Research-Driven Education
  • Home
  • Our Story
  • Blog
  • Enrichment Programs
  • Workshops and Camps

STEM: Germs

12/27/2017

0 Comments

 
Science education for young learners should always have a goal and an overall direction, rather than the students just completing a series of random experiments. In our STEM: Germs class, we learned that three basic shapes of bacteria are rods (bacilli), spirals (spirilla), and spheres (cocci). 
Picture

Children need opportunities to participate in many different activities that teach the same concept. Here, they are sorting rods, spirals and spheres.
Picture
Picture
We made necklaces with rod-shaped "bacteria".
Sensory play is especially important for young children because it encourages them to investigate and explore using scientific processes on their own. Here they are pretending these water beads are sphere-shaped "bacteria".
Picture
Incorporating art helps build fine motor skills while reinforcing the three main shapes of bacteria that we are learning about.
We learned that there are many types of good bacteria, such as the kind in yogurt that helps us digest our food. Some kinds of bad bacteria can make us sick if they get into our bodies. Our skin usually protects us, but sometimes when we get a cut, we need a bandaid to help keep the bacteria out.
When bad germs do get inside of us, different parts of our body work to protect us and keep us from getting sick. These kids are making "white blood cells" out of play dough.
The white blood cells attack each germ (the play dough covers them). This was a fun activity that the kids kept asking to repeat.
We learned about how germs spread by using a lotion that was activated by black light. Whatever we touched (including each other) would glow!
We also used messy paint to demonstrate how germs can spread.
Picture
Picture
We demonstrated how germs can spread by filling balloons with paint (germs) and pretending to sneeze (POP!)!
We learned that germs are EVERYWHERE, but we made boogers because they seem especially germy.
Picture

We made more germs with black lights and neon paints.
We learned that viruses are different than bacteria, but can also make us sick. The kids made 3D viruses and sorted pictures of bacteria and viruses.
We learned that viruses reproduce by making copies of themselves, just like tessellations repeat their pattern.
Picture
We used pepper and dish soap to demonstrate how important it is to wash our hands. (The dish soap repels the pepper.)
We practiced washing our hands the correct way and sequencing handwashing pictures so we could remember.
And, of course we made cupcakes and decorated them like germs!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    LearnWithJoy
    Picture

    Author

    Wendy Joy Yohman
    Eleven years teaching experience
     at a small private  school. 
    Current preschool supervisor.
     Bachelor's Degree in 
    Psychology with an emphasis
     on educational kinesiology 
    (how different movements 
    activate certain areas of the 
    brain). 

    tpt store

    Archives

    December 2017
    October 2016
    February 2016
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    Categories

    All
    Academic Standards
    Art
    Attribute Blocks
    Auditory Discrimination
    Auditory Memory
    Chapel
    Classifying/Sorting
    Counting
    Counting Bears
    Creativity
    Dr Seuss
    Fine Motor
    Freebie
    Geometry
    Letters
    Math
    Measurement
    Money
    Music
    Patterning
    Patterning Blocks
    Phonics
    Pre Reading
    Problem Solving
    Reading
    Rhyme
    Skip Counting
    Story
    Strategy
    TPT
    Unifix Cubes
    Visual Discrimination

    RSS Feed

    Sites I recommend:

    The Homeschool Mom
    Visit LearnWithJoy's profile on Pinterest.

    Affiliate Disclosure:


    Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. When you make a purchase, the price you pay will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link. By using the affiliate links, you are helping support the LearnWithJoy website, and I genuinely appreciate your support.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.