Download Glow Germ Go - Region of Peel

BLUE Colour Group
Glow Germ Go
Activity Overview
In this activity, students will observe the numerous amounts of germs carried on their hands and the importance of
proper handwashing in removing these germs. This activity should take approximately 10 minutes.
Objectives
The students should learn:
• that germs can be on their hands even though they cannot be seen and,
• that proper handwashing can remove germs from hands
Materials
• Glo Germ Ultraviolet (UV) light (available from Peel Public Health)
• Glo Germ Potion & a material safety data sheet for the potion (available from Peel Public Health)
• Water container, waste bin, soap and paper towels
*Ensure to conserve Glow Germ Potion
Set-up
• Make sure the UV is plugged in
• Set-up a container of water to wash hands and a bucket for wastewater
• Place soap and paper towels next to water container
Takedown
Place the Glo Germ UV light and Glo Germ Potion in the trailer
Put soap and paper towels in the storage container and keep the storage container on the table
Keep the water container on the table
Dump the wastewater into the toilets
Unplug UV light
Safety
Electrical Safety - Keep water away from the electrical outlet; ensure to unplug UV light at the end of the day.
Vocabulary
Germs – microorganisms that cause disease.
Such as:
• Bacteria - microscopic, single-celled organisms
• Viruses - single-celled organisms that must have a living host to survive (like our bodies)
Background Information
Microorganisms include many bacteria and viruses, these are often called germs. Many different kinds of
germs can make people sick, germs are everywhere and they can only be seen through a microscope!
Germs are part of our daily lives, billions of germs grow and live on and in our bodies every day and some
are even necessary for good health. Germs like to live in people’s mouths, noses and on their hands. They
can cling to hair and hide under fingernails and in the small folds of our skin.
Hands help germs to move from one surface to another and from one person to another. You can prevent
spreading germs by washing your hands and scrubbing your fingernails and in between your fingers.
You should always wash your hands before eating, after touching pets, after playing in the playground or
playing with dirt/sand and after going to the washroom.
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BLUE Colour Group
WHAT WILL I BE DOING? (Procedure)
1) Welcome the students to the activity centre. Check with the teacher or chaperone that their entire
group is with them then say, “Welcome to Glow Germ Go! This activity will teach you about
germs, and how to prevent spreading germs by properly washing your hands”
.
2) Engage the students in a discussion about germs. Ask the students the questions below:
What are germs? Bacteria and viruses.
Can we see germs? NO! A germ is so small that we can’t see it without using a microscope.
Where can germs be? Germs can be anywhere; they can be on your desk, on the floor, outside,
and especially on our hands.
What can happen if germs get inside us? THEY CAN MAKE US SICK! Has anyone been sick
this year? Is it fun to be sick?
How can germs get inside our bodies? If we rub our eyes or touch our nose or mouth with our
hands, then germs can get inside us. How can we prevent this? If we wash our hands before we
eat or before touching our eyes or mouth, then we can stop them from getting inside our body.
What is the proper way to wash your hands? First you should wet your hands with warm
running water then add soap. Rub your hands together front and back, in between fingers and
under nails for 15 seconds. Then rinse your hands and dry hands with a clean paper towel and use
this paper towel to turn off the water tap.
3) Explain to students what they will be doing for this activity. Say, “Now we are going to show you
that handwashing really works to get rid of germs”.
4) Place a small amount of Glo Germ Potion onto each student’s hand. A pea sized drop should be
enough for small hands. Have students rub the potion all over their hands. Explain that, like the
potion, germs are on our hands although we cannot see them. Have students place their hands
under the UV light. The areas where there is Glo Germ Potion will glow white under the light.
5) Explain to students that the white glow shows where “pretend” germs are on their hands. Have
students wash their hands using the proper technique and then look at their hands under the UV
light again. There should be a significant reduction in the areas that glow white.
6) Have student's discuss areas on their hands that are sometimes missed during hand washing (i.e.
where the Glo Germ Potion continued to glow under the light). These areas are usually the
thumbs, between the fingers and around the fingernails. Encourage students to pay extra attention
to these areas whenever handwashing and explain that, like the germs, the potion can be washed
off through proper handwashing.
Specifically remind them that:
•
•
Germs are everywhere and we cannot see them, and these germs can sometimes make us sick.
We must always wash our hands properly so we can remove these germs and stop the spread of
these germs.
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BLUE Colour Group
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