Communicative activity

History of Dentistry
Teacher’s notes

Activity Jigsaw reading

Level Upper - Intermediate
Rationale The aim is to practise exchanging information.
Grouping Group work
Vocabulary Medicine, dentistry
Time 30 min.
Preparation Copy Worksheet 1 (one text per a member of group A,B,C
or D).
Copy Worksheet 2 (one per student).
Procedure 1. Divide class into four groups.
2. Students of one group will read one text. Give each
student in a group one text from Worksheet 1.
3. Tell students to read the text and answer the
corresponding questions, comparing the results with the
members of their group.
4. Rearrange the students into new groups. One group
should consist of four students: one of those who read
text a, one of those who read text b, etc. You should get
ABCD groups.
5. Tell the students to retell the text they’ve read in detail
to other members of the group to enable them to answer
corresponding questions.
6. To check the results hand out one copy of Worksheet 2
to each student, and ask to complete it.
7. Go through the results.
8. Ask students if they have found out something new?
What was the most interesting?
 History of Dentistry
Worksheet 1

Questions
Text A
1. Who was the earliest known
dentist?
2. How did Egyptian doctors treat
gum problems?
3. What did Maya do with the
diseased teeth?
4. How did Romans take care of
their teeth? What dental
treatment was available for
Romans?
5. Who practiced dentistry in
Europe in the Middle ages? What
service was provided?
6. What were the main development in the field of dentistry in the Middle ages?
Text B
1. Why is Fauchard called the father of dentistry?
2. How did Horace Wells use the chemical compound nitrous oxide?
3. What did W. T. Morton invent? What advantage did this invention give to dentists?
4. What correlation between sugar and tooth decay did Miller discover? Why was his
discovery significant?
5. Why was the invention of X-ray important?
Text C
1. What was the greatest advance in dentistry?
2. How was this knowledge applied practically? Is the technology being used nowadays?
3. With what were the dentists charged in 1990 by a woman from Florida? What were the
dentists forced to do?
4. What are the virus control measures taken by dentists?
Text D
1. What technology will substitute making an impression of a tooth?
2. Will there be an alternative to the dental drill?
3. What will genetics be used for?
4. Is there an alternative to dentures?
5. To what kind of dental problems will dentists shift their focus working with elderly
patients?

Text A
 History of Dentistry
Worksheet 1

Questions
Text A
1. Who was the earliest known dentist?
2. How did Egyptian doctors treat gum problems?
3. What did Maya do with the diseased teeth?
4. How did Romans take care of their teeth? What dental treatment was available for
Romans?
5. Who practiced dentistry in Europe in the Middle ages? What service was provided?
6. What were the main development in the field of dentistry in the Middle ages?
Text B
1. Why is Fauchard called the father of dentistry?
2. How did Horace Wells use the chemical compound nitrous oxide?
3. What did W. T. Morton invent? What advantage did this invention give to dentists?
4. What correlation between sugar and tooth decay did Miller discover? Why was his
discovery significant?
5. Why was the invention of X-ray important?
Text C
1. What was the greatest advance in dentistry?
2. How was this knowledge applied practically? Is the technology being used nowadays?
3. With what were the dentists charged in 1990 by a woman from Florida? What were the
dentists forced to do?
4. What are the virus control measures taken by dentists?
Text D
1. What technology will substitute making an impression of a tooth?
2. Will there be an alternative to the dental drill?
3. What will genetics be used for?
4. Is there an alternative to dentures?
5. To what kind of dental problems will dentists shift their focus working with elderly
patients?

Text B
 History of Dentistry
Worksheet 1

Questions
Text A
1. Who was the earliest known dentist?
2. How did Egyptian doctors treat gum problems?
3. What did Maya do with the diseased teeth?
4. How did Romans take care of their teeth? What dental treatment was available for
Romans?
5. Who practiced dentistry in Europe in the Middle ages? What service was provided?
6. What were the main development in the field of dentistry in the Middle ages?
Text B
1. Why is Fauchard called the father of dentistry?
2. How did Horace Wells use the chemical compound nitrous oxide?
3. What did W. T. Morton invent? What advantage did this invention give to dentists?
4. What correlation between sugar and tooth decay did Miller discover? Why was his
discovery significant?
5. Why was the invention of X-ray important?
Text C
1. What was the greatest advance in dentistry?
2. How was this knowledge applied practically? Is the technology being used nowadays?
3. With what were the dentists charged in 1990 by a woman from Florida? What were the
dentists forced to do?
4. What are the virus control measures taken by dentists?
Text D
1. What technology will substitute making an impression of a tooth?
2. Will there be an alternative to the dental drill?
3. What will genetics be used for?
4. Is there an alternative to dentures?
5. To what kind of dental problems will dentists shift their focus working with elderly
patients?

Text C
 History of Dentistry
Worksheet 1

Questions
Text A
1. Who was the
earliest known
dentist?
2. How did Egyptian
doctors treat gum
problems?
3. What did Maya do
with the diseased teeth?
4. How did Romans take care of their teeth? What dental treatment was available for
Romans?
5. Who practiced dentistry in Europe in the Middle ages? What service was provided?
6. What were the main development in the field of dentistry in the Middle ages?
Text B
1.Why is Fauchard called the father of dentistry?
2. How did Horace Wells use the chemical compound nitrous oxide?
3. What did W. T. Morton invent? What advantage did this invention give to dentists?
4. What correlation between sugar and tooth decay did Miller discover? Why was his
discovery significant?
5. Why was the invention of X-ray important?
Text C
1. What was the greatest advance in dentistry?
2. How was this knowledge applied practically? Is the technology being used nowadays?
3. With what were the dentists charged in 1990 by a woman from Florida? What were the
dentists forced to do?
4. What are the virus control measures taken by dentists?
Text D
1. What technology will substitute making an impression of a tooth?
2. Will there be an alternative to the dental drill?
3. What will genetics be used for?
4. Is there an alternative to dentures?
5. To what kind of dental problems will dentists shift their focus working with elderly
patients?
Text D
History of Dentistry
Worksheet 2