BEN|1007936
If your brother or sister gets a cold, there's a good chance that you'll pick up the same bug -- either directly or from something he or she touched or sneezed on. In this Science Update, you'll find out how long a germ can hang around and wait for its next victim.
Summary
| Subject keyword(s) | Audio, Disease, Education, High school lower division 9-10, High school upper division 11-12, Immunology, Learn, Learner, Life Science, Life science, Microbiology, Middle school 6-8, Personal and social issues, Personal health, Personal hygiene, Public health, Teach, Teacher, Virology, Viruses |
|---|
| Grade level | Middle School, High School, Informal Education |
|---|
| Intended audience | Learner |
|---|
| Resource type | Audio/Visual, Reference Material |
|---|
| Resource format | audio, text, text/html |
|---|
| Rights | AAAS
Copyright. All images, text, programs, and other materials found in the Science NetLinks Web site ("Web site") are protected by the United States copyright laws and are owned or licensed by AAAS, its affiliates and/or its partners. K-12 educators may use and make a limited number of copies of the Science NetLinks content and materials for non-commercial, classroom and instructional use and in support of the program Science NetLinks : Internet Content for the Classroom. Use and reproduction of materials owned or controlled by Science NetLinks 's Partners may be subject to additional conditions or restrictions. Please see the Partner's Web site or contact us for further details. All other rights are reserved. Except as set forth above, no part of the Science NetLinks content or materials may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from AAAS and, if applicable, the relevant Science NetLinks Partner owning such content. Any modifications or commercial or for profit use of the images, text, programs or other materials found in the Web site is strictly prohibited. If the User would like to set up an educator-training program using Science NetLinks content, please contact AAAS or follow the links to "Order Training" from the Science NetLinks home page. Under no circumstances may any individual or organization charge for the use of Science NetLinks online content and materials, including Professional Development resources, without prior written permission from AAAS. |
|---|
Using this resource
Found in collection(s)
Click on the logo to get more information about the collection.
| Title | BiosciEdNet (BEN): Digital Library Portal for Teaching and Learning in the Biological Sciences |
|---|
| Link | http://www.biosciednet.org/portal/ |
|---|
| Description | BiosciEdNet(BEN) is a catalyst for individual undergraduate biology educators to improve their teaching through resources, collaboration, and network building. However, it is also a catalyst for participating biology research-based and education-based organizations to build collaborations in terms of pedagogy, authentic assessment, multidisciplinary resources, and development of their individual digital-library collections. Materials in the digital library are designed primarily for undergraduate biology educators, including those who prepare K-12 faculty members. Also, materials are useful for graduate- and medical-school educators. The BEN Collaborative is spearheaded by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and composed of 11 professional societies and coalitions for biology education. It is developing a revolutionary approach for transforming biology teaching and learning in undergraduate and graduate institutions, as well as in professional schools using digital electronic resources. |
|---|
| Full description and distribution of resources |
|---|
| Title | Middle School Portal: Math and Science Pathways (MSP2) |
|---|
| Link | http://msteacher2.org/ |
|---|
| Description | The Middle School Portal 2: Math and Science Pathways (MSP2) supports middle grades educators with high-quality, standards-based resources and promotes collaboration and knowledge-sharing among its users. Educators use MSP2 to increase content knowledge in science, mathematics, and appropriate pedagogy for youth ages 10 to 15. MSP2 employs social networking and digital tools to foster dynamic experiences that promote creation, modification, and sharing of resources, facilitate professional development, and support the integration of technology into practice. MSP2 is a project of the Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology, National Middle School Association, and Education Development Center, Inc., and is funded by the National Science Foundation. The partners integrate resources, tools, and services across projects, and support multiple methods of resource discovery to meet the needs of this audience. |
|---|
| Full description and distribution of resources |
|---|
Content contained within the resource
GO IN DEPTH Award Winning Books See the Collection lessons The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks › Robert Gardner: Teaching Scientific Inquiry › tools Stars Beneath Your Bed: The Surprising Story of Dust › The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America’s Lost Grasslands › / Henrietta Lacks In this lesson, students explore the issue of ethics in medical research and, in particular, the issue of informed consent, in the context of Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cells.See the Lesson / The Frog Scientist This lesson introduces students to Dr. Tyrone Hayes, a biologist who is using a combination of scientific fieldwork and lab experimentation to understand how a commonly used pesticide is damaging both frogs and their habitats.See the Lesson / The Wild Trees This lesson addresses the diversity of scientific research in the context of the story of how researchers learned about the giant redwoods in Northwestern California.See the Lesson / Magic School Bus This lesson should help students understand both the physical forces behind climate change, and the social responses to it as a means to preserve the health of people, the state of cities, island nations, and organisms.See the Lesson Science NetLinks Search Lessons Tools Collections Afterschool Science News Science News > Science Updates Germy Surfaces play pause stop mute unmute If your brother or sister gets a cold, there’s a good chance that you’ll pick up the same bug—either directly or from something he or she touched or sneezed on. In this Science Update, you’ll find out how long a germ can hang around and wait for its next victim. Transcript What's the life span of a germ? I'm Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update. When one family member gets a cold or the flu, it seems like only a matter of time before everyone in the house gets sick. That got Michael Guccione of Naperville, Illinois, to wondering how long these viruses survive on surfaces, and if that's how they get passed from one person to another. Well, Michael, we asked Dr. Don Goldmann, an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital in Boston. He says cold viruses can live for up to six hours outside the human body. Goldmann: And they are spread by this sort of careless touching of contaminated surfaces. Or for that matter, just directly wiping the snotty nose of a child and getting your hands contaminated. That's why he says it's important to practice good hand hygiene—washing with soap and water, or using a sanitizing gel that contains alcohol. The flu virus, though, spreads differently—mostly through the air when someone sneezes or coughs. Goldmann: So yes, the surfaces can be important, but this is more of a droplet and airborne virus than some of those other cold viruses. If you've got the germ of a science question, call us at 1-800-WHY-ISIT. Or e-mail us from our website, www.scienceupdate.com. If we use your question on the show, you'll get a free Science Update mug. I'm Bob Hirshon for AAAS, the Science Society. Making Sense of the Research How long does a cold virus last? That depends which cold virus you're talking about. The illness we call a "cold" is actually a collection of symptoms that can be triggered by a wide variety of viruses. Some common types of cold viruses include rhinoviruses (the prefix "rhino" means "nose"), respiratory syncytial viruses (commonly found in babies), and coronaviruses (a nasty strain of coronavirus causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS). Within these and other groups, there are dozens, even hundreds, of different strains of virus, and they’re constantly mutating. As long as your immune system is working properly, you can't catch the same virus twice, but there are still plenty more to go around. As Goldmann explains, cold viruses can live on contaminated surfaces for up to five or six hours. But just touching the surface usually isn't enough to get you sick: the skin on your hands is a pretty tough barrier for cold germs. When the cold virus does manage to infiltrate your body, it usually gets in through an entrance that isn't so well guarded, like your nose or your eyes. (Your mouth actually isn't such a great way in, as it turns out—so kissing is relatively safe.) Now, few people actually rub their noses or eyes directly on doorknobs, used tissues, or other surfaces that can carry the cold virus. But if you touch these things and then scratch your nose or rub your eyes, you've just given the cold virus a free ride into your body. That's why hand washing is the most effective way to avoid picking up someone else's cold germs. The flu virus can spread this way too, but unlike most cold viruses, it's also carried easily in droplets of moisture in a sneeze or a cough. Because of that, the flu spreads more easily than most colds. Luckily, most flu seasons are dominated by only a handful of different strains of the virus, making it possible to create an effective vaccine that will prevent most cases of illness. Now try and answer these questions: How are cold viruses passed from one person to another? Be specific. How does the flu virus behave differently? Why is hand washing an effective defense against the cold virus? Would any of this change if the cold virus could live for a week outside the body? What would be different? Would certain forms of prevention become more or less important? Suppose only a few different kinds of viruses caused colds. How would our prevention strategy change? For Educators CommonCold.org is a comprehensive, updated reference source for information about colds and cold viruses. The American Lung Association publishes this page of Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Influenza and the Common Cold. Influenza 1918, an episode of PBS's The American Experience, details the most devastating epidemic in American history. Related Resources Healing Honey 6-11 | Audio Same-Sex Parents 6-12 | Audio Tomato Mold 6-12 | Audio 1918 Flu 6-12 | Audio Adaptive Happiness 6-12 | Audio Send us feedback about this Science Update > Did you find this resource helpful? 5 Science Update Details Grades 6-12 Themes Health/Medicine Project 2061 Benchmarks 5 The Living Environment State Standards Select State Have you tried this lesson? Share your tips Your Name Your Email Address We won't share or publish your email address Tip Post Your Tip Science NetLinks is a project of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. About Science NetLinks › Become a AAAS Member › Contact Us › Sign Up for Our Newsletter › AAAS - Advancing Science Serving Society Supported by Thinkfinity © Copyright AAAS 2012. All rights reserved. Terms of Use & Privacy Policy
