Teeth

Introduction

In this lesson, learners will listen to a song about taking care of teeth and complete some comprehension activities. Then they will think about good and bad ways of looking after teeth, and produce either a poster or a questionnaire related to their ideas.

Learning outcomes

All learners will:

• Practise using vocabulary connected to teeth and teeth brushing
• Identify the correct way to care for teeth
• Listen to a song about teeth

Some learners will:

• Make a poster using 'should' and 'shouldn't'
• Write simple questions and interview a partner

Age/ Level 

Aged 9–12 years (CEFR A2)

Time

80 minutes 

Materials

• Lesson plan
• Worksheet
• Large pieces of paper and coloured pencils for posters (stage 4)
• https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/brush-bus  
• https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/tooth-family 
• https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/your-turn/teeth  
   

Introduce the topic (5 mins)

• Draw a picture of a tooth and a picture of some teeth. Check learners know the singular and plural of tooth and teeth.
• Write the numbers 20 and 32 on the board. Ask learners to guess what the numbers mean. Did they know that children have 20 teeth and adults have 32? 

Song for lower levels (20 mins)

• Put learners into pairs
• Give learners the worksheet to do: matching the words and pictures. Or do the online activity.
  Note: If the children find the words ‘tooth’ and ‘teeth’ difficult to pronounce drill the vocabulary using an animal drill.
  Animal drill
• Write the vocabulary on the board.
• Ask the children what noise does a cat make? After the children have replied say the new vocabulary using a cat ‘voice’ while pointing at each word. Show the children that you put your tongue behind your top teeth to make the ‘th’ sound. 
• Repeat this sequence with different animals the children know. Eg. Dog, cow, sheep, etc.
• Drill as a group and individually.
• Before playing the song ‘Brush Bus’, pause the song at the beginning. Ask learners what they can see (a bus, teeth, a toothbrush, toothpaste) and what the bus is going to do (brush his teeth). 
• Play the song. Encourage learners to join in with actions for brushing their teeth. 
• Now practise those lines from the song. If your learners are strong enough, also practise the chorus of the song together. Play the song again and encourage learners to sing along and do the actions. 

Song for higher levels (20 mins)

• Ask learners how many teeth babies have when they’re born (none) and when they start growing teeth (around 6 months old). Do they keep these teeth forever? Ask learners if they have lost any teeth yet. Will they get new teeth?
• Drill: tooth, teeth and false teeth to make sure learners are confident at pronouncing the words.
• Play the ‘Tooth family’ song and ask learners to listen and find out how many teeth each family member has or doesn’t have (baby: has got two teeth; girl: has lost two teeth; mother: has got all her teeth; grandad: has got two teeth and wears false teeth). 
• Discuss with learners why the baby only has two teeth (he’s growing his first set), why the girl has lost two teeth (she’s losing her first set but will grow more), why the mother brushes her teeth so much (it’s important to look after your second set of teeth) and why the grandad only has two teeth and wears false teeth (because if you don’t look after your second set of teeth, they will fall out and you don’t grow any more). 
• Play the song again and then do the game together. Practise the sentences together and then play the song again, encouraging learners to sing along. 

Extension activity (25 mins) 

For lower levels

• Write ‘should and shouldn’t on the board. Brainstorm ideas with learners about what is important for looking after teeth as well as brushing them. 
• Write their ideas on the board under should or shouldn’t.. 
• Lower levels can make a simple poster by copying the information on the board. They can draw and write good and bad things for looking after teeth. 

For higher levels

• Write ‘should and shouldn’t on the board. Brainstorm ideas with learners about what is important for looking after teeth as well as brushing them. 
• Write their ideas on the board under should or shouldn’t.
• Write 2 questions on the board. Eg:

1. Do you brush your teeth?
2. Do you eat sweets?

• Put the learners into groups of 4 and ask them to write 4 questions. They write the questions in their notebooks. Monitor and support.
• Move learners into pairs (so they have new partners). They ask each other their questions and write the answers. Prompt learners to reply: Yes, I do/ No, I don’t.
• Nominate one or two pairs to re-enact their conversation or feedback on their partner’s answers; depending on their ability.

Round off activity (5 mins)

• Learners can sing the song again or if they made a questionnaire in stage 4, they could give their questionnaire to a different partner. 

Setting homework (5 mins)

• Learners can listen to either of the songs again at home. If they are members of Learn English Kids, they can also read the comments on the ‘Teeth’ Your turn and then leave their own.