LESSON

PLAN
AIM
Students will acknowledge and understand the importance
of good hygiene practice in relation to colds and flu.
They will learn how an unsafe sneeze spreads cold
and flu viruses to others, and will be encouraged
to use safe hygiene practices.

ACHIEVEMENT OBJECTIVES
STRAND A
Personal Health & Physical Development
Personal Well-Being & Development Attitudes & Responsibilities
STRAND D
Healthy Communities & Environments
People & the Environment
The cold and flu hygiene messaging in the KLEENEX SNEEZESAFE lesson
is supported by the Ministry of Health
LESSON PLAN YOU WILL
NEED:
WARM UP - ACTIVITY 1 Water spray
bottle and
bubble
COLD & FLU VIRUS TRANSFER BY AIR mixture
The teacher fills an empty, clean spray bottle with water.
The teacher simulates the spread of a sneeze by spraying the water
into the air, reaching surfaces and people within a one-metre radius.
The teacher creates bubbles to illustrate how virus particles can
float in the air from an untrapped sneeze for others to breathe.
The class learns that sneezing is the most prolific means of
spreading cold and flu viruses and that people need to trap
their sneezes effectively.
1. How many people and surfaces have water on them? H2O
2. To what extent have the cold and flu virus particles
spread through the air?

YOU WILL
WARM UP - ACTIVITY 2 NEED:
Glitter
COLD & FLU VIRUS TRANSFER BY TOUCH
Students simulate the spread of cold and flu virus particles,
if hands are not washed straight after sneezing.
One student wets their hands with water and keeps them
GLITTER

damp so glitter sticks. (Alternatively, talcum powder on dry

hands illustrates the same effect.)
One student puts glitter on their right hand.
The selected glitter student shakes hands with 3 other
people. Each of the 3 people shake hands with 3 others.
Continue until all hands have been shaken.
Students then investigate their hands and the surfaces TEACHING
theyve touched, and learn how far cold and flu virus
particles can spread by touch.
MESSAGE
Even though only one person started
out being infected with a cold or flu
1. How many hands have glitter on them, virus in this simulated sneeze scenario,
even just one speck? glitter and water spray will have
infected others, due to unsafe cold
2. To what extent have the cold and flu virus and flu hygiene practice. Cold and flu
particles spread by touch? viruses can spread by touch, or even
more effectively by air, they are
invisible, and they can remain active
for more than an hour.
ACTIVITY 1
THE ART OF THE AHHH-CHOOO!!
Students use the KLEENEX TISSUES SNEEZESAFE website
www.sneezesafe.co.nz and other sources to learn about the science
of sneezes e.g. how many virus droplets are produced by a sneeze,
how far and fast they travel, how long cold and flu viruses remain
contagious, and which muscles are used to execute a sneeze.

Explain and discuss the science of sneezing and the safest ways to sneeze.

1. The safest way to trap a sneeze is with a tissue. Bin the used tissue straight
after sneezing.

2. Another safe way to trap a sneeze is with your hands cupped over your mouth
and nose, as long as you wash your hands straight after sneezing into them.

3. The third option is to sneeze into the inside of your elbow. This sneeze at least
stops virus particles from entering the air for others to breathe, but the particles
can still spread by touch.

ACTIVITY 2
TRAP IT! WASH IT! WATCH IT!
Watch the online movie at www.sneezesafe.co.nz
and discuss. Write questions on whiteboard.

1. How do sneezes have the potential to spread colds and flu?

2. What are the 4 key things to remember when sneezing to prevent

the spread of cold and flu viruses?

3. What could happen if no one in the community followed these key things?

4. What can you do to pass on the message about sneezing safely to others
in your community, school and family?

Your class might like to visit www.sneezesafe.co.nz and experience the KLEENEX
SNEEZESAFE virtual sneeze or view the SNEEZESAFE lesson brought to life by other schools.
 WEBLIN
SO GROSS! www.mo
h.govt.n
www.sn
z/
eezesaf
KS:
influenz
e.co.nz
a

FUN FACTS FOR STUDENTS

Why is the sneeze the biggest culprit in the transmission of colds and flu?
Published medical journals confirm that the volume of virus particles produced by a sneeze is
significantly greater than the volume produced by a cough or nose blow. And U.S. expert in
infectious diseases, Dr Winkler Weinberg, maintains that a sneeze is capable of sending cold
and flu virus particles at speeds of up to 320 kilometres an hour, a distance of up to 900mm,
into the air for others to breathe. Dr Lance Jennings* was coinvestigator in an Antarctic study
30 years ago, testing the nature of cold and flu virus transfer.
The same Antarctic Hut Model was used in 1986, involving 20 volunteers (8 cold-ridden)
playing poker for 12 hours. The poker games ensured a consistent level of exposure to cold
virus particles (i.e. via sneezes, coughs, nose-blows, laughing, singing and speaking), and a
variety of surfaces. Hand to hand and surface contact was shown in the experiments to be less
effective than air transfer in spreading live cold virus particles. However Dr Jennings believes
that cold and flu hygiene for children should still include hand-washing, as their closer and
more frequent contact makes the risk of transmission by contact higher.
*Independent New Zealand virologist and temporary advisor to the World Health Organisation.

How do our bodies choreograph a sneeze?

When the inside of your nose gets a tickle, a message is sent to a special part of your brain
called the sneeze centre. The sneeze centre then sends a message to all the muscles that have
to work together to create the amazingly complicated process that we call the sneeze.
Some of the muscles involved are the abdominal muscles, the chest muscles, the diaphragm,
the muscles that control your vocal chords, and muscles in the back of your throat.
Don't forget the eyelid muscles! Did you know that you close your eyes when you sneeze?
It is the job of the sneeze centre to make all these muscles work together, in just the right
order, to send that irritation flying out of your nose at high speed!!
Reviewed by John Gould, MD, January 2006 Source: http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/sneeze.html

STUDENTS: ITS TIME TO TEACH

THOSE ADULTS TO BE SNEEZESAFE

A Colmar Brunton survey(1) conducted in March 2008, profiled the state of cold and flu
hygiene practice in New Zealand. These are the results:

25% of New Zealand adults cleared mucus from their nose onto the ground at least sometimes.
55% admitted to sometimes sneezing into the air for others to breathe.
34% used their clothing, fingers or wrist to wipe a runny nose at least occasionally.
12% of those who sometimes sneezed into their hands never washed them afterwards
73% thought snot was part of normal vocabulary in New Zealand.
(1) sample size: 716 respondents aged over 18

For more information:

email: info@sneezesafe.co.nz
ph: 0800 733 703

Registered Trademark Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. KCWW 2013