Glo Germ Day 2: Health Week

What are Germs?

Content Objective:

Students will be able to explain what a germ is and make a physical representation of a germ.

Materials:

Pictures of “germs” (bacteria, viruses, etc.), Germ Journal “My Germ” page, a copy of The Magic School Bus: Inside Ralphie, Glo Germ Kit

Vocabulary

• Germ
• Microscope

Building Background Knowledge:

• Ask students the following questions:
• What are Germs?
• How big are germs? (Ask them to guess comparing them to classroom objects: are they as big as a paper clip?, etc.)
• How can washing our hands get rid of germs? (it gets rid of them)

Exploration:

• Read the story Magic School Bus: Inside Ralphie and ask students about Ralphie’s germs. How did he get sick? How did the bus-germ get inside Ralphie?
• How can we get germs? (From dirty hands, cuts or scrapes)
• Show students a few pictures of germs and ask what they think they are.
• Explain that germs are not animals, and not plants, but little bugs that can make us sick.
• Explain that germs are so tiny that they can’t be seen without special tools called Microscopes and the pictures we’re seeing are pictures through a microscope. (Use GloGerm Kit to show the simulation germs under the UV black light) 

Explanation:

• Tell students that different kinds of germs are what make us sick. Ask them what they feel like when they get sick. Those ill/sick feelings are from germs!
• Explain to students that there are a lot of different kinds of germs. Some are shaped like circles, some look fuzzy, some look like little bugs.
• Tell them that different kinds of germs make different kinds of sicknesses. Some germs make you cough, some make you sick to your stomach, give you a runny nose, etc.

“Hands On Experience:”

• List on the board some adjectives that describe germs
• Find the “My Germ” page in the Germ journal.
• Tell students that they are going to make their own “Super Germ!” On the “Germs” page, explain to students that they need to pretend that they are looking at their germ through a microscope. They need to draw what it looks like.
• Also on the germs page, have them fill in the description box with words about their germ.
• Have them fill out the Sickness box with what kinds of sicknesses it would give someone. (Nothing gross!)

Wrap Up:

• Have students share with each other or with the class what their germs look like.

Home Connection:

• Ask students to share with their parents what they learned about germs.