Setting:

Red Cross Club

House

Age Level:
10-14 years old

Curriculum
Focus:
Promotion of
personal hygiene
(dental, bathing,
nails, deodorant
usage, etc)

Lesson Duration:
1 hour

Personal Hygiene

Program Description: Puberty is the period in childrens lives when they

experience physical changed by which their bodies eventually become adult
bodies that are capable of reproducing. Puberty produces many changes in
your body. These changes include body hair growth, frequent sweating and
body odor. Practicing good personal hygiene at a young age is essential for
children to help them understand the importance and to ensure that they
maintain a healthy body throughout their lives. This lesson plan seeks to
speak to students about proper hygiene habits, discuss proper hygiene and
consequences of bad personal hygiene. Throughout the lesson plan we plan
to give this population tools to help them prepare for these bodily changes
they are encountering. Reassure the students that this discussion is meant to
help them feel at ease with their growing and changing bodies and hygiene
practices.
Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, students will be educated on different

forms of personal hygiene
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand
different methods used to prevent consequences related to bad
personal hygiene

Materials: Index Cards

Procedures:

Introduction (5 minutes): Write the word Hygiene on the board and greet
the students with the following message. Hello everyone! Today we are
going to talk about puberty and personal hygiene. Can I get a few volunteers
to tell me what we think about or know about the word written on the
board?
Have a couple of students raise their hands and contribute to the discussion.
Then ask the students to think about whether or not they may have bad
personal hygiene or are going through some bodily changes due to puberty.
Hand Washing/Nails (10 minutes):

Another form of clean hygiene is to proper trim your nails. Nail biting
causes the spread of germs and causes illnesses. Keeping your nails
trimmed helps prevent illness and germ spreading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQSX857Pj5A (Show video H1N1
Prevention for Kids: How to wash your hands the right way with Bubble
Girl and Grimy Germ) on youtube)
Ask students who can demonstrate proper hand washing techniques
(more than 20 seconds, inside nails, thumbs, back of hands and wrist)

Bathing (10 minutes):

Discuss the importance of bathing and why everyone should take a

bath or shower every day. Discuss washing their hair and the
importance of cleaning all nooks and crannies (underarm, privates,
etc.).
Inform them that people sweat naturally but when puberty begins,
chemicals are secreted into the sweat that causes bad odor. These
odors are noticeable in your feet, genital areas and underarms.
The best way to clean is to
- Bathe/Shower everyday using mild soap and warm water.
- Wearing clean clothes, socks and underwear each day
- If you sweat a lot, shirts, socks and underwear made of cotton or
natural materials help absorb sweat more effectively
- Use deodorant with antiperspirant. Deodorants get rid of the odor of
sweat by covering it up and antiperspirants stop/dry up
perspiration.
If you need more time for this section, ask students questions about
bathing and see if they have any questions.

Deodorant (10 minutes):

Sweating is a part of the body natural cooling process. When the sweat
is not cleaned off your body, bacteria can breed, which will increase
the strength of the smell.
Discuss the important of deodorant and/or antiperspirant use in
keeping excessive sweating of the underarms under control.
Deodorants are helpful in covering smells, however if you sweat a lot
and feel as though you need extra protection, it may be useful to use
antiperspirant instead.
o Deodorants reduce odor by preventing the growth of bacteria in
the area, by preventing the secretion of perspiration, and by
masking the offensive odor with a pleasant one.
o Antiperspirants are deodorant that prevents the secretion of
sweat. They work by reducing the amount of sweat that reaches
the skins surface.
The removal of excess hair helps to reduce area on which bacteria can
develop. It can also be important to shave more during the hot
summer months.
o Before shaving, you should discuss whether or not it is
appropriate with your parents.
Body odor is a very personal issue and should be handled delicately. It
is nobodys fault that they produce excess sweat!

Dental hygiene (10 minutes):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDZXSMU2lAk (Show video How to

Brush Your Teeth Properly For Kids on youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH27PiYX6gI (Show video Dental
Health: How to Brush Your Teeth on youtube)
Go over steps with students on how to effectively brush teeth. (ask one
student from each team to repeat the steps)

Activity (5 minutes):
Distribute one index card to each student. Write True on one side, False
on the other side. Ask the following questions and have students answer with
their cards.
Use each question to stimulate discussion. **Distribute reward points to the
team who has the most correct answers. **
1. Mouthwash is better to use than brushing your teeth.(False)
2. Deodorant stops people from sweating. (False)

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Squeezing pimples helps them go away. (False)

Flossing teeth is only for people who cant brush their teeth. (False)
Puberty in girls starts at age 13 and is over by 14. (False)
It is only necessary to bathe when one feels dirty. (False)
Keeping clean helps one to stay healthy. (True)
You only have to brush your teeth once per day (False)
You should only use deodorant only after you start sweating ( False)
10. You can spread germs by biting your nails ( True)