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Day 2: Perfect Toothbrush + Dental Career Pathway

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Design a toothbrush using dental knowledge; explore dental careers in H&L; complete the Career Comparison worksheet (3 careers); classify each as high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand
TEKS d(1)(C), d(5)(B)
Deliverable Completed Toothbrush Design (sketch + labels + rationale) + completed Career Comparison worksheet (3 rows)
Materials Chromebooks, H&L Workbook Ch 9 (pp. 140-142), printed Toothbrush Design worksheet, Career Comparison worksheet from Day 1, projector

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: How often do you go to the dentist? How many different people help you during a dental visit? List them.

Take responses. Most students will name "the dentist" and "the lady who cleans my teeth." Bridge: a dental visit involves at least 3-4 different professionals, the dentist, hygienist, dental assistant, and sometimes a receptionist who handles billing. Each role has different training and pay.

Activity 1: Perfect Toothbrush Design (25 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 9, pp. 140-142, "Perfect Toothbrush" (Career Climb)

Read the workbook scenario aloud: "Today, you are a dental expert, maybe you're a dentist, dental hygienist, or registered dental assistant, and you've been asked to join a special panel to help design the perfect toothbrush. Your job is to use your knowledge of teeth, gums, and oral health to create a toothbrush that is the best on the market for oral health."

Connect the activity to the Health Science cluster: dental professionals don't just clean teeth, they design tools, educate patients, and prevent disease. The Perfect Toothbrush activity puts students in the designer's chair.

Time split inside the 25 min: Step 1 Research = 5 min → Step 2 Sketch & Label = 8 min → Step 3 Partner Pitch (pairs share simultaneously, ~2 min each way) = 5 min → Class Discussion of the 2 workbook questions = 7 min. When class discussion ends, that is the pivot point into Activity 2, close the toothbrush page and shift to Chromebooks.

Step 1: Conduct Research (workbook p. 140): Students take 5 minutes to research toothbrush design online. They jot down decisions about:

  • Bristle type: Soft, hard, or medium? (Most dentists recommend SOFT to prevent gum damage.)
  • Handle shape: What material? Curved or straight? Grippy?
  • Brush head: Size and shape?
  • Unique features: Built-in timer? Tongue scraper? Pressure sensor? Flossing aid?

Step 2: Sketch Your Design (workbook p. 141): Students sketch their toothbrush on the worksheet (or on paper). They label each key element and write a 1-sentence explanation of how it helps oral health.

Step 3: Share Your Design (workbook p. 141): Students pair up with another student and pitch their toothbrush. They go over design decisions and give each other one piece of feedback.

Class Discussion (from workbook p. 142):

  • "How do you think the design of products impacts their effectiveness? How does this relate to the dental field?"
  • "Why might different people need different toothbrushes? For example, what might need to be different between a child's toothbrush and an adult's toothbrush?"

Facilitation Tip

The "different people need different toothbrushes" question is the d(5)(B) bridge, it primes students to think about WHY some careers are high-demand (large + diverse populations need different products and services).

Activity 2: Dental Career Hat Research (10 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 9, p. 148, Hat Research

Students return to the H&L Hat Finder and explore 3 dental Hats:

  1. Dental Assistant, certification, ~$40K
  2. Dental Hygienist, associate degree (2 years), ~$80K
  3. Dentist, 8 years (4 undergrad + 4 dental school), ~$160K

Students notice that dental has its own "ladder" similar to nursing. Each step up requires more education and pays more.

[H&L PLATFORM] In the H&L app, click "Hat Finder," filter by "Health Science" cluster, and explore the 3 dental Hats. Note which one connects to the Singley Academy Dental pathway (Registered Dental Assistant).

Activity 3: Complete Career Comparison Worksheet (8 min)

Students return to the Career Comparison worksheet from Day 1 (Dental Hygienist row is already filled). They complete the RN row today using H&L data and BLS supplements. The Medical Biller row is filled on Day 4 after the Health Informatics pathway intro.

After both dental and RN rows are filled, students classify the two careers as high-skill, high-wage, high-demand, or a combination. They write a 1-sentence rationale per classification using the sentence stem:

"I classify _ as because the BLS data shows __ (specific evidence)."

Example classifications:

  • Dental Hygienist: High-skill + high-wage (associate degree + $82K salary)
  • RN: High-skill + high-wage + high-demand (all three)

Students will classify Medical Biller on Day 4 after the Health Informatics pathway intro.

DOK 3: Based on your comparison data, which of these three health science careers would you classify as the BEST option for someone who wants to start working quickly in a high-demand field? Support your answer with specific data.

Exit Ticket (2 min)

EXIT TICKET (Comparison Matrix) · Printable PDF:

Use your Career Comparison worksheet to fill in the matrix below. Mark each cell with a checkmark if the career matches that classification (can have 1, 2, or 3 check marks per career).

Career High-SKILL (needs training + cert) High-WAGE (pays >$50K DFW) High-DEMAND (8%+ BLS growth)
Dental Hygienist
RN

Bottom line: Which of the two careers scores the MOST check marks (3 = triple-threat)? Name the career, list its check marks, and write one sentence citing the specific data point that earned ONE of the check marks. (d(5)(B))

Career with most check marks: _____

Data point for ONE check mark: _____________

Differentiation

  • Support: Provide a toothbrush design template with the bristle, handle, and head sections pre-labeled. Provide a sentence stem for the classification: "I classify _ as high- because __."
  • Extension: Design a SECOND toothbrush for a specific population (toddler, senior, person with braces) and explain what changed and why.
  • ELL: Bilingual toothbrush vocabulary (Bristle = Cerda, Handle = Mango, Head = Cabezal). Visual design template with picture prompts. Pair ESL students with bilingual peers for the design pitch.