SNIFFLY SNEEZE Things to
SNIFFLY SNEEZE Things to think about Encourage children to think of all aspects of what makes a good hankie. Get them to think carefully about the amount of water used in the absorbency test. You may need to cut up cotton hankies to get sensible sized pieces, so buy cheap ones from a market or make your own from a large piece of cloth. There is no easy way to measure for roughness. The children can estimate how the hankies feel, perhaps using a simple 3-point scale e.g. smooth, rough and in-between. Take it further The hankie’s absorbency depends on a number of factors, including the thickness of the fibres and size of the spaces between them. The hankie’s strength is important. Cheap tissues can be absorbent but they may fall apart easily when wet. How rough the hankie feels is essential, especially when you have a cold. Some tissues have added lubricants, such as Aloe Vera, so that they feel softer. Greaseproof paper feels smooth but is not very absorbent. Disposable tissues are more hygienic. Germs can multiply quite rapidly in a hankie that is kept in a warm pocket. If you use a hankie over the course of a day then it can get pretty unpleasant and unhygienic. However, disposable tissues might be wasteful. This is a good opportunity to remind children to wash their hands regularly if they have a cold. SNIFFLY SNEEZE Keywords • Germs • Absorbency • Strength • Durability Watch out! Test hankies on hands, not noses. Remind children not to share hankies. British Science Association Registered Charity No. 212479 and SC039236 26
Sniffly Sneezes Activity Card Gem grabs her hankie. Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! She holds her hankie to her nose and sneezes three more times. “Oh dear, what a horrible sniffly sneeze!” she sighs, tucking her hankie into her pocket. Now her nose is running! She needs to wipe it quickly. Gem pulls out her hankie again and rubs her nose. This isn’t any fun. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Cosmic. He’s brought Gem a lolly to cheer her up. SNIFFLY SNEEZE Cosmic looks at Gem, “Your nose is all red,” he says. “You look like a clown!” Gem sighs again. “It’s my hankie. It doesn’t work very well. I wish I had a better one.” “OK,” says Cosmic cheerfully. “I’m sure we can find something. Let’s ask Aunt Stella to help us. She will have lots of things we could try. But how will we know which is best?” Aunt Stella says she thinks a hankie needs to be strong when it’s wet. Cosmic thinks a hankie needs to be soft on your nose, and Gem thinks it needs to soak up water to keep your nose dry. Have you ever had a cold? What kind of hankie did you use? Your challenge Gem needs to know which hankie to use. She has lots of things to try. Can you help her? 27
