How many people do you hear say that George Washington had teeth made of wood? Well this book will clear the air once and for all. This is a fun little story explaining the troubles he had with his teeth and how he ended up with a set of false teeth, NOT made from wood.
Here are some teaching tips that I have come up with to go with is this great read aloud.
Reading level: 3.5
Theme: Presidency
Genre: Biography
Suggested Vocabulary:
Revolutionary War, saddled up, galloped off, spat, handkerchief, mush,
pickled tripe, Valley Forge, chatter, led forth his men, Redcoats, portrait,
puff your sunken lips, fanny, springs snapped, pondered, bedchambers, pantry,
parlors, musty, poured a mold
Reading skills and
strategies:
- purpose for reading – to learn more about George Washington
- author's purpose – to inform the reader about what really happened with George Washington’s teeth
- evidence
- George’s teeth kept falling out.
- George’s dentist tried to make him false teeth but they popped out of his mouth when he tried to use them.
- George was embarrassed to have no teeth.
- organization - sequence – the story is organized by sequence showing when he first started losing his teeth to the dentures that he wore.
- 1. George rushed into town and the dentist pulled a rotten tooth out.
- 2. The next day George when back to the war.
- 3. As the British were attacking the field in front of the fort another tooth fell out.
- 4. George wrote a note to his dentist to meet him at home again.
- 5. George got home again and again lost more teeth.
- 6. George was afraid he would never eat again.
- 7. George crossed the Delaware River with only 9 teeth.
- 8. By the time George got to Valley Forge he only had 7 teeth.
- 9. After the war was over and George returned home he only had 5 teeth left.
- 10. George only had 2 teeth when he became president.
- 11. An artist came to do a portrait of George but when it was over one more tooth fell out, now he had 1.
- 12. The dentist brought George his first set of dentures but they popped out and took with it his last tooth.
- 13. George searched for all his old teeth so he could make a mold.
- 14. With the mold the dentist could make a set of dentures that worked, George now had teeth.
- classify & categorize –
- classify – kinds of teeth (incisors)
- categorize – what they are used for (cut food)
- you can Google this info and print pages for the kids to do this activity. HERE is a site I found.
- fact & opinion –
- fact
- George’s teeth were rotten.
- George’s teeth kept falling out.
- George was embarrassed because he was losing his teeth.
- George only had 2 teeth left when he was elected president.
- Opinion
- George should have brushed his teeth better.
- George should have had a better dentist.
- main idea & details –
- main idea – the story is mostly about George Washington and all the trouble he has had with his teeth.
- Details
- George’s teeth were really rotten.
- George’s teeth kept falling out.
- George’s dentist was able to make him dentures that fit and stayed in.
- predict –
- What do you think the book will be about?
- Why do you think George’s teeth are falling out?
- How many teeth do you think he will have left when he becomes president?
- What do you think will happen once he loses all of his teeth?
- story elements –
- title – George Washington’s Teeth
- author – Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora
- topic – George Washington’s teeth
- organization – by sequence
- KWL – have students fill this info in.
- summarize main idea –
- author – Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora wrote
- book title – George Washington’s Teeth
- author’s purpose – to inform readers
- statement about topic – of all the problems George Washington had with his teeth
- at least 2 detail - like he only had two teeth when he was elected president and he never had teeth that were made from wood.
Happy planning!
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