Interdisciplinary; Visual Arts; Health; Language Arts; Science; Computer Literacy; Consumer, Family & Life Skills

By:
Jennifer Lane

School:
Lake Riviera Middle School, Brick, NJ

The Arts (Visual and Performing) 1.1, 1.2, 1.3

Comprehensive Health and Physical Education 2.1, 2.2

Language Arts Literacy 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5

Consumer, Family & Life Skills 9.2: A, B, C, D

Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship

In support of our school’s initiative to encourage healthy lifestyles, Lake Riviera links its hand washing poster contest from earlier in the year to the newest presentation: “The Healthy Hand-washing Project.” Eighth grade students, after participating in lessons on the spread of germs & the necessity of sanitary techniques, will teach kindergarteners from the Primary Learning Center how to prevent the spread of germs in their classroom through proper hand washing techniques. They will address the cause and effect of germ transition, and help the little ones to create “stay well” cards for their own families.

Timeline:
Approximately two weeks. Week one: 8^th grade lesson on germ transition and preparation of student lesson. Week two: presentation to kindergarteners and reflection.

Equipment Needed:

Various arts and crafts supplies, lotion, books: “Germs on Their Fingers,” “Those Mean, Nasty, Dirty, Downright Disgusting But… Invisible Germs,” “Miss Bindergarten Stays Home From Kindergarten.”

The Arts and Computer Literacy: Students will design a proper handwashing technique poster for kindergarteners to color. Students will develop skills in using Microsoft word and PowerPoint for their presentation.

Health and Physical Education: Students will increase awareness about personal health issues and communicate to their own families the importance of staying healthy with kinetic activities demonstrating germ transition and the instruction of how to wash your hands.

Language Arts Literacy: Students will create a letter describing the activities they will be bringing to the kindergarteners and will demonstrate literacy skills while modeling reading, speaking and listening during story time with kindergarteners.

Science: Students problem solve to educate younger students about valuable life lessons regarding the promotion of good health and safety issues.

Consumer, Family & Life Skills: Students work collaboratively to organize fun and exciting activities to promote their message of healthy lifestyles and preventative germ transition.

Scheduling difficulties (district testing)

Allergies to soap/lotions

Transportation

Visit one PLC class rather than whole school

Send list of materials used for approval from school nurse

Administration approval for bussing to PLC

Performance-based Education: During story time activities, students will focus on the hands-on approach of promoting healthy lifestyles with kinetic activities for differentiated instruction.

Cooperative Learning: Students work collaboratively to plan and successfully execute their time with kindergarteners.  

Interdisciplinary Approach: Students will use a variety of activities in multiple disciplines to approach this project. Visual arts, kinetic activities, language arts and computer literacy skills combine with core ethical values to successfully complete the project.

Personal Growth Outcomes:

This project gives students a real-life opportunity to put into practice the above mentioned core values. The individual student will develop confidence, understanding and pride in their ability to share knowledge and skills effectively as well as the importance that one person can make in the life of another.

PowerPoint Presentation during class with photo slide show of the visit to the PLC. Certificates of participation awarded for service-learning.

Kindergarten students make thank-you cards for students commending them on their efforts. Local media will pictorially cover the project.

By teaching others the students in turn teach themselves about healthy living and the importance of helping others.

The PLC community (part of our district community) is involved. When kindergarteners take home their stay well card and implement the healthy lifestyle practices more of the Brick community can become involved. Local businesses provide incentives for winners of the poster contest. Winning posters to be displayed in local businesses.

Parents and Volunteer Involvement:

Parents of kindergarten students will become involved when they receive their stay well cards bring implementation of healthy lifestyles home. Parents will also provide the items for a stay well goodie bag full of anti-bacterial substances and materials.

Reflection Activities: (Link with core ethical values)

Reflection is two-fold: after completion of project students will read an article about a disease/germ transition epidemic. They will reflect through prompting questions about the effect they personally had on the individuals they worked with. Students will also be shown a slide show of their experience with quotes from the kindergarteners.

Rubric for participation. Reflection activity.