Be a Germ Stopper!

Lesson Plans for K to Grade 3
:: Lesson Plan #12: Clean Tag

Students will recognize that germs can be spread easily from one person to another.
Students will recognize that the spread of germs can be reduced by proper hand cleaning.

Open area
Three different coloured tee shirts, pinneys, or badges to help differentiate which children are ‘germs’, which are ‘soap and water’, and which are ‘hand sanitizers’.

Review the steps and the purpose of proper hand cleaning (by washing hands and/or by sanitizing hands).
Explain that they will be playing “Clean Tag”.
Select four students to play special roles: two students will be disease-causing germs, a third will be hand washer (soap & water), a fourth will be hand sanitizer.
Tell the remaining students to run away from the germs. If one of the germs happens to tag them, they must immediately freeze and stand with their legs far enough apart to make a tunnel through which someone can crawl.
The hand sanitizer and hand washer are the only ones who can unfreeze (clean) the frozen (germy) students – by crawling through the tunnel between their legs.
“Cleaned” students are then free to run around again.
Have the students trade roles at various points during the game.

Play different roles of germs and hand cleaners during a game of “Clean Tag”.
Explain what happened when they were tagged by the germs. What happens in real life? (They can make you sick.)
Explain what happened when they were ‘cleaned’ by the hand cleaners? What would happen if there were no hand cleaners in the game? What would happen if there were no hand cleaners in real life?
Explain what would happen in the game if there were one germ and four hand cleaners?

Discuss with students what these findings mean in their personal life. How does this change their hand cleaning habits?

Used with permission of GOJO Industries, Inc.