Into the Curriculum

School Library Monthly/Volume XXVIII, Number 5/February 2012

Social Studies: Global Tooth Fairies

by Virginia Case

Children around the world come from different backgrounds, different religions, and different experiences. But they all share one common occurrence—losing a tooth! What children do with their baby teeth, however, varies greatly depending on where they live. Tooth Fairy Day is February 28th (See the February SLM Events Almanac at: http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/almanacs/pdf/actalmFeb.pdf.) This learning plan offers an opportunity for a social studies lesson on traditions surrounding teeth.

Information Literacy/Inquiry Objectives:

AASL's Standards for the 21st-Century Learner:

• Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning (1.1.2).
• Read, view and listen for information presented in any format in order to make inferences and gather meaning (1.1.6).
• Organize knowledge so that it is useful (2.1.2).
• Connect understanding to the real world (2.3.1).

Curriculum Objectives:

After completing the lesson, students will be able to:

• Recognize that different cultures have different traditions concerning losing teeth.
• Connect their own experiences with the Tooth Fairy to other countries.
• Apply their understanding by writing a paragraph and creating a drawing about a new country with its own customs.
• Produce writing that is clear, legible, and appropriate for the purpose.

Grade Levels: 3-5

Resources:

Books:

Beeler, Selby B. Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World. Illus. by G. Brian Karas. Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

Brill, Marlene Targ. Tooth Tales from Around the World. Illus. by Katya Krenina. Charlesbridge, 1998.

Diakité, Penda. I Lost My Tooth in Africa. Illus. by Baba Wagué Diakité. Scholastic, 2006.

Globe, world map, or access to Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/)

Writing paper

Drawing paper

Pencils and crayons

Instructional Roles:

This can be a stand-alone school library lesson with the school librarian as facilitator or the teacher can work with the school librarian to support the activities and help manage students. The lessons require two 30-minute periods.

The school librarian can share and use the following information and resources on global tooth traditions.
One book that looks at the evolution of these traditions is Tooth Tales from Around the World by Marlene Targ Brill. According to Brill, teeth were a sign of strength to people in Asia and Africa, dating back thousands of years ago. Eventually, people began to believe everyone had a spirit that lived on after death. They saved the teeth to keep the body whole and allow the spirit to live forever. So that evil spirits could not find the teeth, people began to hide them.
While Brill explains how various tooth customs began, Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World by Selby B. Beeler gives current examples of what children do with their baby teeth. Instead of a Tooth Fairy, many countries depend on a tooth mouse. Children in France and Spain hide their baby teeth under their pillows and receive small gifts from a little mouse, while children in Afghanistan and Bangladesh put the teeth in a mouse hole and ask for strong teeth to grow back. Many other children in Asia throw their teeth on the roof of their house, making sure they throw it straight so their new teeth come in straight. Traditions from all continents are described and are accompanied by charming illustrations.
I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Penda Diakité tells the story of Amina, a young American girl who is visiting her father’s family in Mali. She wants to lose her first tooth while there because her father told her the African Tooth Fairy will give her a chicken in exchange for her tooth! Diakité skillfully weaves the traditions of Mali children within the story so that the reader feels just as much anticipation as Amina when she turns over the basket to see what is underneath.

Procedures for Completion:

Encourage student involvement by inviting students to relate any information they may have about the Tooth Fairy. Ask: What experiences have they had with the Tooth Fairy? Where does the Tooth Fairy come from? How did she get the job? Where do all the teeth go that are collected? Do any students come from another country or have relatives outside the United States? What do they know about the tooth customs that are followed in those countries?

Introduce the Beeler and Brill books. Select a few countries and find them on the map or globe. Read the tooth customs that take place in that country. What are some of the similarities and differences between the countries? Have students choose a few countries they want to know about and read about those customs. Finally, read aloud I Lost My Tooth in Africa. Inform students the next time the class visits the library they will create a tooth custom for a country they will invent. Students will make up a name for this new nation and write a paragraph about the tooth customs practiced there. They will complement the description by drawing a picture of this custom.

Should the school librarian or teacher wish to expand the lesson, additional activities might include:

• As a social studies extension, have students create a poster of this made-up nation, complete with capital, population, typography, climate, sites of interest, etc.
• For older elementary students, give them a section of the employment opportunities from the local newspaper. Look at what qualifications employers are looking for in a job applicant. Brainstorm what abilities would be needed by someone applying to be a Tooth Fairy ("must be able to work nights and weekends"). Write a help wanted ad to recruit a Tooth Fairy.
• Along this same line, show students a simple résumé and cover letter. Create a template students can follow to complete a Tooth Fairy résumé or cover letter.
• Younger students can draw a map of their house, labeling each room. Use arrows to show the Tooth Fairy the best way to get to their bedroom.
• Imagine accidentally swallowing a tooth. Write a note to the Tooth Fairy explaining what happened and why she should leave money, even if there is no tooth to take away.
• For a math extension, divide the class into four or five groups. Have each group add the number of teeth lost among those students. Construct a bar graph to see which group lost the most teeth.

Student Assessment/Reflection:

The school librarian will use the following assessments to support learning as students complete this project: check paragraphs and pictures to make sure students are writing/drawing about an imaginary nation and not a country discussed in one of the books. Have the students made up a name for this country? Ask them why they selected the particular custom they are writing about to make sure they understand the assignment. In addition, at the end of the second lesson, students will be given an index card on which they will complete the sentence, "Tooth customs around the world _________________."

Professional Reflection:

Students are always excited to share their personal Tooth Fairy stories, but they are generally not aware of practices outside their own experience. This lesson establishes a connection between children around the world and how one common experience can link together many different cultures. Uncovering new information brings students closer to becoming well-rounded world citizens.

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