Observing an animal’s body can tell us so much about its life! But some animals can be hard to observe up close in nature. That’s where collections come in! Museums, like the Nature Museum, preserve plants and animals for scientists to observe. Their observation can help them answer their science questions!
Today, we’ll take a look at some of the specimens from the Nature Museum’s collection. They are all different animal skulls. What can the structures of the skulls help us understand about the food these animals might eat?
Let’s do a sort to help us find out!
Print or download the card sort by using the button below.
First, do some observations of the different skulls. What do you notice about each skull? What shape is their head? What do their teeth look like? Ask your scientist to do an open sort. Sort the skulls into categories for their own choosing!
Then, look at the kinds of foods that these animals eat. What do you notice about these foods? What kind of teeth might be helpful for eating these foods? Ask your scientist to do an open sort. Sort the foods into categories for their own choosing!
Match them up—match a number with a letter! What foods go with which animal? What makes you say that? Be sure to support your ideas with evidence from your observations!
What other wonderings do you have? What might you need to observe to help you answer your questions?
Notes for leading your naturalist:
Here we are thinking about explaining ideas and using evidence! The science is happening in the thinking and the conversation—so don’t get too caught up on right and wrong.
Want to know more? Depending on the age of your kiddo, you could do more research together to solve any mysteries or just talk about what you notice and think!
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