Those Icky Sticky Smelly Cavity-Causing but… Invisible Germs, by Judith Anne Rice

This book introduces children to the why’s of brushing your teeth. It talks about the different kinds of germs that can damage teeth and how to care for your teeth. This story is a good introduction to dental care.

Materials

Dental x-rays (Most dentists will give you old x-rays of your teeth if you tell them you want to share them with your children.)
Popsicle sticks (one per child)
Several old toothbrushes
A bottle of school glue
A small, one-inch square, piece of contact paper per child

Vocabulary

Germs (a teeny tiny invisible particle, or piece of something that can make you or your teeth sick)
Sticky (covered with something that is gluey)
Halitosis (a scientific name for the germs that make bad breath)
Invisible (too small to see or unable to see-like the wind)
Cavity (a hole in your tooth caused by germs)
Tartar (a hard build up on your teeth like when dried play dough gets stuck to our play dough tools)
Gums (the part of your mouth that surrounds your teeth and holds them in place)
X-rays (pictures of your teeth or bones)

Introducing the Story

Read the Title of the book to the children. Ask them if they know what sticky means. Give each child a piece of the contact paper and explain that the one side is sticky. Have them stick it to their cheek, their elbow, their foot, etc.. Ask them if they can think of other things that are sticky. Write their “sticky thoughts” onto a piece of large paper. Re-read the title and ask them if they know what invisible means. Explain that germs are SO teeny tiny that you cannot see them with your eyes. Show teeny tiny with your fingers and name some really tiny objects (they’re smaller then a grain of sand, smaller then a dot on a paper). Re-read the title again, ask the children if they know what a cavity is. Ask them if they can guess what the story is about. Show the children the cover of the book and re-read the title again, can they guess what these creatures on the front represent? (Cavities)

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; develops increased ability to observe and discuss common properties, differences and comparisons among objects and materials. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Reading the Story

When you get to a page that says, “This!” shutter and shake your head. When you get to the page that says, “Thank goodness Sal knows what all of need to know-how to get rid of the germs in our mouths.” Stop and ask the children if they know what needs to be done (brush your teeth). When you get to the part that says, “The next day, Sal had an appointment for his six-month checkup at the…” slow down here and see if the children say Dentist’s Office.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; shows increased awareness amd beginning understanding of changes in materials and cause-effect relationships. And Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; builds awareness and ability to follow basic health and safety rules.

After Reading the Story

Tape a large piece of paper onto the wall and explain to the children that you are going to make a class germ. Go around the circle asking each child a question in regards to how the germ should look. (What color should are germ be? What shape do you want the germ to be? How many eyes should our germ have? What color eyes should we make?) As they answer, draw the germ onto the piece of paper. When everybody has contributed a part of the germ, do the Toothbrush Chant or your own tooth brushing song.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities. AND Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; develops increasing abilities to give and take in interactions; to take turns in games and using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive or directive.

Music and Movement

Teach the children the toothbrush chant/cadence

Brush your teeth every day,

Up and down it is the right way.

Back and forth and circles too

That’s just what you’ve got to do.

Brush your teeth every day,

Up and down it is the right way.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care when eating, dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth, and toileting.

Teach your children Brush Your Teeth by Raffi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dup3IArSNs

When you wake up in the morning at a quarter to one and you want to have a little fun, You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch…. When you wake up in the morning at a quarter to two and you want to find something to do, You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch…. When you wake up in the morning at a quarter to three and your mind starts humming a tweedle dee dee, You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch…. When you wake up in the morning at a quarter to four and you think you hear a knock at the door, You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch…. When you wake up in the morning at a quarter to five and you just can’t wait to come alive, You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch….

Creative Arts/Music; participates with increasing interest and enjoyment in a variety of music activities, including listening, singing, finger plays, games, and performances.

Discovery

Hang the dental x-rays in the window. Show the children how the tooth goes into the gum. Can you see a cavity or a filling on the x-ray? Talk to the children about your own dental experiences.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

Blocks

Explain to the children that by the time they are three years old they have around 20 teeth in their mouth. Challenge the children to count out 20 blocks. Can they make two rows of ten? Can they make a pattern with the two rows of blocks (square, rectangle, square, rectangle)?

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects. AND Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Art

Cut out yellow tooth shapes and put them on the easel. Give the children white paint and an old toothbrush. Challenge them to brush the plaque away by covering all the yellow with white paint.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing, and aart tools, including pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and various types of technology.

Sand and Water

Put items in the water table that can float today. Challenge the children to make the water whirl and swirl the objects.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations.

Library and Writing

Ask the children to draw their own version of a cavity onto a half a piece of drawing paper. Ask them to tell you one way that you can keep your teeth healthy and write their answer onto a small piece of paper. Have them glue both pieces of paper onto a larger piece. Remind them that in the story the author said children should just use a dot of toothpaste. As they put the glue on the back of their picture and your words have them repeat,”Not a lot, just a drop”. You can put all the children’s germ pictures into book form and make your own class Icky Sticky Smelly Cavity-Causing Invisible Germ book.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple-step directions.

Dramatic Play

As the children use the kitchen today, ask them to sort and name for you which plastic food items you have that are healthy for teeth and which one’s might not be as healthy for teeth? Ask the children if any of the foods are sticky?

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; uses an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. AND Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows increasing abilities to march, sort, put in a series, and regroup objects according to one or two attributes such as shape and size.

Math and Manipulatives

Let the children put on rubber gloves today and give them small mirrors to look in their mouth and count their teeth. Can they see the different shapes if the teeth? Can they see any food or tartar on their teeth? Does anyone have a cavity?

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and respect for their bodies and the environment.

Outdoor Play

Look at the toys on the playground. Do any of them have sand or dirt build up in the crevices? Explain to the children that this is like tartar that builds up over time on your teeth. Give the children popsicle sticks to try to dig out the dirt and sand. Talk about how the dentist has special tools to scrape away the tartar on your teeth.

Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; develops growing awareness of jobs and what is required to perform them.

Transitions

Remind the children that in the story Sal brushed away halitosis germs that give us bad breath. As the children go to the next activity ask them if they can think of something that is stinky and might cause a halitosis germ. It does not have to be something that they eat; the concept is to think of something that is stinky and smelly.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task, or problem.

Resources

Dear Parent-

We have been talking about germs that cause tooth decay today. Ask your child to tell you about tartar and halitosis. (Tartar-the build up that occurs on your teeth, like dirt on toys. Halitosis- the germ that causes stinky smelly breath). Ask them, what the best way to prevent cavities is. Practice brushing your teeth together in the morning and after meals or snacks.

Margaret and Margarita, Margarita y Margaret, by Lynn Reisner

Margaret and Margarita both go to the park to play. They find each other there but they do not speak the same language. How will they play, what will they do?

Materials

Copy of sign language words for friend, cat, shoe, and rabbit
Camera
Picture of every child in the classroom, one of the teacher’s and also a group picture.

Vocabulary

Park (a place for people to go that has a playground, paths, trees, and a bench to sit on and relax).
Communicate (talking to someone even if you don’t use spoken words)

Before reading the Story

Tell the children that not everyone speaks the same language. If you have children of various languages in the classroom, talk about who knows what language. Discuss the various ways to say hello. Talk about how even if you do not speak the same language, people can still communicate using their bodies and their faces. Use gestures only to communicate tired, hungry, I don’t want to, and play with me. See if the children can guess what you are trying to say. See if the children can find ways to communicate these ideas. Introduce the story by explaining that the two girls in the story do not speak the same language. Ask the children if they think the two girls will be able to become friends, why/why not? Let’s find out what happens.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

Reading the Story

This story is best read by two people, one being the Margaret side of the page and one being the Margarita side of the page. If there are not two people available, use two different voices or puppets to tell the story.

After Reading the Story

Start a discussion on how you can show friendship to someone that might speak another language. Learn how to say friend in all the languages of your classroom. After you discussion on friendship, have the children recite the poem Friends, P. Schillar after you.

Friends know how to care,

How to take turns,

And how to share.

Friends know that it’s quite true,

If you’re kind to others,

They’ll be kind to you!

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; progresses in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversation and discussions with peers and adults.

Discovery

If you have a school camera, let the children each take three pictures of children in the classroom. Print these out and mount to the wall. (Our friends at work and play). Just a note; when we did this we also got pictures of feet, tables, etc.. Note that some children will have more experiences working a camera/phone camera than others.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts. AND Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; demonstrates increasing ability to set goals and develop and follow through on plans.

Music and Movement

Teach your children a traditional Spanish/Mexican finger play like Cinco Amiguitos.

(Hold up five fingers on one hand).

Cinco amiguitos The Little Friends

(Wiggle all 5 fingers at once)

Estos son cinco amiguitos There were five little friends

(Wiggle little finger)

El más chiquito compró’ un huevito. This one bought an egg.

(Wiggle ring finger)

Este lo cocinco’. This one boiled it.

(Wiggle middle finger)

Este lo pelo’. This one peeled it.

(Wiggle pointer finger)

Este le puso sal. This one sprinkled salt on it.

(Wiggle thumb)

Y este pícaro gordito !Se lo comió’! And this little chubby one ate it!

(adapted by B.J. irby and R. Lara-Alecio)

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Put on music with rhythms and beats from other countries for the children to dance and move to.

Creative Arts/Movement; expresses through movement and dancing what is felt and heard in various musical tempos and styles.

Blocks

Tape of a 2 foot by 2 foot square on the floor of block center. Encourage the children to work together and build cooperatively within the small space.

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; shows increasing abilities to use compromise and discussion in working, playing, and resolving conflicts with peers.

Art

Put a large piece of easel paper on the easel. Put out only two primary colors of paint. Invite two children to work together to paint. Each child has one color and as they work they will make a third color. Call these friendship paintings. You could write; Kerry and Roger made blue together.

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; shows increasing abilities to use compromise and discussion in working, playing, and resolving conflicts with peers. AND Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations.

Sand and water

Many parks have a sand pit. Put sand in the table today along with buckets and scoopers. Remind the children that the sand needs to stay in the table as sand on the floor is slippery.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Control; demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully.

Library and Writing

On an index card draw a picture of a shoe. Write shoe in one color and zapitos in another color. Do the same for rabbit-conjejita ,cat-gatita, and friends-amigas. Encourage the children to copy the letters and write the words. With the children practice learning the words. If you program is bi-lingual, introduce sign language to the children.

Literacy/Early Writing; progresses from scribbling, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using letter-like symbols, to copying or writing familiar words such as their own name.

Make a classroom book. This is similar set up to Bill Martin Jr’s book Brown Bear, Brown Bear. On a piece of paper, write Ms. (your name), Ms. (your name) who do you see? Glue your picture to the page. On the next page write I see _____ smiling at me! On the bottom of this page write _____ ______ who do you see? Let the child pick the next picture to put in the book. Continue to the last child has been picked and then write I see all my friends smiling at me! Amigos!

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Dramatic Play

Encourage the children to use body language to speak to each other in the center today. Communicate that you are hungry and then thank you for the food.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; approaches tasks and activities with increased flexibility, imagination, and inventiveness.

Math and Manipulatives

Play a graphing game. Make two bases (2 towels, tables, or hoola hoops lying on floor). Ask the children questions with either or answers and have them move to the appropriate space. If you like cats, go to the red towel, if you do not like cats go to the blue towel. If you are wearing shorts go to the red towel, if you are not wearing shorts go to the blue towel. If you go to the park stand on the red towel, if you have not gone to the park stand on the blue towel. If you are a boy stand to the red towel, if you are a girl stand on the blue towel. After each question have the children count off, which group has the most?

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple-step directions.

Outdoor Play

Bring out a bell or instrument that makes a loud sound. Tell the children that when they hear the bell they are to begin walking around but they can not touch another child. When they hear the bell the next time, they are to stop. Do this several times and then tell the children when they hear the bell, to all start walking to the fence but no touching. Walk to the tree, etc. When they can walk to a specific area without touching have the children try to do the same by running, skipping, hopping, and rolling. Remember no touching.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple-step directions.

Transitions

Teacher names a child and then asks, “Who can tell me something that makes this child a good friend”? Allow one or two children to respond. If no child responds, the teacher tells why the child is a good friend. (Marko always smiles and says hello when he comes into the school. Marko goes on his mat and looks at books at nap and does not bother other children who are trying to sleep. Marko let’s you boys help him build in the block center).

Social & Emotional Development/Social Relationships; shows progress in developing relationships with peers.

Resources

Over in the Meadow, by Ezra Jack Keats

This old Appalachian counting rhyme comes to life with Mr. Keats bright illustrations. If you know the tune, this is a wonderful book to sing and act out with your children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIDHDfk3sm8 (Make sure to change up the words to match the version of the book you are using).

Materials

Copy of each animal in the story plus 6 other animals not found in a meadow
Meadow, not meadow sort page

Vocabulary

Meadow (a grassy field that has a stream running through it.)
Basking (to lie in the sun)

Before Reading the Story

Tell the children that your story today is called over in the meadow. Ask them if they think they know what a meadow is? Show a picture or draw one on a chalkboard explaining the parts of a meadow (Draw a grassy area, a stream, some trees, and a gate). Tell them that many kinds of animals live in meadows. Ask them if they can think of any that might like to live in this one. Make a list of animals that they name.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Reading the Story

If you know the tune for this story, sing it instead of reading it. Hold up your fingers on each page and let the children say the number. Note if any animal is on the children’s list from above (Hey Kerry, you said a fish!)

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and written numerals in meaningful ways.

After Reading the Story

Go back and do a picture walk. On each page have the children do the action and ask them if they know the sounds the animals make.

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Discovery

If you have an old aquarium, set it up with a habitat for a small creature that is familiar to your children. Bring one in for a few days so the children can observe it. Put out magnifying glasses, paper and pencils for recording their observations. (We get toads on our playground which the children love to catch, we bring one or two inside for a day to observe. We have also made a Roly Poly habitat, a catfish tank, and a worm habitat).

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts.

Music and Movement

Count from zero to ten and back again. Use your fingers to hold up and take down as you count.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; develops increasing ability to count to 10 and beyond.

Re-sing the book with the children. On each page, have the children clap the appropriate number of times.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.

Teach the poem, Beehive.

Here is the beehive, Make a fist

But where are the bees? Shrug shoulders

Hiding away, where nobody sees Look down at fist

I hear them now, they’re in the hive Put fist up to ear

Out come the bees, 1,2,3,4,5. Hold up fingers as you count

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Blocks

Bring in a box of items that the children can use with your rubber/plastic animals to make habitats (Styrofoam block, rocks, sticks, cloth square).

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Art

Cut large pieces of green construction paper in half. On each half, draw a line 2/3 the way across the long ways. Have the children cut fringe on the paper stopping each time at the line. After they have cut “the meadow grass”, encourage them to draw an animal or person to go into the meadow. Tape all the fringed pieces of paper onto the wall in rows then slide the animals/people in between. Make a label that says Over in the Meadow.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing, and art tools including pencils, amarkers, paint brushes, and various other types of technology.

Sand and Water

Bring in grass clippings and small animals. Pretend your table is a meadow today.

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex.

Library and Writing

Have several children sit with you and the book. Ask the children questions about each page. Who is this? What are they doing? What is basking? Do you ever bask in the sun?

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes. AND Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

Dramatic Play

Parent and baby play today. Who is the mother? What will you teach your children to do today? (Set the table, change the baby, get dressed up)

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex.

Math and Manipulatives

Cut and contact the animal pictures. Have the children sort the pictures by those that live in the meadow and those that do not live in the meadow.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; begins to make comparisons between several objects based on a single attribute.

Outdoor Play

Make a hopscotch board and practice jumping and hopping to the numbers.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and written numbers in meaningful ways. AND Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills; shows increasing levels of proficiency, control, and balance in walking, climbing, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching, and galloping.

Transitions

Play, 1-2-3 What Number Do You See? Make two fists and bump them together as you say 1-2-3. As you say What number do you see? Hold up 1-10 fingers. Ask a child to answer before they head off to the next activity.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; demonstrates increasing interest and awareness if numbers and counting as a means for solving problems and determining quantity.