7.06 Immune System Lab Report Thoroughly washing your hands can be one of the best ways to prevent the spread of pathogens that cause illnesses. Our bodies have several lines of defense to fight infections. It is very important to do what we can do to avoid the pathogens from entering our system in the first place. Our hands pick up microscopic pathogens from objects that were touched by people who may not have washed their hands very well. When we forget to wash our hands or don’t wash them properly, we can spread pathogens from our hands to our internal systems by touching other parts of our body. During this lab activity, my partner and I will test the effectiveness of different hand-washing times, techniques, and materials. The objective of this activity is to answer the question: How long does it take to effectively wash your hands? I hypothesize that it takes around 35 seconds to effectively wash your hands, because it takes a while to rub off all the germs on your hands. I think the longer you wash your hands for, the cleaner they will get.
Safety Notes:
-be sure you are using washable paint that can be removed with soap and water.
-wash your hands carefully after completing the lab activity
-be sure that you have permission and supervision from a guardian before completing this lab activity
-do not touch your face with paint and avoid getting paint in your eyes
-protect the work surface, using newspaper or other covering, and wear an apron or old clothes
Materials:
-timer or watch that counts seconds
-sink
-blindfold
-washable paint or food coloring
-paper towels
-soap
-partner (this can be a friend or family member)
-newspaper to protect the work surface (optional)
Procedure:
1. Pick one person to be the hand washer and one person to be the timekeeper. You will both have the opportunity to complete each of the experiments, so you will each be washing your hands two times.
2. Washer #1 should put a small amount (about a tablespoon)