Yavneh’s pre-k scientists have been deep at work researching what germs look like so that they can find them, keep them away and stay healthy. They wondered why they couldn’t see germs and found out that they are so small that they can only be seen under a microscope.

The children talked about how a microscope helps us to see things that are so small, our eyes can’t even see them. They made connections to this new word, finding similar sounding words such as microphone and telescope. When students spoke about what those two words mean it made another connection for someone else: the binoculars that are used every day in the classroom!!

They used the microscope and looked at slides of germs and bacteria. It was so interesting to try to use only one eye. Some of the students chose to cover the other eye and some chose to try to close the second eye.

After a discussion of some ways germs get passed around, they now understand that germs can be on our hands and the things we touch even when we can’t see them. The class discussed ways to clean the germs off and of course came up with good hand washing with soap, or without if there isn’t any, and using hand sanitizer.

Proper hand washing techniques were also practiced by rubbing soap on hands “fronts, backs and in betweens” even before hands are placed under the water. Finally the students discussed that research says to wash for at least 20 seconds and they sang two favorite songs to fill the time: “ABC” and “Happy Birthday.” It worked! Perfect timing!

Stay healthy everyone!