Kindergarten Life Skills Lesson on Germs

I adapted this lesson on germs from the lesson here. It addresses the following standard: "Students will understand and demonstrate behaviors that prevent disease and speed recovery from illness."

Ask the question "What are germs?" Katie said, "if they're the wrong germs you'll get sick." Then I gave Katie this definition: Germs are tiny living things (microorganisms) that can possibly make people very sick. Germs can either be a bacteria or a virus. They are too tiny to see with just our eyes. We would need a microscope to see germs or just a picture of germs. A doctor can tell you if you are sick from bacteria which requires an antibiotic to fight the germs, or whether you are sick because of a virus.


Ask students what you can do to keep from getting sick from germs? Katie said, "stay away and don't get too close." (This comes from the understanding that our little friend Adam has Leukemia and we can't get too close to him.)

Say that you can prevent spreading germs when you:
1. Wash your hands for twenty seconds any time you cough, sneeze, play in the dirt, get ready to eat, play with animals, or go to the bathroom.
2. Cover your face when you sneeze or cough. When you sneeze you can see the mist of germs coming out of your nose in to the air. The best thing to do is to cough or sneeze into your elbow instead of your hands because germs are spread more easily by the palms of your hands. This is because you use your hands to touch things. If you do cough or sneeze into your hands, then you should go wash them right away.
3. Stay at home when you are sick. You could get your friends sick if you go to school. If you have a friend that comes to school sick, then you should do your best to stay at least a short distance away from them.
4. Help clean common areas touched by hands. Help the teacher once per day to wipe down all the door knobs and desk tops with disinfecting wipes. *Note-Create a classroom chart so that the children know whose turn it is to help clean.
Play/ Practice:
Go to the sink and do a practice run of how to wash your hands for twenty seconds. This can be done by washing your hands while singing two verses your favorite song.  We will do "yo me lavo las manos."
Printable worksheet