Would You Brush Your Teeth With Rocks? Lesson Plan

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Students will discover how caring for teeth has changed over time.

 

Safety and Health Focus:

Dental Health Month

 

Social Studies Focus:

long ago and today

 

ELA Skills:

key details, vocabulary, writing, compare and contrast

 

Page 4 Skill:

read a chart

 

Vocabulary:

dental, bristly, enamel, modern

 

CCSS:

RI.2.1 key details; RI.2.4 determine meaning of words; RI.2.10 read informational texts; W.2.2 writing; W.2.8 gather information; L.2.2 punctuation

 

Lexile Level:

510L

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Download Common Core Standards

Provide students with some background on dental health.

Build background knowledge (10 min.)

Watch our video "How to Have a Healthy Smile." After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following question:

  • How can you keep your teeth healthy?

Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)

  • Pass out the issue and discuss the cover. Can students guess how rocks, porcupine quills, or frogs were once used to take care of teeth?
  • Next, read the As You Read prompt on page 2: “Think about how caring for your teeth has changed over time.” Encourage children to think about this prompt as they read.

Read together (20 min.)

Pass out the Read and Think printable. Use it to check comprehension as you read the issue together, pausing to ask the questions. 

Review vocabulary (3 min.)

Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured words are dental, bristly, enamel and modern. 

Assessment: Reading Quiz

Pass out the Reading Quiz to review key concepts from the issue and assess students’ proficiency on key nonfiction reading skills.

What If You Had Animal Teeth? by Sandra Markle (20 min.)

This classroom favorite is a great companion as you dive deeper into dental hygiene. The combination of facts, photographs, and fictional “what if” illustrations are sure to engage readers as they imagine their teeth being replaced by animal’s teeth!

  • The “Brush the Teeth” game lets kids brush up on punctuation skills! For each correct answer, a happy tooth gets a dab of toothpaste!

You can use our printable worksheets to focus on important ELA skills. Here’s how.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)

  • Use the Word Work skill sheet to deepen students’ understanding of the words bristly, enamel and modern.     

Editor’s Pick: Compare and Contrast (15 min.)

  • Students will gather, organize, and compare information found in their issue with the Long Ago and Today skill sheet.

Social and Life Skills: Dental Health (15 min.)

  • Students will spend a week applying responsible decision making skills and practicing healthy choices with the My Healthy Teeth Chart skill sheet.

Here are two past issues you can use to extend your lesson on dental health:

You can find a higher-Lexile-level and a lower-Lexile-level version of the article online here:

  • Higher-Lexile level: 610L
  • Lower-Lexile level: 460L