Glowing Growing Germs Exploring the spread of microbes in Bozeman’s elementary schools Dema Alniemi

Target Audience Elementary school kids in Bozeman –4 th graders Emily Dickinson Hawthorne

Lesson plan How illnesses spread Human biological defenses Expand imaginations

Project Overview Glo Germ activity

“Invisibility” of Germs

Germs spread easily!

Checked hand washing techniques with Glo Germ and UV light

Commonly missed areas Fingernails/cuticles Wrists In between fingers Creases of hands

Project Overview “Growing Germs” activity –Swabbed areas around classroom and school –Grew on agar plates for one week –Returned to classroom with results

Floor

Loft ladder

Water fountain

What kids learned… How easily bacteria and microbes spread Prevention of spread Basics of human immune system

What kids learned… How to keep self and those around us healthy –Stay home if ill –Cough/sneeze in elbow, not hands –Dispose of used tissue immediately –Daily exercise –Variety of fresh, healthy foods in diet

Challenges of outreach –Obtaining responses from teachers –Keeping 9-10 year olds calm –Working with a child with OCD whose phobia is germs

Successes of outreach –Science was made fun for students who previously were uninterested in the subject –Kids made connections between science and everyday life

My favorite part was… “Learning how germs and bacteria spread.” -Noah

My favorite part was… “Swabbing and seeing what a germ looks like.” -Hannah

My favorite part was… “That I get to do more science and I love science because it’s a lot of fun!” -Mary Kate

Acknowledgments Hughes Undergraduate Biology Program Howard Hughes Medical Institute Thanks also to Martha Sellers, Kylie Perlinski, Gwen Jacobs, Duane Mooney, Edward Dratz, and all the teachers and students I worked with.