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The Tooth Behind Stonehenge

The Tooth Behind Stonehenge - by Viki Babcock
Photo of Stonehenge (high school science)
Students are introduced to forensics dentistry and the use of isotope analysis with this lesson plan that investigates the information revealed from isotope concentration found in the tooth enamel of a skeleton from Stonehenge.
Estimated class time

One class period

Lesson Objectives

Students will:
  • Observe and make inferences from various tooth samples.

  • Define isotope.

  • Describe the atomic structure of an isotope.

  • Explain how chemical analysis of tooth enamel can reveal geographic information.
Materials needed


Teaching Strategy

Photo of Stonehenge

Teachers!
Video clips for your students are available here.

Video Clips
  1. Divide the class into small groups of 3 to 4 students each. Provide each group with 3 to 5 tooth samples--either photographs, casts or actual teeth. Each group should have at least one human sample along with some from animals as well.

  2. Allow students 5 to 10 minutes to record observations and implications about their samples. Discuss their findings in class, using the following questions as guidelines:

    1. What organism did your teeth belong to? How could you tell?

    2. What can you tell about the organism that once had those teeth?

    3. Can you make guesses about what they ate or how old they were?

    4. Can you determine where they lived from their teeth?

  3. While discussing question d, explain that by examining the chemical composition of tooth enamel, scientists can determine where a person or animal has spent its life. In particular, the scientists look at the quantity and type of oxygen and strontium isotopes found in their enamel. To ensure that students understand the concept of isotopes, review what they know about atomic structure and then direct them to the Web site Isotope-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotope. Students should complete the Understanding Isotopes handout using the information from this site.

  4. Introduce students to a real-life application of using isotope information from tooth enamel to help solve a mystery. Direct them to the SECRETS OF THE DEAD Web site about the Murder at Stonehenge at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_stonehenge/index.html. Have students watch the video clips and answer the accompanying questions.


  5. Interactive
    Explore Stonehenge

    After completing the interactive for this episode students should answer these questions.
    After discussing student responses to the video clip questions, explain that Mike Pitts learned that Stonehenge was possibly used as a site for executions during 600 and 700 AD, well after it had been built but apparently not forgotten. Allow students to learn more about the construction of Stonehenge by reading the Background (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/
    case_stonehenge/index.html    ) and Clues and Evidence (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/
    case_stonehenge/clues.html    ) pages from the SECRETS OF THE DEAD website. Encourage them to complete the Explore Stonehenge Interactive and discuss the questions.
Internet Resources

Assessments

  • Participation in small group observation activity

  • Written responses to Understanding Isotopes

  • Participation in discussion
Extensions

  • View the entire video of Murder at Stonehenge and compare the different types of forensics evidence presented and analyzed.

  • Invite a dental forensics expert to speak to the class.

  • Research and report on crimes that were solved with the aid of forensics dentistry.

Correlation to National Science Standards

Standards from http://bob.nap.edu/html/nses/html/6e.html#csc912

CONTENT STANDARD B: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop an understanding of the structure of atoms and the structure and properties of matter:

    The atom's nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons, which are much more massive than electrons. When an element has atoms that differ in the number of neutrons, these atoms are called different isotopes of the element.

    An element is composed of a single type of atom. When elements are listed in order according to the number of protons (called the atomic number), repeating patterns of physical and chemical properties identify families of elements with similar properties. This "Periodic Table" is a consequence of the repeating pattern of outermost electrons and their permitted energies.

CONTENT STANDARD G: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of nature of scientific knowledge:

    Scientific explanations must meet certain criteria. First and foremost, they must be consistent with experimental and observational evidence about nature, and must make accurate predictions, when appropriate, about systems being studied. They should also be logical, respect the rules of evidence, be open to criticism, report methods and procedures, and make knowledge public. Explanations on how the natural world changes based on myths, personal beliefs, religious values, mystical inspiration, superstition, or authority may be personally useful and socially relevant, but they are not scientific.
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SECRETS OF THE DEAD is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York. © 2006 Educational Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.