To Know and Learn

Children wilt learn that we use our mouths for talking, eating and smiling by singing the Talk, Chew and Smile Too, song. They will also practice sorting skills by selecting tooth-smart foods from an array of food pictures.

Materials Needed

Talk, Chew and Smile, Too song on page 7-18
Dairy, Dairy song on page 7-18
food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used)
flannel board, bulletin board, black board or wall
thumbtacks or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors

Directions

Sing Talk, Chew and Smile, Too song on page 7-18 to the children until they know it well. Have them practice singing the song until they are familiar with the actions of talking, chewing and smiling with their mouths.

After the children have sung the song, ask them to feel their lips with their hands and answer the following questions:

Where is your mouth?
What do your teeth feel like?
What do your ups and gums feel like?
What do you see moving when you talk?
Can you talk without moving your mouth?
What do you see moving when you chew?
What do you see moving when you smile?
Can you smile without moving your mouth?

Have the children play Catching Smiles. To play this game, ask one child to smile and pass the smile to another child. This can be done by wiping the smile off his or her face and "throwing" the smile to someone else. Continue until all of the children have had a turn. Variations of the game include "Catching Chews" and "Talking Toss."

After the song and the game have been completed, review activities the mouth performs and the need to eat body building foods to keep our teeth, lips and gums healthy. Discuss milk and dairy foods that are important for healthy teeth. Have the children practice selecting these foods from an array of body building food pictures.

Practice singing Dairy, Dairy on page 7-18 with the children. Have the children sing the song until they know it well and can name foods that will help build strong teeth.

You may want to invite a dentist or dental hygienist to visit the class and talk with the children about caring for their teeth and mouths.

The following books can be used to help children explore the concepts taught in this lesson:

Our Tooth Story. A Tale Of Twenty Teety (E. Kessler, Dodd and Mead, New York, 1972).

The Bear's Toothache (D. McPhail, Atlantic Monthly Press, Atlanta, 1972).

My Dentist (H. Rockwell, Greenwillow Books, New York, 1974).

The Tooth And My Father (W. Saroyan, Doubleday, New York, 1974).

Dental Care For Kids (H. Zaki, Audiovisual Library Service, 3300 University Avenue, S.E. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414).

The ABC'S Of Good Oral Health, Dudley The Dragon, O Is For Dentist, Caspar The Friendly Ghost Present Space-Age Dentistry, The Friendly Cub Scout Caspar, His Den And Their Dentist Fight The Tooth Demons, Dental Care For Kids and Learning About Your Dental Health (American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago, Illinois 60611).
 

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name three activities our mouths perform. Also have them identify foods from the milk and dairy foods group that can help us have strong teeth.

TALK, CHEW AND SMILE, TOO* (can be sung to the tune of This is The Way We Wash Our Clothes) Chorus: These are the ways we use our mouth Use our mouth, use our mouth These are the ways we use our mouth Smile, talk, chew! (smile, talk, chew) This is the way we use our mouth Use our mouth, use our mouth This is the way we use our mouth Talk, talk, talk. (talk) This is the way we use our mouth Use our mouth, use our mouth This is the way we use our mouth Chew, chew, chew! (chew) This is the way we use our mouth Use our mouth, use our mouth This is the way we use our mouth Smile, smile, smile! (smile) * From the Head Start Dental Curriculum, page 28    
DAIRY, DAIRY (can be sung to the tune of Daisy, Daisy) Dairy, dairy Milk is the drink for you I love dairy Cheese and yogurt, please I really love my teeth Milk and dairy cannot be beat I treat my teeth when I eat Milk and dairy are good for my teeth.


.  Teeth--Those Pearly Whites

To Know and Learn

Children will learn about body building foods that help build strong teeth and bones by singing Pearlies' Glimmer. This activity will also help children to practice listening skills.

Materials Needed

Pearlies' Glimmer song, see below tooth badge pattern on page 7-43 safety pins, string or tape crayons or felt tip markers scissors

Directions

Ask the children to smile and show their teeth. Discuss the various activities our teeth help us to perform, including talking, chewing and smiling.

Read Pearlies' Glimmer, see below, to the children. Have them practice singing the song until they. know it well. After they have finished, ask them to answer the following:

Name a variety of body building foods. Name foods from the milk and dairy foods group.
Describe foods from the milk and dairy foods group using the senses.
Describe how these foods help us. (develop strong teeth)

Cut out tooth badges from the pattern on page 7-43. Write each child's name on one badge. Ask the children to name body building foods that help their teeth grow strong and give them a badge to show that they know those foods.

The following film and curriculum can be used to further explore dental health:

The Munchers: A Fable (American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611,1975).

Head Start Dental Curriculum (American Dental Association's Bureau of Health Education and
Audiovisual Services, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611).

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name body building foods that help their teeth grow strong. Emphasize foods from the milk and dairy foods group.
 
 
 

PEARLIES' GLIMMER (can be sung to the tune of Glow Little Glow Worm) Glow little pearlies Glimmer, glimmer. Feed them daily They will shimmer. Feed them well and they'll be strong, 'Cause you want to keep them long. So glow little pearlies Glimmer, glimmer. Keep them healthy And you'll be a winner. Bright white teeth will help you go So glow little pearlies, glow!  


Carrots To See

To Know and Learn

Children will understand that fruits and vegetables, especially carrots' help us to see at night by singing a song and playing a game to complete a carrot puzzle.

Materials Needed

Carrots To See song on page 7-21
Parrots Like Carrots rhyme, see below
food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used)
carrot puzzle pieces on page 7-44
flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard or wall
heavy paper or cardboard
thumbtacks, glue or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors

Directions

A. To Make the Carrot Puzzle Pieces

Color the carrot puzzle card on page 7-44 and cut along dotted line to separate the pieces. Glue or tape each puzzle piece to heavy paper or cardboard. Trim any excess paper or cardboard.

B. To Use the Carrot Puzzle Pieces

Review with the children why we need to eat body building foods (to help keep our skins and eyes healthy).

Have the children think about foods that help us see well.

Read Parrots Like Carrots, see below, to the children. Ask them to answer the following questions:

Whose favorite food is a carrot?
Do carrots help us have healthy eyes?
What do we do with our eyes?

Sing Carrots to See on page 7-21. After each verse, place one of the carrot puzzle pieces on a flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard, or wall using thumbtacks or tape. Ask the children to name foods that help us see.

Continue until the children have identified the carrot or have completed the puzzle. Ask them to answer the following questions:

What food helps us see at night?
What does a carrot look like?
What other foods are orange like carrots? (pumpkins, apricots and cantaloupes)
What does a carrot sound like when chewed?
What does a carrot taste like when eaten?
What other foods help us see at night? (spinach, broccoli, squash, pumpkin, cantaloupe, apricot)

* Carrots along with many other fruits and vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, peaches and cantaloupe, are rich sources of vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin and for seeing well in the dark.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to point to the part of our bodies that carrots, spinach, broccoli, squash, pumpkin, cantaloupe and apricots help keep healthy. Ask them how these vegetables help our eyes (to see well at night).

PARROTS LIKE CARROTS I know a parrot Whose favorite food is carrots. The vitamin each carrot supplies Give this parrot good eyes. They help him see at night. When there is not much light.   CARROTS TO SEE (can be sung to the tune of Frere Jacques) Chorus Do you know me?, Do you know me? I help you see, I help you see? If you can't name me, if you can't name me? Here are clues, here are clues. I am crunchy, I am crunchy. Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch. If you will eat me, if you will eat me. I'll help you see, I'll help you see. Chorus I am long, I am long Watch me grow, watch me grow If you will eat me, if you will eat me I'll help you see, I'll help you see Chorus I taste sweet, I taste sweet Taste me now, taste me now If you will eat me, if you will eat me I'll help you see, I'll help you see Chorus I am orange, I am orange Look at me, look at me If you will eat me, if you will eat me I'll help you see, I'll help you see Chorus     Iron't You Smart

To Know and Learn

By listening to the Iron-Smart poem, children will understand that iron-rich foods help us to be healthy and have bright red blood. The children will also practice reading readiness, counting and fine motor skills by preparing Taco Twists.

Materials Needed

Iron-Smart poem on page 7-23
Taco Twists picture recipe on page 7-45
food pictures on pages 7-46--7-49
flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard or wall
thumbtacks or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors
chopped spinach
cooked ground beef
shredded cheddar cheese
tomato sauce
taco shells
pan or cookie sheet
oven or toaster oven
plates
spoons

Directions

Color and cut out the food pictures on pages 7-46--7-49.

Read Iron-Smart on page 7-23 to the children. The poem can be dramatized by thumbtacking or taping the food pictures to a flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard, or a wall at the appropriate time. Have the children repeat each line of the poem until they know it well.

After the children have practiced saying the poem, ask them to answer the following:

What does a siren remind you to do?
What foods could you eat to get iron?
What do beans, cereal, beef and spinach give us?
Do we need to eat these foods everyday?
How do we work and play when we eat these foods?

Prepare Taco Twists from the picture recipe on page 7-45.

Display the recipe and review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• wash and chop 1 cup of spinach
• grate 4 ounces of cheese*
• brown 1 pound of ground beef
• fill the taco shells with browned meat and spinach
• top with 1 tsp, tomato sauce and cheese
• heat until warm and cheese is melted

* An adult may need to perform this task if a metal grater is used.

Let the children serve and eat the Taco Twists. Ask them to do the following:

name each ingredient in the Taco Twists.
describe each ingredient using their senses.
distinguish between the ingredients that come from plants and those that come from animals.
name iron-rich foods that help give us bright red, healthy blood.
name other foods that help us have energy for work and play.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name iron-rich foods that help us be healthy and have have bright red, healthy blood.

IRON SMART Whenever I hear a siren, It reminds me to eat some iron. Beef or beans and spinach, too, Will help me do all I do. Chorus Hip, hip, hip, horray I ate those foods today! Now I can zip, zip, zip whenever I work or play. Whenever I hear a siren, It reminds me to eat some iron. Liver, peas and cereal, too, Will help me do all I do. Chorus Whenever I hear a siren, It reminds me to eat some iron. Rice and a whole wheat roll, too, Will help me do all I do. Chorus Whenever I hear a siren, It reminds me to eat some iron. Taco, beef steak and roasts, too, Will help me do all I do. Chorus Whenever I hear a siren, It reminds me to eat some iron. Oysters, flour and meat, too, Will help me do all I do. Chorus Whenever I hear a siren, It reminds me to eat some iron. Spaghetti with meat sauce, too, Will help me do all I do. Chorus Whenever I hear a siren, It reminds me to eat some iron. Whole wheat bread and hamburger, too, Will help me do all I do. Chorus