Say Hello to Saber-toothed Smilodon! | SciShow Kids

Teachers and parents: scroll down to check out the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for this episode!

Smilodon the saber-toothed cat had really big teeth! Join Jessi and Squeaks and learn all about how fossils can tell us how these Ice Age animals lived.

Hosted by: Jessi Knudsen Castañeda (she/her/they/them)

First Grade Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Idea:

LS1.A: Structure and Function - All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air (1-LS1-1).

Performance Expectation:

1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

Second Grade Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Idea:

LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans - There are many different kinds of living things in any area, and they exist in different places on land and in water (2-LS4-1).

Performance Expectation:

2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

Third Grade Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Ideas:

LS2.D: Social Interactions and Group Behavior - Being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves, and cope with changes. Groups may serve different functions and vary dramatically in size.

LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity - Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere (3-LS4-1). Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environments (3-LS4-1).

Performance Expectations:

3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

3-LS4-1 Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago.