Introduction
In this unit, my young students will become aware of disease pathogens. Two books will anchor the initial learning: Germs vs. Soap by Didi Dragon, a fun and funny picture book about the benefits of proper handwashing; and, Germs Are Not For Sharing, by Elizabeth Verdick. This book is a short course for kids on what germs are, what they do, and why it's so important to cover them up, block them from spreading, and wash them down the drain. The unit complements two aspects of our current kindergarten curriculum. Through a program called Michigan Model for Health, students learn about personal health and wellness, which of course covers hand washing. Our literacy curriculum includes a module, “A Happy Healthy You” which provides another avenue to help students learn how to care for themselves. They will investigate the benefits (or not) of products like Purell, learn that viruses and bacteria cannot be seen until magnified under a microscope, and discover that there are many strategies for helping ourselves and each other avoid “sharing germs.”
As a Kindergarten teacher in a self-contained classroom at Edgewood Magnet School in New Haven, I find the neighborhood/ magnet setting a rewarding environment, with students coming to school each day from a variety of home circumstances and with differences in academic levels. As a result of these variables, the children arrive with differing levels of background knowledge and life experiences. The classroom is a mixture of varied ethnicities, economic strata, and social and emotional strengths and weaknesses. Edgewood is a STEAM school, with our curricula focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. This planned unit aligns with the philosophy of the school. The use of scientific inquiry allows all students at all levels to learn in an inherently differentiated environment, learning new concepts and experiencing science in the classroom and outside, particularly across the street at Edgewood Park.
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