Germs and viruses are an interesting concept for young children to grasp, especially kids younger than the age of 6 or 7 whose abstract reasoning skills are developing. Introduction of the concepts of germs, bacteria, viruses and disease will encourage your youngster to explore the study of science. Influenza is a common news topic, and presenting a set of basic influenza facts for kids makes the coverage easier for young minds to understand.
Personal Hygiene
Exploring the links between personal hygiene and influenza reveals important information your children need to know. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, cites the fact that influenza viruses can live for up to two hours on desks and surfaces at school. Hand washing with warm water and soap destroys the virus that causes the flu. Using cleaning products on the desks also keeps school equipment free from viruses. Armed with these basic facts, your child is less likely to become a victim of the flu and more likely to be motivated to wash hands frequently.
Flu Facts for Lower Grades
Influenza facts for lower grades provide a bridge to the school educational curriculum for the youngest learners. The fact that a sneeze carries the flu virus at a speed of approximately 100 miles per hour, spraying everything and everyone in a 5-foot radius, according to the U.S. Library of Congress, is important to the disease transmission. The link between viruses and influenza is an important fact for child, particularly if he is in the lower elementary grades. Lessons that explore the link between pigs and swine flu in humans help younger kids make links between concrete and abstract thought.
Flu Facts for Upper Grades
Facts for the upper grades include influenza epidemics and the historical significance of the disease. The fact that influenza is categorized according to origin, such as canine, avian or swine flu, is an important part of the curriculum for the upper elementary grades. A complex study of the facts related to the chain of influenza infection is an appropriate subject matter for your middle and high school student.
Disease Study
The basic facts about epidemiology make for important study material at the middle and high school levels. Influenza modeling facts include the use of computer and programs by your child that go beyond simple gaming or Internet use. Statistical data mining of influenza is used to track flu outbreaks and the use and making of vaccines, according to RTI International, information your student can access using a computer.
Geographical Study
History classes explore the impact of the flu on populations and movement of people across continents and oceans. The basic facts of the time it takes to spread flu from different geographic regions in the U.S. is relevant to the study of world geography. The fact that science also can now pinpoint the geographic location for many influenza outbreaks means that your high school student can track potential disease paths using computer programs and information from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
References
- CDC: Stopping the Spread of Germs at Home, Work & School
- CDC: Seasonal Flu Information for Schools & Childcare Providers
- KidsHealth: What Are Germs?
- Library of Congress: Everyday Mysteries
- "Data Mining: What is Data Mining?" Bill Palace, 1996
