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THE LOOSE TOOTH

31GRADES 1 & 2

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A FRIEND FEELING HAPPY, SAD, OR ANGRY, AND HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHY THEY FELT THAT WAY? WHAT CAN YOU DO TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND SOMEONE’S FEELINGS?Everyone has different feelings or emotions, and understanding each

other’s feelings can help people get along. Looking for clues, thinking

back to what happened first, and talking to each other can help you

understand how someone else is feeling and why they feel that way.

In this story, a group of friends has to figure out why they are each

feeling the way they do.

As you listen to the story, pay attention to times when the characters

have different feelings, and think about what may be causing those

emotions.

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33GRADES 1 & 2

One morning, Kayla stood outside her classroom and wiggled her tooth back and forth with her finger. It had been loose for so long, and she really wanted it to fall out today. Whenever someone lost a tooth at school, they got to go to the office and get a plastic, tooth-shaped necklace to hold it. Kayla really wanted to wear one of those necklaces.

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35GRADES 1 & 2

Just then, she spotted her friends Jeremy and Mia. She grinned and eagerly waved them her way.

“Hey, Kayla,” Jeremy said. “Why are you so excited?”

Kayla pointed to her tooth. “I think it’s going to come out today.”

“Oh, cool!” said Mia. “Then you’ll get a tooth necklace to take home.”

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37GRADES 1 & 2

“Oh, there’s Ms. Denny,” said Kayla, pointing down the hallway at their school principal. “I want to show her my loose tooth.” She hurried away, and Jeremy and Mia turned to go into their classroom.

As the kids walked to their desks, Jeremy stopped to look at the Show and Tell board. It was Kayla’s turn today. He wondered what she had brought to show the class that afternoon.

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39GRADES 1 & 2

A few minutes later, Jeremy noticed that Kayla had arrived in the classroom and was standing in front of the Show and Tell board. Her mouth and eyes were open wide and she looked very surprised.

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41GRADES 1 & 2

“I didn’t know it was my turn for Show and Tell today,” Kayla exclaimed as she sat down next to her friends. “I didn’t bring anything to share.”

“Well, it’s not until this afternoon, so you have plenty of time,” Jeremy said encouragingly. “We could all sit together at lunch and help you think of something that you can share.”

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43GRADES 1 & 2

Later in the cafeteria, Kayla sat down at a table and emptied her lunch bag. She unwrapped her peanut butter sandwich and took a big bite, wondering what she could do about Show and Tell.

After a few minutes, Jeremy and Mia arrived at her table. “We have an idea to tell you,” they said excitedly.

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45GRADES 1 & 2

“We have a great idea for Show and Tell,” they explained. The two kids looked at each other and giggled. “You can bring us! You can tell the whole class about how awesome we are.”

Kayla threw her head back and laughed. “That would be so funny if I could actually do that,” she said. “But we should probably think of something else.”

Then she noticed that her friends were staring at her and looking very surprised. “What’s going on?” she asked.

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47GRADES 1 & 2

Jeremy and Mia both pointed at Kayla. “Your tooth!” they exclaimed at the same time.

Kayla’s eyes grew wide as she stuck her tongue in the front of her mouth to wiggle her tooth. It wasn’t there.

She grabbed her sandwich and saw her tooth stuck right in the peanut butter. She pulled it out and wiped it off with her napkin. Finally it had come out!

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49GRADES 1 & 2

Kayla glanced at the cafeteria clock with worry. She wrapped her tooth in the napkin and grabbed the rest of her lunch.

“I’m going to go get a necklace now, before lunchtime is over. I’ll see you back at our classroom,” she told her friends. She waved excitedly to them and hurried out the door.

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51GRADES 1 & 2

Back in their classroom after lunch, the children got ready for Show and Tell.

Mia and Jeremy looked around anxiously, hoping that Kayla would be there soon. Finally, she walked through the door. She was holding a plain white envelope, and she looked very sad as she sat down at her desk.

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53GRADES 1 & 2

“They were all out of necklaces,” Kayla said with a big sigh. “So I just got this envelope for my tooth.” She looked around the room as her classmates began gathering in a circle on the carpet. “Oh, great,” she grumbled. “And now it’s time for Show and Tell.”

“That’s too bad,” said Mia kindly. “But I’ll bet you’re the only kid in our class who has ever lost a tooth in a peanut butter sandwich.”

Kayla looked at her unfinished sandwich, then at her envelope. A huge smile spread across her face. “Come on,” she said to her friends. “Let’s get to the carpet.”

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55GRADES 1 & 2

For Show and Tell, Kayla showed her classmates her tooth and told them about losing it in her peanut butter sandwich. She also talked about being disappointed by not getting a tooth necklace, but happy to have something for Show and Tell.

As Kayla put her tooth back in the envelope, her teacher asked if she had anything else she wanted to show or tell the class.

“Oh, yeah,” Kayla answered, as she pointed toward Jeremy and Mia. “My friends helped me a lot with my Show and Tell today.” Then she smiled at both of them and added, “And I think they’re both pretty awesome!”