2/23/14
Last Friday, seventh and eighth graders at Northwood High School explored live cells in a unique and hands-on exploration. With the assistance of Krysten Comperchio, product designer for Betco Corporation, students used ATP meters to swab hands before and after washing them.
The goal of this hands-on science activity was to show students that live cells are everywhere and that washing hands prevents the spread of colds, flus, and other communicable diseases. Students were taught about what ATP is. They were then given swabs to test on their hands before and after hand washing. While they were swabbing their hands, Ms. Comperchio told them about proper hand washing techniques while Mrs. Fish modeled it at the sink in the classroom. Students were then given the opportunity to wash their hands correctly and swab their hands again. Data collected by the students showed that live cells were greatly diminished by hand washing.
Students had many questions about this activity. One of the main questions was, “How does using hand sanitizer compare to washing hands?” Initial research that students conducted to answer this question showed that, in some cases, sanitizer actually increased the level of live cells on hands, and hypotheses as to why this happened included the the idea that touching the hand sanitizer bottle to open it might have transferred ATP from live cells to the hands.
Betco Corporation provided materials to be used during this activity, including ATP meters, swabs, a science journal, highlighter/pen, and a personal foaming hand sanitizer for each of the 154 students. In addition, Ms. Comperchio was able to collect data points from this activity, which will be used in her research. Students were excited to find out that they would be part of ongoing research in their community. Plans for further research include an inquiry lesson where students can use their science skills to test “touch points” in their environment.
As we move into the future, the value of connecting in our community and globally becomes more important. This project was free to Northwood students, was hands-on and connected to the real-world, aligns with Ohio curriculum standards for science, and will be memorable and have a lasting impression on their learning.
Thanks, Ms. Comperchio, for coming to our classroom!
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