Germs+3rd+Grade

**Standards**:
This unit may address many standards, but it was created especially to address the following Indiana State Educational Standard for third grade

WRITING: Applications (Different Types of Writing and Their Characteristics) 3.5
 * At Grade 3, students continue to write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects, events, and experiences. Students write both informal and formal letters. Student writing demonstrates a command of Standard English and the drafting, research, and organizational strategies outlined in Standard 4 - Writing Processes and Features. Writing demonstrates an awareness of the audience (intended reader) and purpose for writing.

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**Unit Overview:**
I recommend the teacher collaborate with their media specialist on this project, since it will require some research on the student’s part. A collection of developmentally appropriate resources on germs, colds, the flu, infectious diseases, illness prevention, and immunity will be needed. This unit on germs begins with a teacher led demonstration activity and a guest appearance by either the school nurse or another health care professional. Then the students will choose two resources to review and take notes on. The students will use the information they have gathered to create educational flyers to hang around the school about illness prevention. It is important that the students understand sharing the information they gain helps keep them healthy as well as their schoolmates.

**1. Teacher led introductory activity** - **Glitter Germs**
Students see in this demonstration how easily germs can spread. They learn about the importance of washing their hands.
 * Objective:**


 * Materials:**
 * Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie book or video - Cole, J. __Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie.__ (1995). New York: Scholastic.
 * [|Example of an illness prevention flyer]
 * Five different colors of art glitter
 * Five flat containers (such as shoe box tops or paper plates)
 * One paper towel per student
 * Science journal

1. Invite the students to join you on the rug. Either watch the __Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie__ video or read the book aloud. 2. Explain to the students that we are starting an inquiry project about germs. It will have a science observation, we’ll interview a special guest, we’ll do research at the media center, and in the end we’ll use all that information to create flyers to hang around the school to help students and staff stay healthy. Show them an example of a flyer. 3. Then tell the students to go back to their tables for the science observation. 4. Explain how germs are so small we cannot see them except with a microscope as you fill one container per table with a different color of glitter. We are going to pretend the glitter is really germs. Each table will have their own color of glitter. 5. Tell each student to place his or her flat hand (palm side down) in the container of glitter. 6. Then play Simon Says with the students have them do things like shaking hands, picking up a pencil, or switching tables. 7. After a couple rounds of Simon Says the students should return to their desks and tell them to rub off the different colors of glitter from their hands onto the paper towels. 8. Lead a discussion using the following questions: Do you notice more of any particular color of glitter? Why might that be? What does this activity teach you about the way germs spread? What did this experiment teach you about the importance of washing your hands? 9. Let the students have a bathroom break to wash their hands. 10. When they get back they should take some time to write about this experience in their science journal.
 * Lesson Plan:**

Adapted from a lesson plan submitted by Gary Hopkins on Education World® Copyright © 2000 Education World Top of Form

**2. Collaborative Activity -** **Class Interview**
Bottom of Form **Objective:** Invite the school nurse or another healthcare professional (possibly a parent) to come speak to the class. This is a great opportunity to model good interviewing skills for the students. As a class fill out the interview worksheet before the guest arrives and send a thank you card afterward.


 * Materials:**
 * [[file:Interview.docx]]
 * School nurse or other healthcare professional to interview
 * Each student needs a clipboard and note cards
 * An 8.5x11 sheet of paper for each student
 * Art and craft materials

1. Sometime before the interview even they day before explain to the students that a special guest is coming to our class to talk about germs and illness prevention. 2. While the students are at their desks use an overhead projector or smart board to display the interview worksheet. This is the tool we will use to get prepared for our interview. Fill it out together as a class. 3. When it comes time for the interview, the students should come to the rug with their clipboards. They need to take notes on what the guest says that might help them with their final project. 4. The teacher leads the interview using the completed interview worksheet. During the questions in #6 the students are allowed to come up with new questions on the spot. 5. After the guest has left the students can go back to their desks and work on their thank you cards. They should thank the guest for teaching them something specific they didn’t know before.
 * Lesson Plan:**

**3. Final Project**
To take all the information on germs and illness prevention and present it in a way that will be helpful to the whole school.
 * Objective:**


 * Materials:**
 * A collection of developmentally appropriate resources about germs, colds, the flu, infectious diseases, illness prevention, and immunity will be needed – enough that each student can use two resources.
 * [[file:Note Cards.docx]]
 * 3 - 11x17 sheets of paper for each student
 * Art and Craft materials

1. Line the students up for a trip to the media center. They will need their clipboards and note cards. 2. Once there have the media specialist show the students where the germ, cold, flu, illness prevention books are 614 – 616s. Also have a selection of web printouts, journal and magazine articles available. 3. Each student should choose two resources and fill out at least four note cards. 4. After sufficient time at the media center return to the classroom and the students can begin work on their rough draft of their poster. 5. Allow the students overnight to reflect on their poster and collect additional materials if need be. 6. Provide time for the students to complete their final posters in class. 7. After assessing the posters the students may hang them up around the school.
 * Lesson Plan:**

**4. Assessment Rubric**
Give the students an opportunity to grade their own work using the rubric and then meet with the student to go over their grade and finalize the teacher rubric.
 * [[file:Assessment Rubric.docx]]