Learning About Germs & Hand Washing
A really valuable activity we did in my class during our hygiene series was about what we can do to stay healthy. Some of it is dependent upon our diet, exercise, sleep. And some of it depends upon how well we keep our hands clean.
The #1 way to avoid sickness is regular hand washing and we used Glogerm and a black light to help us see the common places that get missed (even if we use a lot of soap and water)!
It was a great lesson and it was fun, engaging, and VISUAL way to teach about how important it is to wash our hands thoroughly. However, I must add a DISCLAIMER.
One of my students was really unsettled to see how germs (even pretend ones) can be on hands after washing up. So while this lesson will reinforce being sure to wash the hands (especially the fingernails, thumbs, and in between fingers), it may also ignite some phobias or bring unwanted attention to cleanliness rituals and perseverations. Even so, I would still recommend it as it definitely brings the point home that hand washing is our first defense at fighting sickness!
Overall, it was a great experience and we will do it again, just with some additional priming. We watched this video beforehand to further reinforce how germs are transmitted. The students thought it was a fun video clip and I quite agreed!
What kind of activities do you do in your class to help your students develop healthful habits?
The #1 way to avoid sickness is regular hand washing and we used Glogerm and a black light to help us see the common places that get missed (even if we use a lot of soap and water)!
It was a great lesson and it was fun, engaging, and VISUAL way to teach about how important it is to wash our hands thoroughly. However, I must add a DISCLAIMER.
One of my students was really unsettled to see how germs (even pretend ones) can be on hands after washing up. So while this lesson will reinforce being sure to wash the hands (especially the fingernails, thumbs, and in between fingers), it may also ignite some phobias or bring unwanted attention to cleanliness rituals and perseverations. Even so, I would still recommend it as it definitely brings the point home that hand washing is our first defense at fighting sickness!
Overall, it was a great experience and we will do it again, just with some additional priming. We watched this video beforehand to further reinforce how germs are transmitted. The students thought it was a fun video clip and I quite agreed!
What kind of activities do you do in your class to help your students develop healthful habits?
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