Sneeze safe - Teachers' zone - Lesson plans

Teachers' zone

Sneezesafe Toolkit

Thank you for registering for Sneezesafe.

A Sneezesafe toolkit will be sent to you in the coming weeks. The Sneezesafe Toolkit will assist you in teaching good respiratory hygiene habits and help stop the spread of germs.

Click on the resources below to print extra copies
if required.

A Poster

Sneezesafe resources can be used either on or offline. These fun and interactive learning activities support the early years health and personal development curriculum and help develop good habits and change behaviour.

Sneezesafe focuses on using tissues hygienically as recommended by the Department of Health to prevent the spread of viruses:

CATCH IT	- Germs spread easily. Always use a tissue to catch your cough and sneeze.
BIN IT	- Germs live on tissues for several hours. Throw the tissue away immediately.
KILL IT	- Hands transfer germs. Wash your hands as soon as you can.

The poster carries a simple message about respiratory hygiene to reinforce the learning objectives of the stories and games. This can be printed and enlarged for classroom display. There is also a black and white version of the poster that students can colour in and take home.

Three lesson plans have been provided for teachers’ use in pre-schools and classrooms and can be delivered consecutively, or as stand-alone sessions. They can also be used as a starting point to develop an inquiry unit on health and good hygiene.

The certificate can be printed for students in recognition of the learnings that they have achieved by the end of the program.

The letter to parents will direct them towards the parents’ section of the website and has the aim of increasing awareness about respiratory hygiene and tissue use so that good habits are reinforced at home as well as at school. It will also remind parents to provide their children with a supply of pocket tissues.

Suggestions for using resources

1) The poster

Talk to younger children about the poster's message using the image of Nathan (who has a cold) and the cold germs.
Read the poster text aloud to the students and then altogether. Discuss the message and ask them why each of the ‘three rules’ (use a tissue for blowing your nose and for covering sneezes and coughs; throw it in the bin; wash your hands promptly) is important.
Divide the class into three; each group will work out a role-play demonstrating one of the ‘rules’.
Clap hands and chant the rhyme; or using chime bells and rhythm blocks set it to music.
Design a poster, brochure or put together a power point with a message promoting good health.
In pairs, work out a simple script, plan a backdrop and record a ‘daily health report’ on flip cams.

2) The certificate

Show one at the beginning of the project and let children know that they receive one at the end of the project to show recognition that they have worked well and as a reminder of what they have learnt.
Emphasise that the certificates will go to students who follow the three rules in class and who can show that they can use tissues properly.
In weekly assembly students can present their certificates with a demonstration of what they have learnt.
A good way to demonstrate how cold germs spread to the rest of the school is to show the assembly the ‘painted hands’ activity. This will reinforce the rules of good tissue use in helping to keep the school healthy.

3) Letter to parents

The purpose of the letter is to inform parents about the focus of classroom work so that they can support the program at home by talking with their children about ways to stay healthy and avoid catching a cold.
It also encourages parents to visit the website and find out more about respiratory hygiene. Parents can view the online games and stories and play them with their children to help reinforce good tissue habits at home.