You Said It! Germ Product Reviews


You Said It! Product Reviews - Educational Innovations NewsletterEducational Innovations’ Glo Germ demonstration kit has been a fixture in science and health classes for years.  Here’s what some of our customers are saying about our Glo Germ powder, lotion and kit.

“I’ve used this with elementary through high school students.  It really makes an impression!  Usually it takes about 3 or 4 hand washings before they get all of the ‘germs’ off their hands and fingernails, etc.  Seeing is believing!
          —Shelley in Stillwater, OK

Glo Germ“I have used the same kit for years; a little goes a long way.  Very good buy.  I used it to teach microbiology, anatomy, and forensic science.  It would be great for family and consumer science, too.”
Shelley in Stillwater, OK

“This product is amazing!  I used it with my middle school students and it completely captivated them to see that even after washing there hands they still had traces of germs between their fingers and in their nails.  It was a great way to start our germ unit and made them want to learn more.”
           —Jennifer in Grand Junction, CO

“Great for teaching infection to high school students. Just use the powder, not the lotion. Plant some on your hands as you shake the kids’ hands or on the classroom doorknob. Then shine the light and see where it has spread.”
Mary in Killeen, TX

“Works great under even the cheapest little UV flashlight. Really eye opening for kids when teaching how germs are spread or how ineffectively their hand washing are working. Worth the money as a little goes a long way.”
          —Sharon in Plymouth, MA

 


Germ Humor


Science Humor - Educational Innovations NewsletterGerms are everywhere.  We could say they’re nothing to sneeze at, but that would be a pretty lame joke.

Enjoy these jokes and comics, share them with your students.  Why not insert a few riddles into a quiz or homework page?  Extra credit points for students who guess the right punchline!

If you have a favorite germ-related cartoon or joke, insert it below as a comment, or email us at socialmedia@teachersource.com.

Happy teaching!

Read the rest of this entry »


Germs in the News


Whether it’s the Ebola virus or more commonplace “bugs,” we often hear about germs in the news.  Check out this selection of noteworthy news items.


Good Morning America goes into a classroom to see how quickly germs can spread.  (Our Glo-Germ powder makes a cameo appearance!)

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/photos/video-classroom-experiment-reveals-quickly-germs-spread-26755004

In November 2014, Dutch researchers reported that 10 seconds of kissing can translate into 80 million germs moving from one person to the other.

www.webmd.com/news/20141117/every-kiss-begins-with-80-million-germs

Dirt as a source for new antibiotics?  Huh?

http://mic.com/articles/108020/science-finally-answers-life-s-oldest-question-can-i-eat-food-i-dropped-on-the-ground

Researchers have learned that bacteria can “communicate” with chemical signals.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150121083640.htm

What’s the germiest place in most homes?  That’s a good question… and the answers might surprise you and your students. 

www.webmd.com/women/home-health-and-safety-9/places-germs-hide


What’s the Weather? Check Your Weatherglass Barometer


Ted Beyer, Educational Innovations

by Ted Beyer

Predicting the weather is an age-old guessing game.

Over time, more and more sophisticated devices have been developed to aid in the guessing game.  Indeed, some of the largest computers in the world today are dedicated to modeling the weather using millions of data points collected all over the world—all in an effort to determine if going to the beach this weekend is a good idea, or if you should just stay home and binge watch Game of Thrones (again).

Weatherglass BarometerAfter temperature, one of the earliest scientific observations about the weather is the variation in barometric pressure.  Local changes in air pressure usually signal changes in the weather.  Falling pressure generally indicates rain, snow or wind storms, and increasing pressure most often indicates nicer weather.

One of the earliest gadgets used to try and track barometric pressure was the Weather Glass, also known as the Goethe Barometer [1].   Evangelista Toricelli [2] came up with the first truly accurate barometer—the classic, mercury-filled device—sometime around 1643-44.  [Note: Educational Innovations has a mercury-free version of this Science classroom “must-have.”] Read the rest of this entry »


A Firsthand Lesson on Colds, Flu & Infectious Disease


Priscilla Robinson, Educational Innovationsby:  Priscilla Robinson

Talking about Infectious Disease

These days, it’s hard not to hear reports about the spread of infectious disease, from serious viruses like Ebola to the “common” cold.  There are ads for flu shots and cold remedies, nightly media coverage about rampant epidemics all over the world, and pundits predicting whether these contagious diseases might someday get to this country.

So how is this affecting your students?  Are they asking questions?  Are they anxious about where these germs may be lurking, and whether they or their families are in any danger?

As a teacher, I’ve found that the science classroom is the perfect environment to help students understand the world around them.

A few years ago, my students and I survived an outbreak of the Swine Flu.  So many kids were getting sick that our school had to establish a quarantine room to isolate ill students until their parents could pick them up.  During this time, I set up stringent hand-washing techniques for students (and myself), as well as protocols for disinfecting desks, chairs and door handles.  Ultimately, my students had a lower rate of absences than their peers, and I stayed healthy as well.

Below you’ll find two fun and engaging classroom activities related to infectious disease transmission and prevention.  Try them with your students! Read the rest of this entry »