Glo Germ Contamination Lab – Disease Transmission Investigation & STEM Challenge

One contaminated hand. One classroom. How far will it spread?

Turn contamination and disease transmission into something your students can actually see, investigate, and try to stop with The Invisible Contamination Challenge!

In this hands-on Glo Germ investigation, one student secretly begins with simulated contamination. Students follow a chain of normal classroom interactions, predict where the contamination will travel, and then use a UV light to reveal the results.

But the reveal is only the beginning.

Students use their evidence to trace the contamination pathway and figure out how to break the chain. With only 9 intervention points, they must strategically choose where to use handwashing, clean a shared object, or switch to individual materials.

Then they repeat the same interaction chain and compare the results. Did their strategy actually work?

Along the way, students analyze data, calculate percent reduction, defend their decisions with evidence, and consider what the Glo Germ model can and cannot tell us about real-world contamination.

What’s Included:

• Complete student investigation
• Round 1 + Round 2 UV investigations
• 9-point Break the Chain intervention challenge
• Data analysis + percent reduction
• Evidence-based debrief + model limitations
• Exit ticket
• Comprehensive teacher guide + sample answer key
• Setup, safety, troubleshooting + differentiation
• Ready-to-use interaction sequence
• 15–20 minute quick demo option

Why Teachers Love This Activity

• The UV reveal gets students instantly invested, but the learning goes way beyond the “wow” moment.
• Students aren’t just watching contamination spread. They’re using evidence to figure out what happened and testing a strategy to stop it.
• The 9-point intervention challenge adds problem solving and gives students a reason to really analyze their Round 1 results.
• The same interaction chain is tested twice, making it easy for students to see, calculate, and discuss the impact of their choices.
• A comprehensive teacher guide walks you through setup, safety, the interaction sequence, resetting between rounds, troubleshooting, answers + more.
• It’s one of those activities students will remember, while still giving you real science, data analysis, modeling, and evidence-based reasoning.

Materials Needed: Glo Germ lotion, UV/black light, basic classroom objects, soap/water, and cleaning supplies.

Perfect for: Life Science, Biology, Microbiology, Disease Transmission, Scientific Models, Experimental Design, and Engineering Design.

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If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Thanks for visiting!
Jessica