This week in Year 2 we learnt how to stay healthy and hygienic.
Our key scientist:
At the time Louis was alive, people believed that germs like bacteria just appeared out of nowhere! They knew that germs existed, but thought that they could suddenly appear on a person, making them ill.
Louis carried out some experiments to prove that germs are living things that can spread between objects and people, through touch or through the air.
His experiments convinced people that germs do spread diseases, and do not just appear.
He used a microscope to see tiny mould germs living on food, and to see germs that cause diseases.
Our experiments:
Firstly, we discussed how to stay healthy and the importance of washing our hands. We passed a finger print of paint around the circle to see how far germs would spread. We then poured ‘germs’ into a tray and used a soapy finger to see how important using soap is to wash our hands.
After this, we set up an observation over time where we had 4 pieces of bread. Number 1 had been touched with dirty hands, number 2 had been touched with clean hands, number 3 had been soaked in water and the final piece was covered in mud. We then made predictions about what the bread will look like in 3 weeks time.
How to help at home:
- Complete one of the above experiments at home and write down your observations in a weekly diary.
- Make a poster explaining the importance of washing hands