DON T BE SIDELINED BY GERMS

Transcription

1 LESSON 5 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LESSON DON T BE SIDELINED BY GERMS OBJECTIVES: 1. What is the definition of a germ? 2. How are germs spread? 3. Good hand washing techniques 4. A few words about hand sanitizer INDIANA HEALTH & WELLNESS STANDARDS (Grades 3-5).1.1 Identify the link between healthy choices and being healthy. (Grades 3-5).5.1 Indicate routine health-related situations. (Grades 3-5).7.1 Name healthy behaviors. (Grades3-5).7.2 Identify a healthy practice to maintain personal health and wellness. INDIANA CONTENT STANDARDS: Science: SEPS.7 - Engaging in argument from evidence TEACHER TALKING POINTS What is a germ? A germ is a tiny organism (a living thing) that can cause disease. Germs are so small that they can get into our bodies without us knowing it. You would need a microscope to see them. Germs are around us all the time both indoors and outside and they live on a variety of surfaces. How are germs spread? Germs are spread through the air when we sneeze, cough or even breathe. Germs can also be spread through sweat, saliva and blood. Some germs can also pass from person to person by touching something that is contaminated, such as shaking hands with someone who has a cold and then touching your own nose. Good hand washing techniques Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs from spreading. The goal when we wash our hands is to get rid of as many germs as possible. Take a look at your own hands and think about all of the things that you touched today from the door to the school to the toilet. Maybe you blew your nose in a tissue and then went outside for recess. Most of those things had germs on them and when you touched them, some of those germs ended up on your hands.

2 There are so many times when hand washing is appropriate but some of the most important times to wash your hands are the following: Before eating or touching food After using the bathroom After blowing your nose or coughing (this is a good time to remind students to cough/sneeze into their elbow to prevent germs from going all over the room) After touching pets or other animals After playing outside If you are sick or live or visit with someone who is sick Now you know when to wash and why to wash your hands so let s talk about washing techniques. Here s a step-by-step process Turn the faucet on and get hands wet with warm water. If warm water is not available, cool water is OK. Next put soap on your hands. Any type of soap is fine bar soap, foaming soap, etc. Then lather up both sides of your hands, your wrists, and between your fingers. Be sure you wash around the nails and at the tips of fingers. Wash for at least 20 seconds or how long it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. Some people also recite the ABCs. Rinse hands and dry them with a fabric or paper towel or an air dryer. A few words about hand sanitizer Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs but we don t always have soap and water available to us and when we don t, hand sanitizer will do the trick. You only need a dime-sized dollop of hand sanitizer. Many kids use way too much sanitizer and end up wasting a lot of it. Remind students that you need to rub the sanitizer around on their hands until it is dry.

3 STUDENT ACTIVITY A Rotten Apple This experiment is a good demonstration to show why so many people can get sick at the same time. You will need one good apple, one apple that is getting a bit rotten and a toothpick. Place the good apple on a piece of paper towel, and label it HEALTHY. Place the bad apple on a piece of paper towel, and label it SICK. Take a toothpick and stick one end into the sick apple and the other end into the healthy apple. Wait about 10 minutes, and then take the toothpick out. (You can throw out the sick/ rotten apple.) Wait about 2-3 days and then cut open your healthy apple. Ask your students to think about what happened to the healthy apple to make it sick. Explain that the toothpick transferred bacteria or germs from the sick apple to the healthy apple. This is what happens when someone who is sick passes on their germs to other people, by touching or breathing.

4 FAMILY INFORMATION - Good hand washing is the first line of defense for your family against the spread of many illnesses, from the common cold to more serious illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if you don t wash your hands frequently, you are likely to pick up germs from other sources and then infect yourself. One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after the cold virus has gotten on their hands. In 2005 the American Society for Microbiology did a survey of hand washing. They asked people questions about their hand-washing habits and also watched people in public restrooms. The results were pretty disgusting. For example: An estimated 1 out of 5 people don t wash their hands after using the restroom. People wash their hands less at home 83 percent say they wash their hands after using the bathroom at home. Only 32 percent of people in the survey said they wash their hands after coughing or sneezing.

5 LESSON PLAN TEST 1. Germs are living organisms that are around us all the time. True False 2. Germs can be spread by sweat or saliva. True False 3. You should wash your hands for at least 10 seconds with soap and water. True False 4. Using hand sanitizer is better than washing with soap and water. True False 5. It is not important to wash your hands before eating. True False