Lather Up! Nation Science Education Standards

Breathing Room! ‌ Lather Up! ‌ More Than Skin Deep! Safe Not Sorry! ‌ Wet Your Whistle! National Science Education Standards Lather Up! Hand Washing Activity Handbook Challenge 1 Challenge 2 Challenge 3 Challenge 4 Challenge 5
Challenge 1
GRADE	CATEGORY	SUB-CATEGORY	STANDARD	EXAMPLE SUPPORTING STANDARD
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.	In the Pass It On activity, students predict how far simulated germs (glitter) will travel down a line of people during hand shaking and then develop explanations for the results.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.	After conducting the hand shaking procedure in the Pass It On activity, students analyze the evidence and relate their results with the transmission of disease.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Understandings about Scientific Inquiry	Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models.	In the Pass It On activity, students model the transmission of germs from person to person by using glitter mixed with petroleum jelly.
5–8	Life Science	Structure and function in living systems	Disease is a breakdown in structures or functions of an organism. Some diseases are the result of intrinsic failures of the system. Others are the result of damage by infection by other organisms.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading presents a brief history of the discovery of disease-causing microbes. In addition, readers learn how specific microbes can make us sick and how to reduce the spread of microbes from person to person.
5–8	Earth and Space Science	Structure of the earth system	Living organisms have played many roles in the earth system, including affecting the composition of the atmosphere, producing some types of rocks, and contributing to the weathering of rocks.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading points out the importance of microbes in producing oxygen for the atmosphere, helping plants utilize nitrogen from the atmosphere, and converting animal waste into soil.
5–8	Science and Technology	Understandings about science and technology	Many different people in different cultures have made and continue to make contributions to science and technology.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading presents some of the international figures responsible for the understanding of disease-causing germs, for example the Hungarian surgeon Ignaz Semmelweis, the Scottish physician Joseph Lister, and the French chemist Louis Pasteur.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Personal health	Natural environments may contain substances (for example, radon and lead) that are harmful to human beings. Maintaining environmental health involves establishing or monitoring quality standards related to use of soil, water, and air.	The Pass It On activity and the When Dirty Hands are Dangerous reading emphasize how harmful germs can be transmitted by personal contact, touching a contaminated surface, or breathing contaminated air.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Risks and benefits	Risk analysis considers the type of hazard and estimates the number of people that might be exposed and the number likely to suffer consequences. The results are used to determine the options for reducing or eliminating risks.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading points out that good hand washing and hygiene practices are important in reducing risks of outbreaks of diarrhea, SARS, and other life-threatening diseases.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Risks and benefits	Students should understand the risks associated with natural hazards (fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions), with chemical hazards (pollutants in air, water, soil, and food), with biological hazards (pollen, viruses, bacterial, and parasites), social hazards (occupational safety and transportation), and with personal hazards (smoking, dieting, and drinking).	By reading When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous, students find out that surface and air borne microbes are responsible for many past and current outbreaks of disease.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Risks and benefits	Important personal and social decisions are made based on perceptions of benefits and risks.	The Pass It On activity increases student awareness of “catching” germs by ordinary actions (such as handshaking and handling common objects), encouraging students to become more rigorous in their own hand washing habits. In the When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading, students learn hospitals sometimes cause people to become ill with infections. Students also find out that, while some microbes cause disease, some microbes are also beneficial.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Science and technology in society	Societal challenges often inspire questions for scientific research, and social priorities often influence research priorities through the availability of funding for research.	In the When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading, historical and current disease control by antiseptics and antibiotics illustrate past and current research questions.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Science and technology in society	Technology influences society through its products and processes. Technology influences the quality of life and the ways people act and interact. Technological changes are often accompanied by social, political, and economic changes that can be beneficial or detrimental to individuals and to society. Social needs, attitudes, and values influence the direction of technological development.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading points out how the need to control microbial infections changed hygiene procedures used in hospitals.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Science and technology in society	Science and technology have advanced through contributions of many different people, in different cultures, at different times in history. Science and technology have contributed enormously to economic growth and productivity among societies and groups within societies.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading presents some of the international figures responsible for the understanding of disease-causing germs, for example the Hungarian surgeon Ignaz Semmelweis, the Scottish physician Joseph Lister, and the French chemist Louis Pasteur. Today, the CDC recognizes the benefits of understanding disease-causing germs and learning the ways to halt disease transmission in infectious instances such as SARS.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Science and technology in society	Science and technology have advanced through the contributions of many different people in different cultures at different times in history.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading presents some of the international figures responsible for the understanding of disease-causing germs, for example the Hungarian surgeon Ignaz Semmelweis, the Scottish physician Joseph Lister, and the French chemist Louis Pasteur.
5–8	History and Nature of Science	Science as a human endeavor	Women and men of various social and ethnic backgrounds—and with diverse interests, talents, qualities, and motivations—engage in the activities of science, engineering, and related fields such as the health professions. Some scientists work in teams, and some work alone, but all communicate extensively with others.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading presents some of the international figures responsible for the understanding of disease-causing germs, for example the Hungarian surgeon Ignaz Semmelweis, the Scottish physician Joseph Lister, and the French chemist Louis Pasteur.
5–8	History and Nature of Science	Nature of science	Scientists formulate and test their explanations of nature using observation, experiments, and theoretical and mathematical models. Although all scientific ideas are tentative and subject to change and improvement in principle, for most major ideas in science, there is much experimental and observational confirmation. Those ideas are not likely to change greatly in the future. Scientists do and have changed their ideas about nature when they encounter new experimental evidence that does not match their existing explanations.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading points out that, in 1847, Semmelweis’ belief that doctors unknowingly infected patients by using dirty hands was not immediately accepted. Later work by other scientists including Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur slowly established the germ theory of disease. Antiseptic conditions can halt the spread of disease.
5–8	History and Nature of Science	History of science	Many individuals have contributed to the traditions of science. Studying some of these individuals provides further understanding of scientific inquiry, science as a human endeavor, the nature of science, and the relationships between science and society.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading presents some of the international figures responsible for the understanding of disease-causing germs, for example the Hungarian surgeon Ignaz Semmelweis, the Scottish physician Joseph Lister, and the French chemist Louis Pasteur.
5–8	History and Nature of Science	History of science	In historical perspective, science has been practiced by different individuals in different cultures. In looking at the history of many peoples, one finds that scientists and engineers of high achievement are considered to be among the most valued contributors to their culture.	The When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading presents some of the international figures responsible for the understanding of disease-causing germs, for example the Hungarian surgeon Ignaz Semmelweis, the Scottish physician Joseph Lister, and the French chemist Louis Pasteur.
5–8	History and Nature of Science	History of science	Tracing the history of science can show how difficult it was for scientific innovators to break through the accepted ideas of their time to reach the conclusions that we currently take for granted.	In the When Dirty Hands Are Dangerous reading, students learn that it was very difficult for Ignaz Semmelweis to convince fellow doctors that they were unknowingly the cause of their patients’ infections. Later work by many other scientists eventually showed that Semmelweis was correct, and the germ theory of disease is universally accepted today.

Challenge 2
GRADE	CATEGORY	SUB-CATEGORY	STANDARD	EXAMPLE SUPPORTING STANDARD
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.	In the Wash This Way activity, students apply a glitter and petroleum jelly mixture to their hands to simulate germs, and then try different hand washing techniques to determine which is most effective.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.	After trying different hand washing techniques in the Wash This Way activity, students evaluate which technique they normally use to wash their hands and which technique is the most effective at removing germs.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Understandings about Scientific Inquiry	Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models.	In the Wash This Way activity, students model hand washing techniques by using glitter mixed with petroleum jelly to represent germs.
5–8	Life Science	Structure and function in living systems	Disease is a breakdown in structures or functions of an organism. Some diseases are the result of intrinsic failures of the system. Others are the result of damage by infection by other organisms.	The Are Your Hands Making You Sick? reading reveals that hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of disease.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Personal health	The potential for accidents and the existence of hazards imposes the need for injury prevention. Safe living involves the development and use of safety precautions and the recognition of risk in personal decisions. Injury prevention has personal and social dimensions.	The Are Your Hands Making You Sick? reading emphasizes the health benefits of hand washing and outlines the critical times to wash hands in order to prevent the spread of disease.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Risks and benefits	Students should understand the risks associated with natural hazards (fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions), with chemical hazards (pollutants in air, water, soil, and food), with biological hazards (pollen, viruses, bacterial, and parasites), social hazards (occupational safety and transportation), and with personal hazards (smoking, dieting, and drinking).	The Are Your Hands Making You Sick? reading emphasizes the health benefits of hand washing and outlines the critical times to wash hands in order to prevent the spread of disease.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Risks and benefits	Important personal and social decisions are made based on perceptions of benefits and risks.	Based on hand washing information outlined in the Wash This Way activity and the Are Your Hands Making You Sick? reading, students need to make personal decisions about their hand washing techniques and habits based on their perceptions of benefits and risks.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Science and technology in society	Societal challenges often inspire questions for scientific research, and social priorities often influence research priorities through the availability of funding for research.	The Are Your Hands Making You Sick? reading outlines essential hand washing information that has developed through important scientific research aimed at protecting society against disease.

Challenge 3
GRADE	CATEGORY	SUB-CATEGORY	STANDARD	EXAMPLE SUPPORTING STANDARD
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.	In the How Clean Is Your Clan? activity, students ask friends and family members to rank their own hand-washing techniques and then students assign actual hand-washing scores while watching friends and family members wash their hands.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Communicate scientific procedures and explanations.	After assessing the way friends and family members wash their hands during the How Clean Is Your Clan? activity, students discuss their findings with each family member.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Understandings about Scientific Inquiry	Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models.	In the How Clean Is Your Clan? activity, students observe the hand-washing techniques of various friends and family members and then compare how these subjects ranked their own hand-washing techniques to how they actually washed.
5–8	Life Science	Structure and function in living systems	Disease is a breakdown in structures or functions of an organism. Some diseases are the result of intrinsic failures of the system. Others are the result of damage by infection by other organisms.	In the Who’s Really Washing? reading, students are asked to consider ways to get people to wash their hands in order to prevent the spread of disease.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Personal health	The potential for accidents and the existence of hazards imposes the need for injury prevention. Safe living involves the development and use of safety precautions and the recognition of risk in personal decisions. Injury prevention has personal and social dimensions.	The Who’s Really Washing? reading points out that it may take a catastrophic epidemic to get people to wash their hands properly.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Science and technology in society	Societal challenges often inspire questions for scientific research, and social priorities often influence research priorities through the availability of funding for research.	The Who’s Really Washing? reading lists important studies conducted by the ASA and SDA that reveal that people aren’t washing their hands as much as they claim. These studies are important because hand washing not only affects the health of individuals, it also affects the health of society as a whole.

Challenge 4
GRADE	CATEGORY	SUB-CATEGORY	STANDARD	EXAMPLE SUPPORTING STANDARD
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.	In the Watching Granny Smith Rot activity, students evaluate the effects of handling apple pieces with unclean hands and hands cleaned with regular soap, antibacterial soap, and alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.	In the Watching Granny Smith Rot activity, students review their observations and determine the effects that various hand-washing methods have on the apple pieces over time.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Understandings about Scientific Inquiry	Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models.	In the Watching Granny Smith Rot activity, students observe the apple pieces every day for up to ten days and then formulate their conclusions.
5–8	Life Science	Structure and function in living systems	Disease is a breakdown in structures or functions of an organism. Some diseases are the result of intrinsic failures of the system. Others are the result of damage by infection by other organisms.	In the Watching Granny Smith Rot activity, students observe how microbes from their hands affect an apple over time.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Diversity and adaptations of organisms	Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.	In the Are We Creating Monster Germs? reading, students learn about the controversy over whether antibacterial soaps are creating drug-resistant bacteria because of biological adaptation.
5–8	Science and Technology	Abilities of technological design	Evaluate completed technological designs or products: Students should use criteria relevant to the original purpose or need, consider a variety of factors that might affect acceptability and suitability for intended users or beneficiaries, and develop measures of quality with respect to such criteria and factors; they should also suggest improvements and, for their own products, try proposed modifications.	The Are We Creating Monster Germs? reading presents the debate over whether antibacterial soaps work better than regular soaps. The reading also addresses the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Risks and benefits	Individuals can use a systematic approach to thinking critically about risks and benefits. Examples include applying probability estimates to risks and comparing them to estimated personal and social benefits.	In the Are We Creating Monster Germs? reading, students learn about the controversy over whether antibacterial soaps are creating drug-resistant bacteria because of biological adaptation. Are antibacterial soaps helping to reduce illness or are these soaps causing drug-resistant bacterial strains that will be harder or impossible to control?
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Risks and benefits	Important personal and social decisions are made based on perceptions of benefits and risks.	After reading Are We Creating Monster Germs?, students are asked to survey a store to determine the amount of antibacterial soaps being sold and if there is a cost difference between antibacterial soap and regular soap.
5–8	History and Nature of Science	Nature of science	In areas where active research is being pursued and in which there is not a great deal of experimental or observational evidence and understanding, it is normal for scientists to differ with one another about the interpretation of the evidence or theory being considered. Different scientists might publish conflicting experimental results or might draw different conclusions from the same data. Ideally, scientists acknowledge such conflict and work towards finding evidence that will resolve their disagreement.	In the Are We Creating Monster Germs? reading, students learn about the controversy over whether antibacterial soaps are creating drug-resistant bacteria because of biological adaptation.

Challenge 5
GRADE	CATEGORY	SUB-CATEGORY	STANDARD	EXAMPLE SUPPORTING STANDARD
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.	In the Design Your Own Soap activity, students learn the materials and techniques needed to make glycerin-based soap. In the Colorful Lather Printing activity, students explore the chemistry of soap while creating fun art.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry	Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.	In the Colorful Lather Printing activity, students experiment with lather to observe some properties of soap.
5–8	Science as Inquiry	Understandings about Scientific Inquiry	Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models.	In the Colorful Lather Printing activity, students are asked to observe and describe what happens when food color and water are dropped on shaving cream (a soap lather).
5–8	Physical Science	Properties and changes of properties in matter	Substances react chemically in characteristic ways with other substances to form new substances (compounds) with different characteristic properties. In chemical reactions, the total mass is conserved. Substances often are placed in categories or groups if they react in similar ways; metals is an example of such a group.	The What Is Soap? reading reveals that soap is a compound made by reacting fat (or oil) with a base (usually sodium or potassium hydroxide).
5–8	Science and Technology	Abilities of technological design	Implement a proposed design: Students should organize materials and other resources, plan their work, make good use of group collaboration where appropriate, choose suitable tools and techniques, and work with appropriate measurement methods to ensure adequate accuracy.	In the Design Your Own Soap activity, students plan and design their own glycerin-based soap using any combination of additives such as scents, color, oils, and solids.
5–8	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	Science and technology in society	Science and technology have advanced through contributions of many different people, in different cultures, at different times in history. Science and technology have contributed enormously to economic growth and productivity among societies and groups within societies.	The What Is Soap? reading gives a brief history of soap, which has been around for at least 2,300 years.
5–8	History and Nature of Science	History of science	Tracing the history of science can show how difficult it was for scientific innovators to break through the accepted ideas of their time to reach the conclusions that we currently take for granted.	The What Is Soap? reading points out that soap was first used as an ointment and mediation before its skin-cleaning benefits were discovered.
HealthRICH: Health Risks, Information and Choices is funded by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health. HealthRICH is a Center for Chemistry Education Terrific Science Program.