Unifying Theme: Everything Grows
Annmarie Fillian
EDU 553;
Summer 2005
The
focus of the following curriculum unit is a look into the wonderful world of
teeth! This project is a curriculum
resource, containing both teacher resources and student activities for early
elementary grades. Elementary students
will benefit from the lessons on health and personal care, and physical
characteristics and function of human teeth.
Assumptions:
It
is understood that students have exposure to computers and can navigate through
an elementary exercise by following directions presented verbally by the
teacher and also by the computer (audio sound and basic words and shapes to
describe instructions). It is also
understood that computer access is available to students in a lab environment,
where student can work in pairs or small groups.
Student
Objectives:
¨ Students will be able
to name and identify types of teeth and their functions.
¨ Students will be able
to describe the pros of healthy teeth, gums, and a healthy smile.
¨ Students will be able
to identify a proper nutrition to help keep your teeth healthy and survive in
their environment (your mouth!).
¨ Students will be able
to independently access resources relating to healthy teeth using technological
resources.
This curriculum unit is designed for grades 2 and 3 and contains
four approximately one hour long lessons.
LESSON 1 – An Introduction to Teeth 
Lesson Objectives:
Students
will become familiar with different parts of a tooth.
Students
will learn how teeth develop.
Students
can describe the physical characteristics of an incisor, canine, pre-molar, and
molar, and recognize their functions.
Students
will know the difference between Baby teeth and Adult teeth
Materials:
Before
and After Knowledge Chart: http://filliana37.tripod.com/kchart.index.html
Arthur’s Tooth by Marc Brown
Classroom
Computers
Vocabulary
fill-in Worksheet
¨ Students will discuss
what they already know about teeth and comments will be noted on board or
document camera on a Before and After Knowledge Chart.
¨ Teacher will read Arthur’s Tooth by Marc Brown as an
introduction to teeth.
¨ Students will view
PowerPoint lesson on Teeth as an introduction to the basic facts of teeth that
students will learn more about throughout the unit. http://filliana.tripod.com/teeth.index.ppt
¨ Teacher will visit the
following web sources so that students can learn and read along:
-
The
parts of a tooth: http://www.healthyteeth.org/toothGrowth/parts.html
-
Tooth
growth and development:
http://www.healthyteeth.org/toothGrowth/toothGrowth.html
-
Different
types of teeth and what they do:
http://www.healthyteeth.org/toothGrowth/different.html
¨ Students will have a
blank handout version of the open mouthed baby teeth, adult teeth, and single
tooth along with a list of terms to define and identify on the images. Students are to complete the worksheet during
class, and bring it home to look at for the next lesson.
LESSON 2 -A
Healthy Mouth: Marshmallow Teeth Art Activity 
Lesson Objectives
Students will be able to correctly reproduce
an adult mouth with proper types of teeth.
Students will be able to make a legend,
properly matching color with function and term.
Materials:
2
bags of small sized puffed marshmallows
Paper
Towels
Pink
thick card stock paper
Multiple
colors of Magic Markers
Glue
Scissors
Key
Worksheet
Digital
Camera
¨
Students
will cut an oval in the pink card stock and fold it in half to create a tooth
filled mouth. Students will glue the
marshmallows to the card stock and color incisors, molars, and canines each a
different color, using their worksheet from the previous day as a guide,
creating an adult mouth.
¨
Students
will make a key to identity what color tooth matches with the type of tooth by filling
out accompanying key worksheet.
¨
Teacher
will rotate around the room taking pictures of the students at work and ensure
that students are correctly identifying and labeling teeth.
¨
When
the students are finished, the teacher will take pictures of the student group’s
creations and upload them on the Teachers homepage so parents and community can
see the kids at work.
LESSON 3:
Nutrition for Healthy
Growing Teeth & Acid Attack Experiment
Lesson Objectives:
Students will
understand that teeth need a certain environment to survive and grow.
Students will
recognize healthy food choices that are nutritious and good for your teeth and
gums.
Students will learn
the purpose and function of enamel.
Materials:
Eight
large beakers
Quart
of Vinegar
Liter
of sugary cola
Gallon
of spring water
Liter
of Fruit Juice (no sugar added)
Observation
Sheets
Two
dozen pre-cooked hard boiled eggs
Assistance
of Para-professionals or volunteer parents.
¨
Students
will be handed out Observation Sheets for the internet resource activity as
well as for the experiment. Students begin
by visiting the following website to learn proper nutrition to promote healthy
teeth and gums:
http://www.adha.org/kidstuff/games/treats/treats.htm
¨
Students
will note on the top portion foods that are nutritious and beneficial to keep
healthy teeth and gums. Students will
also note foods that are not good sources of nutrition for teeth and gums.
¨
After
students return to the classroom, teacher will split class into four groups. Each group will have a 2 large mouth beakers
filled with either vinegar, cola, fruit juice, or
water. Each student will obtain a hard
boiled egg from the teacher and carefully write their name on the egg shell.
They will carefully peel the shell off the egg into as large pieces as
possible. Students will note the
physical characteristics of the eggshells prior to their emersion into the
liquid. Students will also make a
Hypothesis, or educated guess, on what will happen to the eggshells after two
days submerged in the four liquids.
¨
The
Teacher will explain that the shell of an egg is much like our teeth- enamel is
the outer layer that keeps our teeth protected; only enamel is much thicker
than an eggshell.
¨
Students
will drop the egg shells into both beakers at their station.
¨
Students
will return to the beakers after two days to observe results.
LESSON 4: Continuation of Lesson 3 & Healthy Habits 
Student Objectives:
Students will compare previous
hypothesis with experimental results.
Students will visualize
and learn the results of acid, sugar, and bacteria on teeth.
Students will work in
groups to apply learned knowledge.
With the use of
software, students with learn facts and myths about a dentist visit.
Materials:
Observation
Sheets
BrainPop
Software Program
Before
and After Knowledge Chart
¨
On
second day of experiment, teacher will drain each of the six beakers and lay
the eggshells out on paper towels.
¨
Students
will take out their notes from the previous day’s eggshell observations and
walk to each of the four stations to make note of the physical characteristics
of the eggshells after submersion, completing the observation worksheets.
¨
Teacher
will explain the correlation with teeth:
What’s going on:
Certain drinks, like cola, are acidic. The eggshell is mostly made of calcium
carbonate which reacts with the acid damaging the egg shell.
Now for the ‘yuk’ bit – the experiment would have the same effect if you
used human teeth instead of eggshells as calcium is the major ingredient in the
enamel of your teeth. Sugar "feeds" the bacteria in your mouth
and these produce acids which damage your teeth causing problems like cavities
(holes).
¨
In
groups of 2 or 3, students will log onto BrainPop: Teeth software program for a
final 30 minute fun learning activity. http://www.wchjax.com/kidszone/bp/index.jsp
¨
Students
will be able to self guide themselves through the Pop-Quizzes and animated
videos, as well as visit the Teeth Activity Page. Students will also visit BrainPop characters
to learn about Braces and their functions.
¨
Teacher
will monitor the student’s activities by walking around the lab and assisting
students with their activities, answering any questions, and assisting with
software navigation.
¨
Students
will return to the classroom to revisit the Before
and After Knowledge Chart. They will
tell the teacher all that they have learned over the past unit. The teacher will word process the document
and upload it onto the class Web Page so students and parents can see all the
knowledge the class has acquired.
Website will also include additional resources that students and parents
can use to learn more about keeping teeth healthy and growing!
ASSESSMENT:
o
Teacher
will collect Vocabulary fill-in Worksheets:
http://filliana37.tripod.com/vocab.html
o
Marshmallow Teeth and Key Worksheet:
http://filliana37.tripod.com/tkey.index.html
and
o
Experiment
Observation Worksheet:
http://filliana37.tripod.com/observesheet.index.html
o
These will be used as student’s individual
assessment tools to check for understanding as the unit progresses.
Additional
Web Resources:
o
American Dental
Association Web Page
http://www.ada.org/index.asp
o
Kid's World
http://kids-world.colgatepalmolive.com/
o
The Magic School Bus Maze Craze
http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/colgate/index.htm
o
Tell the Tooth Glyph
http://www.bcps.org/schools/CES/cromwell/tooth/aboutglyph.html
o
Crest
Kids
http://www.crestkids.com/crest_kids/index.jsp
o
The
Truth about Teeth
http://kidshealth.org/kid/body/teeth_noSW.html
o
Arthur
Art Activity
http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/tooth_truth.html?cat=art