CLOSED – Teach school children the importance of handwashing (competition)
A book created to actually show young school children the bacteria which lurks on their hands is helping to visually reinforce the important hygiene message of handwashing. The book, A Germ’s Journey, is the brainchild of microbiologist Dr Katie Laird and education expert Dr Sarah Younie of De Montfort University Leicester (DMU). As parents themselves they knew the importanceof handwashing in preventing disease and communicating it at a young age. Aimed at children aged three to five, A Germ’s Journeyincludes illustrations which feature special thermochromic black paint. Once the child’s hand is placed upon the paint, the microbes present appear on the hands in the book and the black paint vanishes. Dr Laird, Head of DMU’s Infectious Disease Research Group, said the idea was to introduce the concept of the ‘invisible germ’ to youngsters. She said: “Often children cannot understand that there are germs on their hands because they cannot see them. “Working through the book they can see the germs appear and it allows teachers, parents and carers to have the conversation around handwashing. It also demonstrates clean hands after washing hands. At the back of the book is information for teachers on how to interact with the book and teach pupils about germs.” The project was funded by the Society of Applied Microbiology and the book has now been taken on by Medina Publishing Ltd, while a website with games, downloads and tips for parents and teachers has been created too. All of the educational resources are free at the point of access. Copies of the book have been distributed to preschools and nurseries, toddler stay and play groups and internationally, via a charity in Kenya, and Dr Laird and Dr Younie have also partnered with teachers in India and Sierra Leone to co-create culturally relevant books for their regions. Most recently, they teamed up with Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum to provide educational resources that teach children the importance of handwashing. A Germ’s Journey forms part of the museum’s new MiniBrum gallery; a child-sized world designed for youngsters to explore their understanding of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) through different role-play zones. Working with the DMU researchers, the Thinktank team co-ordinated and organised the creation of a handwashing song with children from Benson Community School in Birmingham and musicians from Bridge Arts and Music that will be played in the MiniBrum toilets for children to join in with. The museum will also incorporate A Germ’s Journey games and activities throughout the exhibition and offer health hygiene workshops for schoolchildren as part of its educational programme. Win a copy of A Germ’s Journey to share with your class We have 5 copies up for grabs of A Germ’s Journey! To be in with a chance of winning a copy to share with your pupils all you need to do is answer this simple question. What does handwashing prevent? A. A mucky classroom B. Disease C. Fun Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below a Rafflecopter giveaway Terms & Conditions ***The administrator of this competition is QA Education Magazine (“administrator”). By participating in the competition, each Entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Administrator, which shall be final and binding in all respects. Administrator is responsible for the collection, submission or processing of Entries and the overall administration of the competition. Entrants should look solely to Administrator with any questions, comments or problems related to the Competition. Administrator may be reached by email at socialmedia@euromediaal.com during the Promotion Period. * This giveaway will close at 12.00am, 1st September 2019. * The prize is one in five copies of A Germ’s Journey book. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable. There is no cash alternative. * Open to UK residents aged 18 or over, excluding employees of the Administrator, the sponsor, their families and anyone else professionally connected with this promotion. * There is one compulsory entry which requests that to enter the competition you answer a question based on the classroom books. Additional entries are available. * The prize winner will be asked to provide their email address so that contact can be made to arrange prize delivery, and their name and county be published in the next issue of the magazine * By entering the competition, you grant the Administrator permission to add your details to the mailing list, share your email address and any other personally identifiable information with the other competition Entities for the purpose of administration and prize fulfillment, including use in a publicly available Winners list. * Entries will only be accepted as instructed and any entrant that does not complete the qualifying requirements will be disqualified * The winners will be chosen using the random entry selector built into the widget. * The winners will be informed by email within 5 days of the closing date, and must respond within 5 days to claim their prize. If there is no response within the 5 days and new winner will be drawn at random. *This prize draw is governed by English law and the courts of England shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising in connection with it. For further T&C and our privacy policy please see here Euromedia Associates Ltd: Privacy Policy https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/66331438/legal**
Educating children on the importance of handwashing
Experienced teachers will know the vital importance of handwashing in school. You only have to witness the lightning speed with which a stomach bug can sweep through a school for the message to hit home. Establishing good handwashing habits as a child doesn’t just keep our children healthier, it ensures the next generation of adults have better handwashing habits than us. A staggering 62% of men and 32% of women admit they don’t wash their hands regularly. Think of all the food contamination and germ transmission that could be avoided simply by getting in the habit of regular handwashing as a child. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 1 million lives could be saved, along with seeing huge reductions in respiratory infections and diarrheal disease. And this impact could increase in the future, as scientists predict ever more resistant strains of illnesses. It’s imperative that we learn how to limit the spread of disease. But how can teachers go about educating their class on the importance of handwashing? Make it fun All teachers know children absorb information best when it is presented in fun and engaging ways. Simple things like singing a cheery handwashing song can make all the difference. You could also source stories about handwashing, set up sticker reward charts for children to chart their progress and have your class draw pictures about handwashing. Keep it simple Make sure the information you give your class is age-appropriate. Young children will love a basic description about germs and their dangers. You could even create a cartoon germ character – or let the children draw their own. This is a fun and imaginative way to get across that essential knowledge about infection control. Older children can benefit from a more scientific explanation, perhaps incorporated into lessons about biology. Use pictures Colourful images are the ideal thing to make handwashing tips eye-catching. Informative infographics like the one below or posters of the children’s favourite superheroes or book characters washing their hands are easy to find online. Hang them near the washbasins, on the back of toilet doors and in your classroom. The more reminders the better! Teach good handwashing technique Many adults may not realise they are washing their hands incorrectly so establishing proper technique is all-important. Common mistakes include not washing the back of hands and nails and forgetting about the soap. A quick rinse under the taps is not sufficient to kill off germs and bacteria! Teachers need to relay the importance of using soap and rubbing it all over the entire hands for at least 20 seconds before rinsing with clean water. Model behaviour Children learn by watching. And with so many of us failing to wash our hands properly, teachers need to ensure they have learnt the correct technique and use it to model good handwashing practices for their class. Get into a routine Once children get the hang of washing their hands properly, it’s time to set up a regular routine for handwashing. This includes washing hands before and after eating and food preparation, after using the toilet, after sneezing or coughing and after touching class pets. Teachers have the unique opportunity to teach the next generation to be far more hygienic than adults today. Hopefully this will have significantly positive benefits for their health and wellbeing. Image credit: Galleon Supplies