Did you know?

Microorganisms are tiny life forms that we come into contact with every day.  Too small to be seen without the aid of a powerful microscope, microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses are often referred to as "germs".  Most germs are harmless to people, but some cause sickness and disease.  Harmful germs are called pathogens.

Germs thrive in a warm, moist environment.  They can multiply rapidly in areas like the mouth and nose, and on our food, and they are easily transferred from person to person by hand.  That's why hand washing is such an important part of personal hygiene and community health.  Even the spread of the common cold can be reduced significantly by frequent and thorough hand washing.

Now you can use GlitterBug to make learning about hygiene and safety memorable and fun.  Here are some suggestions:

• Apply GlitterBug Potion to your hands and see the “germs” under a UV lamp.  Wash your hands and check them again with the UV lamp.  Carefully look in creases and around nails.  Was your hand washing effective?

• Have a student rub GlitterBug Potion onto his or her hands then form a line with the “contaminated” student at one end.  Ask this student to shake hands with the second student in line, and ask the second student to shake hands with the third, and so on.  Use a UV lamp to see how far the contamination has spread.

• Rub GlitterBug Potion onto a plastic ball and pass it around a group of students.  Use a UV lamp to see the “germs” that have been transferred to the students’ hands.  Think of the ball as representing a friendly dog.

• Spread GlitterBug Potion onto some coins and hand them around.  A UV lamp will show how germs can be spread this way.  Maybe that’s why they call it “filthy lucre”!

• Rub GlitterBug Potion onto some common surfaces such as a phone hand set, a light switch, a plastic spoon handle and a pen.  Have students handle these items and use a UV lamp to follow the contamination trail.

• Whilst wearing a pair of latex or rubber gloves, apply GlitterBug Potion to your hands.  Remove the gloves and use a UV lamp to check if you have been able to do this without transferring the contamination to your hands.  Wash your hands and check again.

• Sprinkle GlitterBug Powder onto several sheets of paper, and ask students to pick up the sheets and pass them around.  Use a UV lamp to view the results.

• Sprinkle GlitterBug Powder lightly around a bench and sink.  After cleaning, examine the area with a UV lamp to see how effective you have been.  Can you identify any areas for improvement?

• Mix some GlitterBug Powder into a small amount of minced meat or fruit on a cutting board.  Knead the mixture well and cut it several ways with a knife, then spoon it onto a plate or into a bowl.  Use a UV lamp to check everything for contamination.  Now wash your hands and the utensils, and clean up the work area, then examine them again with the UV lamp.  How effective was your cleaning?