Why Germs Make You Sick: teacher key

Germs, grade 4 edition, written for 4th grade. Germs are tiny, and only a few cause trouble. Find out how they get in, how your body fights back and what medicine can and cannot do.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What does a virus need to make copies?
   • A living cell (answer)
   • Sunlight
   • A microscope
2. Do antibiotics work on a cold?
   • Yes, always
   • No, a cold is a virus (answer)
   • Only for kids
3. Is antibacterial soap better than plain soap?
   • Yes, much better
   • No, any soap works (answer)
   • It is not soap
4. What can a vaccine do?
   • Make you taller
   • Teach your body to know a germ (answer)
   • Kill all bacteria
5. Why does thick yellow mucus not mean you need antibiotics?
   • A cold is caused by a virus (answer)
   • Mucus is clean
   • Colds are bacteria
6. How long should you scrub your hands?
   • 20 seconds (answer)
   • 2 seconds
   • 2 minutes

Words

• bacteria: tiny living germs
• virus: tiny germ
• immune: germ-fighting
• vaccine: germ-training shot
• antibiotics: bacteria-killing medicines