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Using colored confetti, Dr. Knows demonstrates how germs spread when we sneeze. |
On Wednesday, 65 third-graders from Fontanelle Elementary saw first-hand how germs spread after the giant puppet sneezed colored confetti out of his nose.
The 3-foot-tall puppet — the newest educator in UNMC’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery — taught students the importance of nasal hygiene and hand washing.
“Dr. Knows is a prop to teach kids better nasal hygiene,” said otolaryngologist Anthony Yonkers, M.D. “It shows, on a big scale, what a nose does.”
During the 30-minute visit, Dr. Knows sniffed, sneezed and had “boogers.”
He also helped teach the children the functions of the nose: smelling, breathing, and warming and filtering the air. Don’t forget, one child said, they also “hold your glasses on.”
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A third-grader pulls a green balloon “booger” from the nostril of Dr. Knows. |
UNMC’s Dr. Yonkers and Julie Zetterman led the children in singing several verses of the Dr. Knows song – sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” — with easy hand signals and words that reinforce good hygiene.
If you’re sneezy and you know it, cover up (acchoo!)
If you’re sneezy and you know it, cover up.
If you’re sneezy and you know it, and you’re not afraid to show it,
If you’re sneezy and you know it, cover up.
Dr. Knows wasn’t shy about having a balloon “booger” pulled out of his nostril during a lesson on not picking noses. “Oh, that’s just nasty,” one child said, as others wiggled and giggled in their chairs. Students also were told how to properly dispose of tissues and the importance of washing their hands.
During an encore of the Dr. Knows song, several young Fontanelle volunteers donned groucho glasses. And all of the children received pocket-sized packages of tissues and coloring sheets.