like summative assessments, so creating a set of teeth model should act like more of a test of student skills and knowledge and less of a way for them to learn the basics.
Making a Set of Teeth Model
To make a set of teeth model, first choose the medium with which you would like to make it. For younger students, something pliable that does not need to be cut, like Play-Doh or clay, will do the trick. Give students diagrams or have them use the worksheets they’ve already filled out, and ask them to work in groups to recreate a human mouth. How much help they will need will depend on their age group. Younger students may need more guidance with things such as the preconstruction of various parts of the teeth and gums. Older students, however, should have more leeway to be creative within the parameters of the assignment.
Another Teeth Project for School
Another teeth project for school is to have students make a model of teeth with names for their parts. As before, students should fill out a diagram first so they know what they’re making. Students can then use Play-Doh or clay to model the inside of a tooth. A model of teeth with names of parts can be made out of anything from felt to cardboard. After students have constructed the model based on a diagram, they should take time to label each part.
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Tips
- Ensure the Styrofoam is on a firm surface that will not be damaged by the utility knife during the cutting process.
Writer Bio
Rebecca Renner is a teacher and freelance writer from Daytona Beach, Florida. Her byline has appeared in the Washington Post, New York Magazine, Glamour and elsewhere.