Particle Transmission
Learning Objectives
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To learn how easily particles are transmitted onto surfaces
To learn how some disease are spread
Materials needed
For each student group:
 ¼ cup flour
 Black paper
 A piece of fruit, preferably medium sized (an apple, orange or tangerine)
 Baby wipes or damp paper towels for clean up
Teacher Instructions
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Write the following statement on the board: Tiny particles can be transmitted from surface to surface a number of
times by touch.
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Explain that this is a hypothesis, an educated guess or prediction you can test to see if it’s true. Working in small
groups, students will find out whether or not this is correct.
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Divide students into small groups of 4 (groups of 3 or 5 are ok). Ask students to decide who will go first.
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Ask the first student to rub his or her hands in flour then pick up a piece of fruit and hand it to the second student.
The fruit will change hands two or more times. Do not let the students over-handle the fruit; they should just pick it
up and hand it on.
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The fourth student will put the fruit down and place his or her hands on the black paper. The group should make
note of whether or not they see tiny white particles on the black paper when student number four touches it.
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Have the students carry out the experiment, taking turns being the first student to rub their hands in the flour.
Carry out the experiment two or three times, if possible.
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Ask students to write down their observations and decide if their experiment proved or disproved the hypothesis
written on the board.
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Discuss with students what they think this shows about the transmission of disease, and the different ways that
disease are spread from one person to another. Ask students what they think would have happened if each one
had washed their hands after handling the fruit. Hand out the “Modes of Transmission Fact Sheet” to go over
other ways diseases can spread and what we could do to stop them from spreading.
Modes of Transmission