don’t be sidelined by germs...(grades 6-8).6.1 examine personal health behaviors. (grades 6-8).7.1...

OBJECTIVES: 1. Definegermsandhowtheyaffecthealth 2. Howdopersonalitemstransmitgerms 3.Whatpersonalitemsarewetalkingabout? 4.The“5Second”Rule

INDIANA HEALTH & WELLNESS STANDARDS (Grades6-8).1.1Comparehowhealthybehaviorsandpersonalhealtharelinked.(Grades6-8).1.3Examinehowone’ssurroundingsaffecthealthandwellness.(Grades6-8).1.6Identifyhowhealthcarecan promotehealth.(Grades6-8).1.7Identifythebenefitsofpracticing healthybehaviors.(Grades6-8).6.1Examinepersonalhealthbehaviors.(Grades6-8).7.1Identifytheimportanceofbeingresponsibleforhealthbehaviors.

TEACHER TALKING POINTSDefine “germs” and how they affect health • Germsaretinyorganisms,orlivingthings,thatcancausedisease. • Germsaresosmallthattheycanenterintoourbodieswithoutbeingnoticed.Youneeda microscopetoseethem. • It’shardtosaynowhenafriendwantstoborrowyourlipglossorshareyourdrink. Wethinkwe’lllooklikewimpsorgermaphobestoourfriendsifwedon’tborrowandshare. • Youcan’talwaystelljustbylookingatsomeoneifthey’reinfectedwithsomething. It’seasytothinkthatifsomebodylookshealthy,theymustbehealthy.Butthisisnot alwaystrue!

How do personal items transmit germs? • Mostofusaretaughtatayoungagethatitispoliteandnicetosharethingswithothers. However,thatisnotalwaysinthebestinterestofourpersonalhealth. • Onceinsideourbody,germsreleasetoxins,whichcancausethingslikefevers,sniffles, rashes,coughing,vomitinganddiarrhea. • Germscanbespreadthroughtheair(insneezes,coughsorevenbreaths),insweat, salivaandblood.Somegermspassfrompersontopersonbytouchingsomethingthatis contaminated,likeshakinghandswithsomeonewhohasacoldandthentouchingyour ownnose.Germs“ride”onandinallsortsofsubstancesinourbodies,fromfingertipsto spittoblood.

DON’T BE SIDELINED BY GERMSGERm LESSON – KEEPING PERSONAL ITEmS PERSONAL

MiDDle SCHOOl leSSON

• Forexample:Let’ssayyourfriendKatehasacold.Beingpolite,shecovershercoughwith herhand,thenafewminuteslater,usesafingertoscoopupsomeofyourlipgloss. Shejustputhercoldgermsintoyourpotoflipgloss.Nexttimeyouuseit,chancesare you’llbeputtinghercoldgermsonyourmouth. • Nowlet’ssaythatKatehasaseriousgerminherblood.Sheusesyourfingernailfileand getsateenyspeckofbloodonthefilefromalittlecutaroundhernail.Youusethefile afterherandscrapeyourskinalittletoohard,allowingthegermsinherspeckofbloodto maketheirwaythroughyourbrokenskinandintoyourbloodstream.Youmaynowhave Kate’sseriousdisease.

What personal items are we talking about? • Anything that goes into or onto your mouth - toothbrushes, cups/drinks, straws, silverware, lipstick/balm/gloss Lips,mouthsandthroatsarehometoallsortsofgerms,somethatareharmless,some justannoyingandsomeveryserious.Lipsmayseemsafe,buttheycanhavegermyspit onthem,andtheycancrackandbleed.Inaddition,oralherpescanbefoundaround theliparea.Germscangetontoanythingthatgoesintooronsomeone’smouthandbe transferredtoyourmouth.

• Manicuretools Theareasaroundthefingernailsandtoenailsarenotoriousforhavingallsortsoflittle breaksintheskin,includingonessosmallyoucan’tevenseethem.Bloodorotherbody fluidscontaininggermscangetontonailclippers,nailscissors,filesandothermanicure tools,andthenbetransmittedtoyouthroughlittlebreaksinyourskin.

Avoidloaningoutnailclippersandfilesbynotcarryingthemwithyou.Keepthemat home.But,ifyoumustloanthemout,remembertocleanthemofflaterwithdisinfectant. Thiswon’tworkonfilesthataren’tmetalsoyoushouldprobablythrowthemaway.

Doyouhaveahangnailandnoclippers?PutaBand-Aidonitorjustleaveitaloneuntil youcanclipitofflaterratherthanusesomeoneelse’stools.

• Makeup Eyemakeupcanbetheworstoffenderinthisgroup. Eyescanhaveavarietyofgermsinandaround them.Peoplehavebecomeinfectedwith diseaseslikepinkeyefromsharingmakeup. Toprotectyourself,washyourhandsbefore applyingmakeuptostopthegermson yourhandsfromgettingintoyourmakeup andonyoureyes,inyourmouth,oron yourface.Ifyousharemascara,eyeliner, etc,thosegermscanbetransmittedfrom onepersontoanother.Also,ifyoutry onanykindofmakeupthatotherpeople havestucktheirfingersin,youcanbecome infectedwiththegermsthatmovedfromtheir fingerstothemakeup.

Howtoavoidsharingyourmakeupwithyourfriends? • Avoidhavingtoshareyourmakeupbynotbringingany. • Usethe“blameyourmom”approach(i.e.“Mymomisagermfreak.Shewould totallyloseitifsheknewIwassharingmake-up.Sorry.” • Ifallelsefails,putthemakeuponthebackofyourhand(unlessyouhave cracked/dry/woundedskin)totrythecoloronyourskin,thenwashitoffwith soapandwater.

• Earringsandother“piercing”jewelry Sharingtheseitemsisgenerallyaverybadideabecauseitismorelikelythattheseitems havecomeintocontactwithbloodorbodyfluids,whichcancarryseriousdiseases.

Ifsomeoneinsistsonborrowingyourjewelry,tellthemthatit’snotagoodidea.Ifyou cannotbringyourselftosayno,cleanitwithdisinfectantbeforewearingitagain.

• Sharing food Weareoftentemptedtotryourfriends’foodswheneatingout.Ifafriendoffersyoua biteofhergooeychocolatebrowniedessert,useacleanforkorotherutensiltocutoffa bitefromtheuneatenportion.

Ifsomeonecomesafteryourfoodwithadirtyutensilandyoudon’twanttostopthem, simplyleavetheparttheyatefromonyourplate.

The “5 Second Rule” • Nearlyallofushavedroppedfoodonthefloorandstillwantedtoeatit.Wesometimes wanttoapplythe“5-secondrule”—foodwon’tbecomecontaminatedwithbacteriaifyou pickitupoffthefloorin5secondsorless. • Scientistshaveactuallytestedthistheoryandfoundthattheruleisprimarilyfalse: Bacteriacanattachtofoodevenifyoupickitupreallyfast. • Twofactstoconsiderwheneveryouaretemptedtoapplythe5-secondrule: • Althoughthefloormaylookclean,that’snotalwaysthecase.Newlywashed floorsareonlyascleanasthetoolsusedtowashthem(imagineeatingfoodoff themopintheschoolcafeteriaifyouneedavisual).Evenwithabrand-newmop orsponge,stubborngermscanstillremainontheflooraftercleaning. • Fastisbetterbutitmaynotbefastenough.Althoughapieceoffooddoespick upmorebacteriathelongerit’sonthefloor,bacteriacanattachtoitinstantly. Soanyfoodthatmakescontactwiththefloorcangetcontaminated.Also,foods withwetsurfaces,likeanappleslice,pickupbacteriaeasily. • WheninDoubt,TossItOut–Whilesomebacteriawon’tbotheryou,otherscantorture youwithsicknesslikediarrhea.Evenifthere’snovisibledirtonyourfood,youcanstillget sick.Sowhenyoudropthatdeliciouspieceofchocolateontotheground,thesafest choiceistothrowitout.

STUDENT ACTIVITY – A Rotten Apple

Thisexperimentisagooddemonstrationtoshowwhysomanypeoplecangetsickat thesametime.Youwillneedonegoodapple,oneapplethatisgettingabitrottenand atoothpick.

• Placethegoodappleonapieceofpapertowel,andlabelitHEALTHY. • Placethebadappleonapieceofpapertowel,andlabelitSICK. • Takeatoothpickandstickoneendintothesickappleandtheotherendintothe healthyapple. • Waitabout10minutes,andthentakethetoothpickout.(Youcanthrowoutthesick/ rottenapple.) • Waitabout2-3daysandthencutopenyourhealthyapple. • Askyourstudentstothinkaboutwhathappenedtothehealthyappletomakeitsick. Explainthatthetoothpicktransferredbacteriaorgermsfromthesickappletothehealthyapple.Thisiswhathappenswhensomeonewhoissickpassesontheirgermstootherpeople,bytouchingorbreathing.

FAmILY INFORmATION - Thinkaboutallofthethingsthatyouandyourfamilymemberstouchedtoday—fromthetelephonetothetoilet.Whateveryoudid,youcameintocontactwithgerms.Soit’seasyforgermsonyourhandtoendupinyourmouth(maybeyouchoweddownonthatproteinbarinthecar-poolline?).Mostmiddleschoolstudentsknowtheimportanceofgoodhandwashingasameanstoreducegermsenteringtheirbody;however,theymaynotbeawarethatsharingpersonalitemshasjustasmuchriskofintroducinggermstotheirbody.

Teachyourchildthatit’sOKtorefusetosharetheirpersonalitemswiththeirfriends.AccordingtoShapeMagazine,thetop10itemsyoumaywanttokeeptoyourselfinclude: • Barsoap–Tryliquidsoapinstead • Hats,hairbrushesandcombs • Anti-perspirant–ifyouusearoll-onandwanttoshare,switchtoaspray • Nailclippers,nailfilesandbuffers • Makeup • Razors–Agoodruleofthumbistoavoidsharinganythingthatcouldpossiblyhave contactwithblood • Drinks-Thegermsthatcausestrepthroat,coldsandevenmeningitiscanallbe exchangedwithonesmallsip • Toothbrushes • Earrings • Earphones

Things to remember • Lotsofpeoplewhoareinfectedwith seriousdiseaseslikeHIVdon’tknowthey haveadisease. • Peoplecanpickupandpassonlessserious infectiousgermsbeforetheyevenfeelsick. • Youcanendupwithacold,askin infection,diarrheaoranynumberofnasty thingsifyousharepersonalstuff. • Ourfingersandhandscanbe“vehicles” forgermstohitcharidefromoneplace tothenext.Sobynotsharing,you’rehelping protectyourselfandothersfromthesegerms.

LESSON PLAN EVALUATION

1. Youcantellbylookingatsomeoneiftheyhaveadiseaseorillnessthatyoucouldcatch. ___True___False

2.Germscanbespreadbysalivaorsweat.___True___False

3.It’sokaytoshareearringswithfriends.___True___False

4.Itsokaytousethe“5-SecondRule”whenyoudropapieceoffoodonthefloor. ___True___False

5.Peoplecanbecomeinfectedwithpinkeyebysharingmakeup.___True___False