Year 4: Full Lesson Plans - Manual / Resource - Page 14
Y4 Science Lesson Plan: Terrific Teeth
Prior learning
Pupils should already be familiar with key aspects of nutrition and that humans get their nutrients largely
from the food they eat (Y3).
Pupils should have previously learned about the muscular and skeletal systems (Y3). They may be able,
therefore, to make comparisons between different bodily systems.
Children will have some knowledge about teeth, particularly in relation to keeping them clean. They may
have more advanced knowledge about the purposes of teeth.
Timing
Teaching activity
Chomping challenge
Introduce the lesson and the learning objectives using
the Lesson Presentation.
5 mins
Explain to the children that today they’ll be learning
about the human digestive system - particularly teeth!
Pupils work in pairs to try out a world record for the
fastest time to eat a slice of bread, timing each other
using stopwatches or timers on devices.
The digestive system
Explain that this lesson is all about the different types
of teeth we have and what their purpose is as part of the
digestive process.
5 mins
Ask the children to talk in pairs about what they think
digestion is. Can they point out different aspects of the
process on the diagram in the Lesson Presentation?
Point out the different areas of digestion: teeth and
saliva glands, oesophagus, stomach, large and small
intestine.
Investigating teeth
Hand out a mirror to each pair of pupils. Ask them to
look closely at their own teeth, and in their pairs, discuss
the questions on the slide.
10 mins
Bring the children back to the whole group and discuss
their findings. Remember to highlight that milk teeth are
our first teeth, which eventually start to fall out around
age 6 and are replaced by our adult teeth.
© 2024 Guinness World Records Limited
Teacher notes
Check for food
intolerances and
allergies.
Pupils may need to
practise using the
stopwatches or timers.
Consider whether to use
similar-ability pairs or
mixed-ability pairs.
Some children may
benefit from a printout
of the Digestive System
Diagram.
Some children may need
adult support to keep
them on task, use the
mirror appropriately and
guide them in their
questioning.
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