Curriculum Support

• Oral Health 

• Vision Screening 

• Vaccine Preventable Diseases 

Curriculum Support for Clinical Services

The Healthy School Team has a dedicated Registered Dietitian to support schools in our region. From setting up tower gardens, assisting with school breakfast programs, and navigating grant opportunities, our Registered Dietitian ensures nutritious food is accessible for every school. 

When teaching children and youth about food and nutrition, it’s important to ensure that lessons are age-appropriate and that they support students in developing a healthy relationship with food and body. Messages about food should be kept positive and activities should provide students practical opportunities to learn about, see, smell, touch, grow and cook a variety of food.

Learn more about how to nurture healthy eaters in the classroom:

• Nurturing Healthy Eaters in the Classroom (Elementary) 
• Nurturing Healthy Eaters in the Classroom (Secondary) 
  
  

For ideas on how to teach about food in the classroom, visit:

• Teach Food First (BC)
• What is a Food Neutral Classroom (Dietitians 4 Teachers)
• 20 Great Food Books for Your Classroom (Dietitians 4 Teachers)
• Teach Nutrition (Dairy Farmers of Alberta)

For more support on teaching about food, reach out to healthyeating@swpublichealth.ca 

Growth and Development

Kindergarten is an important time in a child’s life where they learn independence, gross and fine motor skills, and social-emotional skills. While exciting, this transition time can be challenging for children and parents as families get used to new routines. Check out our getting ready for kindergarten page for more information about the supports we provide families. 

Hand Hygiene

Hand Hygiene remains an important concept for all as COVID-19 as well as other bacteria and viruses circulate in our communities and schools. Below you will find resources to help foster hand hygiene skills in children.

Curriculum Supports for Hand Hygiene

• Hand Washing Resources and Activities
• Lysol for Healthy Schools
• Hand hygiene videos from Easter Ontario Health Unit

Healthy Relationships

Healthy relationships are the key to strong mental health. We rely on our support systems to help us get through challenging times, and to make the good times even better. Did you know that building healthy relationships also contributes to brain development, cognitive and social-emotional skills? There are lots of reasons to get behind healthy relationships. Building healthy relationships is a skill. Whether it is a healthy romantic relationship, a strong relationship with your parents or a good friendship. 

• Local, Provincial and Federal service providers

• Mental Health May: A four-week plan to help assist schools with activities to support a mentally healthy school community developed by Southwestern Public Health
• My Anxiety Plan

• Become a SunSense School - Canadian Cancer Society (SunSense Poster, SunSense Word Scramble, SunSense Factsheet)
• SunSense Program Guide - Canadian Cancer Society (French version)
• SunSense Info Sheet - Canadian Cancer Society (French version)
• Farm Safety Kits – Order for free, cover shipping  
• Toolbox Talk for Kids – Playing Safe on the Farm  
• Horse Safety Activity for Kids – Stop, Think, Act! 
• Parachute For Injury Prevention: Concussions
• Road safety Direct curriculum connections and activities (grade appropriate) - CAA
• Road safety modules for educators and students. Printables and activities also included. - Ottawa Safety Council
• List of injury prevention topics such as road safety, choking and booster seat safety - Parachute 

Language

Oral

Share stories related to oral health, dental visits and care for the teeth. Students can respond to questions or retell the point of the story and demonstrate an understanding of the information.

1. McGuire, Leslie (2013). Brush Your Teeth Please. Studio Fun International Inc.
2. Klein, A. F. (2005). Max Goes to the Dentist. Picture Window Books.

1. Berenstain, S., & Berenstain, J. (1998). The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist. Random House.

Writing

Using a variety of strategies and resources (e.g., ask questions to identify personal experiences, and prior knowledge, or brainstorm ideas with the class) write a narrative using oral health themed subject matter.

Keeping a healthy smile - Colgate 

Write short texts using oral health as the main theme and use a few simple forms (e.g., a recount of personally significant experiences, topics of interest, and “How to” stories).

Reading

Collection of stories that link oral health information with a variety of different literary texts and informational texts:

1. Rosebrough, Ellen (2013). Dora Goes to the Dentist. Viacom International Inc.

Identify a few reading comprehension strategies and have students share their oral health knowledge by brainstorming about the cover, title, or topic. How do they visualize a character or scene?

1. Krensky, Stephen (1999). My Loose Tooth. Penguin Random House LLC
2. Dr. Seuss (2000). The Tooth Book. Random House Children’s Books.

Encourage students to extend their understanding of the text by connecting the ideas in it and relate the content of the story, song or activity to personal experiences or knowledge of oral health and the mouth.

1. Krensky, Stephen (1999). My Loose Tooth. Penguin Random House LLC
2. Brown, Marc (1997). Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy. Random House Children’s Book

Math

Numeration

Humans have 2 sets of teeth: primary and permanent. Children with a complete set of teeth have 20 primary or deciduous teeth that begin to emerge at around 6 months of age, but develop well before birth. Adults with a complete set of teeth have 32 teeth.

1. Lesson Plan Creator - Crest and Oral B
2. Eruption Charts (images) - American Dental Association (ADA)  

Health and Physical Education

Healthy living

Know and recognize the need to develop healthy eating habits and a relationship with oral health.

• Use the provided Tooth Fairy Island – Tooth friendly Snacks magnetic board to depict healthy oral snacks and explain the benefits/negatives to each snack on the oral cavity.

Help students understand how to stay safe and avoid injuries to themselves and others in a variety of situations (e.g., wearing mouth guards while playing sports or wearing a helmet when biking, skating, or skateboarding).

• Mouthguards - ADA

Have students identify habits and behaviours (e.g., chewing on hard objects, excessive sugar consumption, tobacco usage) that can have a harmful effect on the mouth, and explain how students can be encouraged to adopt healthier alternatives.

Chewing on hard objects:

Chewing on ice cubes, pencils and pens, or even hard candy can chip or crack your teeth. Teeth should never be touching unless you’re chewing food!

Science and Technology

Life systems

Investigate characteristics of the mouth and explain how those characteristics function (e.g., our tongue has bumps that help us to determine if our food is too hot, too cold, or tastes bad).

Did you know?

The outer layer of our teeth, the enamel, is the hardest substance in the human body.

The part of the tooth you see is called the crown. The rounded high parts of the back teeth are cusps. The hard white outer covering of the tooth is the enamel. Below the gum line, holding the tooth in the jawbone is the root of the tooth. You can’t see the roots. The inner portions of the tooth consist of the dentin, a bone like tissue, and the pulp. The pulp is like a house for the nerves and blood vessels at the center of the crown and root.

Teeth have different shapes for different jobs. For example, when you eat, the upper teeth work together with the lower teeth of the same shape to bite, chew, and tear food.

Social Studies

Ask students to identify significant events in their lives related to their teeth (e.g., their first trip to the dentist or a new tooth).

1. Rosebrough, Ellen (2013). Dora Goes to the Dentist. Viacom International Inc.
2. Berenstain, S., & Berenstain, J. (1998). The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist. Random House.
3. Krensky, Stephen (1999). My Loose Tooth. Penguin Random House LLC

Art

Music

Healthy, Happy Teeth                                                                             

(sing to the tune of Old MacDonald)

Brush your teeth and floss them too,
For healthy, happy teeth.
Drink and eat foods good for you,
For healthy, happy teeth!
With a brush, brush here,
And a floss, floss there,
Here a brush, there a floss,
Day and night a brush and floss!
See your dentist every year,
For healthy, happy teeth!

Use the provided stuffed animal and toothbrush to demonstrate tooth brushing technique and have each student brush the animal’s teeth after the demonstration.

*Adapted with permission by Halton Region Public Health

Oral Health Education Teacher Resource (Grade 2) - Alberta Health Services

Language

Reading

Encourage students to read using different types of literary texts (e.g., stories, folk tales) from diverse cultures regarding oral health beliefs and practices.

1. Berenstain, S., & Berenstain, J. (1998). The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist. Random House.
2. Dr. Seuss (September 2000). The Tooth Book. Random House Children’s Books.
3. Krensky, Stephen (1999). My Loose Tooth. Random House Children’s Books.
4. Tourville, Doering (2009). Brush, Floss, and Rinse- Caring for your Teeth and Gums.

Media

Below are links to some media texts. Allow students to identify the purpose and intended audience for these texts. Ask them to identify which toothpaste and toothbrush designs are for children and which are for adults.

1. Colgate Oral Care Centre

Health and Physical Education

Active living

Students may use the following information to identify ways they can protect their teeth and mouths from safety risks during physical activity.

1. Dental Safety and Emergencies - Canadian Dental Association (CDA)

Healthy living

Students may use the following information to describe ways to maintain good oral health and prevent problems.

1. Mouth care and cavity prevention (Teacher Resource) - Alberta Health Services
2. Nutrition and Oral Health - American Dental Association

• Use the provided Healthy Snacks Education Kit to assemble a healthy meal.
• Use the provided A-Type Hygiene Model to demonstrate proper circular tooth brushing technique focusing on keeping the brush along the gum line. Stress the importance of brushing before school and before bed, while limiting sugary foods and beverages

Science and Technology

There are differences between humans and animals. Some animals do not have teeth (e.g., birds with beaks and whales with baleen). How do they eat food? Use the information below to help students observe and compare the physical characteristics of teeth, tongues, and mouths.

1. Animals Teeth (Teachers Resource pg. 60-61)
2. Jokes and Trivia - CDA 

Earth and space

Use the “Estimating Tooth-Brushing time” (Teacher Resource pg. 7 & 11) 

• How much water do you use when you brush your teeth?
• How much time might a person spend brushing his or her teeth in one year?
• How much time might that person spend brushing his or her teeth in one decade?
• How much time could that person spend brushing his or her teeth in half a century?
• If you were to leave your tap running every time you brushed your teeth, how much water would you use in one year, one decade, and one century?
• How can you be more responsible for your water use?

Social Studies

Use the resources below to help students discover how communities around the world have similar or different food and snacks

1. Cultures, food traditions and healthy eating - Government of Canada

Art

Oral health rhyme about brushing your teeth

I know how to brush my teeth
I brush on top and underneath
Up like a rocket
Down like the rain
Back and forth like a choo-choo train.

• Additional songs and rhymes about teeth

*Adapted with permission by Halton Region Public Health

Language

Reading

The following is a resource designed to help students discover common oral health problems that affect their daily lives allowing them to learn about oral health in a visual, informative, and fun way.

1. Croll, Theodore (D.D.S). (2012) The Grosser, More Disgusting, But Still Totally Cool Mouth Book

Health and Physical Education

Healthy living

Students may use the following information to describe ways to maintain good oral health and prevent oral health problems.

1. Croll, Theodore (D.D.S). (2012) The Grosser, More Disgusting, But Still Totally Cool Mouth Book

• Use the provided A-Type Hygiene Model to demonstrate proper circular tooth brushing technique focusing on keeping the brush along the gum line. Stress the importance of brushing before school and before bed, while limiting sugary foods and beverages.

Substance use, addictions, and related behaviours

Students can identify which substances (e.g., nicotine, carbon monoxide, and tar) are found in tobacco and smoke products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, and snuff). Describe how these substances affect oral health.

Students can find information about the harmful effects of smoking and develop a personal plan of action to make good decisions about smoking.

1. Smoking and Oral Cancer - Health Canada

Healthy eating

Using the criteria found in Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide, each student can analyze personal food selections through self-monitoring over time (e.g., food groups, portion size, and serving size), and develop a simple healthy-eating goal beneficial for good oral health.

1. Healthy Eating for Parents and Children - Canada's Food Guide (CFG)
2. Eat Vegetables and Fruits - CFG

Personal safety and injury prevention

Students can identify potential dangers and risks during certain activities (e.g., when cycling or playing a variety of sports). Students can consider ways to keep their mouths and teeth protected, to assess risks, and to make safe decisions in a variety of situations.

1. Athletic Mouth guards - Health Canada
2. Croll, Theodore (D.D.S). (2012) The Grosser, More Disgusting, But Still Totally Cool Mouth Book

Science and Technology

Earth and science

Rocks and minerals

The properties of rocks and minerals determine how people can use them. Assess the possible oral health usages of elements made from rocks and minerals.

1. Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Guideline Technical Document - Calcium - Health Canada 
2. Calcium - Government of Saskatchewan 
3. Fluoride and Oral Health - Health Canada

Math

Data

Collect data by conducting a survey (e.g., the number of teeth each student has lost, the number of permanent teeth each student has, or estimate tooth-brushing time).

Estimating tooth-brushing time

Online Teaching Resource (see pg 7-13)

• Approximately how much time might a person spend brushing his or her teeth in one year?
• Approximately how much time might that person spend brushing his or her teeth in one decade?
• Approximately how much time could that person spend brushing his or her teeth in half a century?

Art

Visual arts

Students can use elements of design (e.g., poster or drawing) to communicate ideas, messages, and understanding of different oral health messaging (e.g., the importance of wearing mouth guards during sports or the benefits of healthy snacks on oral health).

1. Athletic Mouth guards - Health Canada
2. Healthy eating for children - Canadian Paediatric Society
3. Croll, Theodore (D.D.S). (2012) The Grosser, More Disgusting, But Still Totally Cool Mouth Book

*Adapted with permission by Halton Region Public Health

Language

Reading

Help students learn about oral health in a visual, informative, and fun way.

1. Croll, Theodore (D.D.S). (2012) The Grosser, More Disgusting, But Still Totally Cool Mouth Book

Health and Physical Education

Active living

Use the links below to identify what behaviours and precautions can be taken by each person to demonstrate responsibility for their own personal safety during physical activities, including safety considerations related to equipment (e.g., helmets, mouth guards). Although protective equipment such as mouth guards do not prevent concussions, a mouth guard can help prevent serious injuries like broken jaws, chipped teeth and cuts to the tongue and check. The mouth area is injured the most during contact sports. 

• Athletic Mouth guards - Health Canada

Healthy living

Healthy eating

Use the power point presentation and the speaker’s notes provided in the link below to help students understand nutrition labelling and to empower them to make better informed and healthier food choices.

• Use Food Labels - Canada Food Guide

View the Sugary Drink fact sheet and Sugar Shocker activity kit. Using various beverage labels, students can find the sugar content of each beverage. Simulate the amount of sugar in the beverage using teaspoons of sugar or sugar cubes to enable students to visualize the sugar content in their beverages.

1. Healthy Eating Starts Here - Alberta Health Services
2. Croll, Theodore (D.D.S). (2012) The Grosser, More Disgusting, But Still Totally Cool Mouth Book

Personal safety and injury prevention

Use the links below to discuss what you should do if you or a fellow classmate has a dental emergency. Also use The Grosser, More Disgusting, But Still Totally Cool Mouth Book to depict traumatic dental situations both acute from trauma and chronic disease.

• Dental Safety and Emergencies - Canadian Dental Association

Science and Technology

Conservation of energy and resources

1. Find Conserving our Water Resources in Landowner Resources from Lakehead University 

Experiment: Before starting the experiment, have children guess how much water it takes the average person to brush their teeth. Read the statistics below regarding water usage while brushing teeth and simulate the amount of water in a container or number of containers representing 30 litres. Students can also do an experiment at home to see just how much water they are using to brush their teeth: a plug is put in the sink drain and the teeth are brushed for 2 minutes. The student can observe how much water has accumulated during that time.

• 2 gallons of water used per minute when brushing equals 4 gallons for 2 minutes of brushing, therefore equalling 8 gallons per person bushings 2 times per day
• 1 gallon = 4 litres approximately
• Therefore 30 litres of water would be used for one person brushing for 2 minutes/2 times a day

Citizens of Ontario use approximately 293 litres of water per person everyday on all activities

(Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation-Household Guide to Water Efficiency 2005)

Social Studies

Canada and world connections

Students can compare the oral health statistics of children around the world. Discuss reasons why Canadian children have a relatively high rate of dental decay.

World Health Organization (WHO) - Oral Health

• Worldwide, 60–90% of school children and nearly 100% of adults have dental cavities.
• Dental cavities can be prevented by maintaining a constant low level of fluoride in the oral cavity.
• Severe periodontal (gum) disease, which may result in tooth loss, is found in 15–20% of middle-aged (35-44 years) adults.
• Globally, about 30% of people aged 65–74 have no natural teeth.
• Oral disease in children and adults is higher among poor and disadvantaged population groups.
• Risk factors for oral diseases include an unhealthy diet, tobacco use, harmful alcohol use and poor oral hygiene, and social determinants.

Math

Number sense and numeration

Students can bring in beverage containers with labels to compare the sugar content. Create a fraction circle to show the differing amounts of sugar content for each beverage. Using Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide, compare this information with the amount of sugar a person should have per day.

*Adapted with permission by Halton Region Public Health

Language

Writing (grades 7 & 8)

The links below provide information about financial assistance for people who are unable to afford dental treatment. Students can use this information to write an article (e.g., to a local newspaper) to inform the public about these programs and how to access them.

1. Teeth Cleaning, Check-Ups and Dental Treatment for Kids - Government of Ontario  
2. Paying for Oral Care - Ontario Association of Public Health Dentistry

Media (grades 7 & 8)

How does popular media define a healthy smile/teeth? How does this affect people’s views of their own smile/ teeth? What message does this convey to people whose smile does not match the media’s definition of a healthy smile?

1. Teeth Whitening - Canadian Dental Association (CDA)

Create a video/magazine ad informing people about healthy eating or how people experiencing oral health problems can access financial assistance. How can understanding what foods are healthy for oral health assist them? (Gr. 8). 

Health and Physical Education

Active living

Students can research information about what they can do if a tooth is knocked out (e.g., during a game the ball hits someone in the face and teeth are damaged). Review oral conditions that are caused by poor oral health through acute and chronic situations

1. Dental Emergencies - CDA
2. Croll, Theodore (D.D.S). (2012) The Grosser, More Disgusting, But Still Totally Cool Mouth Book

Healthy living

Substance use, addictions, and related behaviours

Students can use the information below to research information about substance use and describe how the use of these substances can affect oral health. (Gr. 6)

1. Cannabis users generally have poorer oral health than non-users, with an increased risk of tooth decay, periodontal disease and oral cancer. Prolonged cannabis use can cause dry mouth which is a significant risk factor for oral health problems.
2. Smoking - KidsHealth
3. Smoking and your oral health - College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario
4. Did You Know? (Gr. 7)
    - Oral health professionals can help people connect with professionals who can provide assistance with mental health concerns, substance abuse, and addiction.
   - Oral health professionals can develop specific treatment plans to help people who have an addiction protect their teeth and gums.
   - People who use drugs must talk to their oral health providers about their drug use as drugs can react with the anaesthetics commonly used in oral health treatment.
5. Discuss the oral health and financial problems resulting from substance abuse. (e.g., problems in the mouth may result from substance abuse. A person may be unable to resolve the issue because monetary resources are used to purchase substances for an addiction. Or a person may decide against dental treatment so as to purchase drugs.) (Gr. 8)

Healthy eating

The picture and links below contain information about the process of tooth decay, healthy foods for your mouth and teeth, and how to make healthier food choices. Students can:

• Consult Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide to determine how people can make healthy food choices on a limited budget. Using the information found, create a sample menu for a limited budget. (Gr. 6)
• Discuss how to choose foods that do not cause tooth decay and can be purchased on a limited budget. (Gr. 7)
• Compare labels from popular food items and decide which items are “oral health friendly”. (Gr. 6 & 8)

1. The Best Foods for Your Teeth - Colgate
2. Oral Health - Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada
3. Nutrition for Children - CDA

Personal Safety and Injury Prevention (Grades 6 & 8)

Students can research information to help identify when a mouth guard should be worn and explain how a mouth guard protects the mouth. (Grades 6 & 8)

1. Mouth guard Use and Care - Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA)
2. Dental Safety and Emergencies - CDA
3. Mouth guards Protect More than the Mouth - CDHA
4. Position Paper on Sports Mouth guards - CDHA

What are the possible health risks with oral piercing? (Gr. 8)

1. Tongue Piercing and Associated Tooth Fracture - CDA 

Additional Information

Discuss what some types of infections affect the mouth? How do they affect the mouth?

Science and Technology

Structures and Mechanisms (Grade 7)

Students can research what is the environmental impact of disposing of amalgam fillings and what can be done to lessen the impact on the environment?

Geography

Fluoride is a natural mineral which makes teeth stronger and more resistant to tooth decay and prevents bacteria from producing acids that cause tooth decay. Use the link below to find out which countries are rich with natural sources of fluoride.  

Art

Drama (Grade 7)

Role play the effects of not being hired for a job because of the appearance of poor oral health due to not having enough money to maintain a healthy mouth.

Math

Numeration 

Use the links below to help students discover the sugar content found in popular drinks. Then, compare the proportions found in each drink.

1. Healthy Eating Starts Here - Alberta Health Services
2. Make Water Your Drink of Choice - Canada Food Guide