Colds and flus are the most common illnesses in the classroom and perhaps one of the most contagious. Coronavirus is a respiratory illness that is transmitted in a similar way to colds and flus. The most common mode of transmission for RTIs is through close contact with respiratory droplets in the air from coughs and sneezes or through contact with contaminated surfaces.

Good respiratory hygiene is especially important in the approach to the winter cold/ flu season each year, and when there is an outbreak of a respiratory infection.

In this lesson plan, students learn how the microbes transmitted in a sneeze can spread to others in close proximity. They explore the efficacy of different respiratory hygiene methods for preventing transmission and explore how quickly harmful microbes, spread through respiratory droplets, can travel around the world.