Lesson Plan: History of Teeth/Teeth Through Time

Essential Questions

• How has science changed the way we care for our bodies?

• How can studying history help us understand the present?

Literature Connection

• Historical fiction: Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman
• Graphic memoir: Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the articles. Preview the text features by asking the following question:

• Look at the images at the beginning of the article and read their captions. Which fact do you find most surprising? Why? Answers will vary. Encourage students to give a reason for their answer using their prior knowledge.
• Find the photo of the mummy named Djed. Why do you think a mummy is mentioned in an article about teeth? Make a prediction. Predictions will vary. Students may guess that historians can learn about how the mummy lived (or died) by studying its teeth.
• Find the infographic “Teeth Through Time” and skim the text for words that signal time. (To skim means to read quickly, without trying to understand everything). What do you notice about how the information is organized? The information is organized in chronological order, or in order of times. Words that signal time are: 10,000 years ago, “in ancient times,” 1498, 1700s, 1800s, and “today.”

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (infected, intestines, license, bacteria, materials) aloud and discuss their definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan: 

• Set a purpose for reading: Tell students that by reading the texts, they’ll find out how people cared for their teeth in the past.
• Tell students that after they read, they’ll complete a synthesizing activity by combining information from the article and the infographic.

Guide students to read the texts. Once they understand them well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

• In “History of Teeth,” the author states that scientists discovered “the surprising answer” to how Djed the mummy died. How did Djed die? How was the discovery surprising? (interpreting text) Djed died because of a bad tooth. This probably surprised scientists because it’s rare for someone to die from a bad tooth today. If she had died from a cobra bite or a crocodile attack, they might have been less surprised. These things can still kill a person today.
• People in ancient Rome understood that teeth needed to be replaced when they fell out. Which example from the article best shows what can happen if teeth aren’t replaced? (synthesizing) The story of Djed the mummy shows what can happen if a tooth isn’t replaced. In her case, it wasn’t that a tooth fell out but rather that her tooth never grew in. As a result, there was a hole in her gum. The hole got infected, and the infection spread and killed her. 
• How was dental care in the 1700s different from dental care today? (compare and contrast) In the 1700s, only the rich went to the dentist. Most people went to the barber to care for their teeth. Barbers pulled out teeth with pliers and didn’t use anything to ease the pain. Today, most people go to a licensed dentist and we have special medicine to lessen pain.
• According to “Teeth Through Time,” what are three ways animals have been used in the past to help humans care for their teeth? (key details) Bird brains were used as cavity fillings, hog hairs were used to make toothbrushes, and crushed ladybugs were used to ease tooth pain.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• In “History of Teeth,” the author mentions that knights, princesses, and George Washington all had tooth problems. Why do you think the author gives these examples? What do they have in common? (author’s craft) The author gives the examples of knights, princesses, and George Washington to make the point that people who were rich and powerful had bad teeth. The reader can imagine that if a princess or the first president of the United States couldn’t get decent dental care, regular people probably had it much worse!
• In “Teeth Through Time,” you learn that dead soldiers’ teeth were used to replace those of rich people. In “History of Teeth,” you learn that horse teeth were used to make dentures. What is your reaction to each fact? If your reaction is different, why? (critical thinking) Answers will vary. Students may say that both facts are gross—having the teeth of another being, whether human or animal, in your mouth is strange. If students find one of the facts more troubling than the other, discuss the reason.

• Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete our Synthesizing Skill Builder. (Click here to view all of your Skill Builders.)
• Writing prompt: Imagine that you’re George Washington’s one remaining tooth. In a paragraph, explain how you ended up surviving while all your friends disappeared one by one. Describe how it feels to be in the mouth of someone making history—all alone. Use your imagination and sense of humor to complete this assignment.