Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: Washing Germs Away

Length of sessions:

Seven 30 minute sessions

Introduction Activity (30 minute session)
Read Germs Make Me Sick by Melvin Berger or use the Reading Rainbow video of the same name. Discuss what germs are, that they cannot be seen and that they can cause disease. Discuss how germs are transmitted by animals, people, and insects (coughing, touching money, picking up dead animals). Discuss ways to prevent germs from being transmitted. Record on butcher paper.

Activity 1(30 minute session)
Read Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth. Discuss with the students what they think of the story. During the discussion, tell the students that the fly picked up germs when it visited the garbage sack. Reread or show the pictures while talking about all the places the fly landed and may have left germs. Teacher records on butcher paper. (If possible, ask the school nurse to participate with this activity.)

Activity 2(30 minute session)
Invite the school nurse to visit the class and discuss immunization and ways of keeping healthy. With the nurse, brainstorm when it is important for the students to wash their hands. Demonstrate good hand washing and drying techniques. Have the students practice hand washing. Sing the song, "Good Grooming."

Activity 3(30 minute session)
Brainstorm what the students know about flies. Teacher records on butcher paper. Discuss what flies eat and their role in the environment. If your students are able to make the traps, let them know that they will construct a fly trap (see information sheet). If the students cannot make the traps, plan on making one trap for each team. Color code the fly traps to assist with the ease of checking on traps and team logistics. With this fly trap, they will collect their own flies to observe. In teams, students will construct fly traps step by step. Brainstorm what the students want to feed the flies they will observe. Record on butcher paper.

Activity 4(30 minute session)
Place bait in the fly trap and set them outside to collect flies. In classroom, set up viewing containers with different food. Retrieve fly traps, chill flies, and transfer flies to viewing container for teams (see information sheet). In teams, have the students observe how flies wash themselves, and report. Teacher records on butcher paper. Have students draw the fly in their journals. Brainstorm how and why flies can carry germs so seasily. Discuss what flies do, like sitting on rotting food and feces. Ask the students if they think the hairs on the fly's body help germs stay on the fly's body. For additional ideas, refer to the record of the discussion for Activity 1.

Activity 5(30 minute session)
Have the students draw pictures of what they think germs look like. Then, show pictures of germs at high magnification from Germs by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. Talk about scientists and the machines they use to take these pictures. Using hand lens, show the students the idea of magnification, and explain that a microscope is more powerful than the hand lens. Familiarize student with the game cards and rules. Play the game, "Beat The Germs".

Closure Activity(30 minute session)
Use Old Black Fly to create a rap song, or read the story with rhythm. To assist the students with the words, create song books with the words from the story so that they can follow along or write out on chart paper.

Lesson Intro Set-up Lesson Plans Additions
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