What You Will Need

• Printed or digital images of bacteria and viruses (from an Internet search) – 2
• 5'-6' long sheet of white butcher paper – 2
• Spray bottles – 6
• Red, yellow, and blue watery tempera paint – 1 bottle of each
• Masking or painters tape – 1 roll
• Newspaper or additional paper – to cover floor

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What To Do

Note: Before beginning the activity, fill the six spray bottles with the watery paint — 2 bottles of each color. Using the tape, hang the paper on the wall and cover up exposed flooring.

1. Pretend to sneeze without covering up your mouth, and ask the children what it looked and sounded like.
2. Ask them how far they think the sneeze traveled.
3. Pretend to sneeze again, this time covering up your mouth, and ask the children to compare the sneezes.
4. Ask children if they know why we cover up our mouths when we sneeze (see Did You Know?).
5. Explain that not all germs are bad, but some germs can make us sick (see Did You Know?).
6. Display images of bacteria and viruses. Explain that scientists add color to bacteria and viruses so they can see them better; discuss these images with the children (see Guiding Student Inquiry).
7. Tell the children that they will be making a class painting of “sneezes” using paint in a spray bottle so we can more easily see the “germs.”
8. Explain that the painting will imitate the way germs spread when someone sneezes.
9. Demonstrate by standing a short distance from the wall, pretending to sneeze by saying, “A-choo!”, and spraying once with a paint-filled spray bottle.
10. Choose a different color spray bottle, stand a little closer to the wall, and again pretend to sneeze—while doing so, spray once.
11. Compare the sprays (see Guiding Student Inquiry) and discuss, noting that, with both sneezes, the germs traveled.
12. Have children take turns choosing a color and contributing to the class “sneeze” painting.
13. Discuss the distances that the sprays traveled, and connect this to the distance a sneeze can travel.

Guiding Student Inquiry

• Describe the sneeze – what did it sound and look like?
• Tell me how far you think the sneeze traveled.
• Describe the bacteria and virus images.
• Can you tell which germs can make you sick?
• Explain why you think it’s a good idea to cover up your mouth when you sneeze.
• Describe the pattern in the sneeze painting—how far did the paint spray travel?

Explore, Extend & Integrate

• Explain to the children that germs are microbes and that some microbes are helpful. Different microbes that are helpful are some kinds of bacteria, yeast, and algae. Cheese and yogurt are both made using bacteria. Bread is made using yeast. Ice cream and puddings are made using algae. You could set up a taste test of foods made from different microbes.
• Inflate a latex-free glove. Have the children smell the glove. Deflate the glove and ask the children what germs look like. Inflate the glove again and add ½ teaspoon vanilla to the inside of the glove. Hold the glove closed and have the children again smell the glove. Explain to the children that germs (microbes) are so small that we cannot see them. However, they can go through what seems like a solid wall (latex glove). This is why we can smell the vanilla but cannot see it.

Check for Children’s Understanding

• Could children describe the sneeze?
• Could children make a guess as to how far the sneeze could travel?
• Could children state that covering the mouth when sneezing is a good way to block germs from traveling?
• Could children describe that the spray in the sneeze painting was spread out over a large area?

Resources

Lesson Tips
Books^[1]
Home/School Connections
Las Conexiones a la Casa