 Go Back to Table of Contents |
Go To Focal Point Home |
Iodine Activity #3
"Is My Salt Iodized?"
Main Message: "I want my family to use iodized salt because it contains iodine." |
Objective: By participating in this activity, children will learn whether their salt they use at home contains iodine.
Materials:
Small plates or sheets of paper
Pencil, crayon, marker
Iodine testing solution and re-check solution. (Salt testing kits
can be supplied by UNICEF)
Knowledge Component: During the past two days we have talked about iodine and iodized salt. If you can remember, we talked about how our bodies need iodine - which is found in iodized salt. We need iodine in order for our minds and bodies to grow properly. Begin a discussion with the children by asking the following questions:
What do I mean about our minds growing
properly?
Answer: If a child who does not get enough iodine while
growing up, their brain will not develop as it should. It
will be harder for the child to do well in school and to
concentrate on doing even simple tasks. In others
children, if they do not have enough iodine, their bodies
may not grow as much as they can be smaller and shorter
than other children their age.
When do you need to start using iodized
salt?
Answer: Young children need to start eating iodized salt
- therefore they will be eating the iodine they need to
help them grow properly. Even babies before they are born
need iodine - they can get it through their mothers diet.
That is why it is very important for women who are
pregnant to consume iodized salt too!
When do you need to stop using iodized
salt?
Answer: You need little bits of iodine during the whole
span of your life. Therefore, young children, fathers,
mothers, elder daughters, elder sons, aunt and uncles all
need iodine.
Make one last, but very important point
to the class. Say the following to the students, in a
questions format:
Ok, if iodized salt makes my mind and body grow properly,
then if I eat extra iodized salt, I will grow taller and
bigger than everyone else and be the smartest kid in the
class right?
The answer is no. Eating extra iodized salt will not make
you smarter or grow taller then anyone else. This is a
really important point to remember. We all already eat
enough salt on a daily basis. All we need to do to get
enough iodine in our bodies is to use iodized salt and
use it only as much as we already are using regular salt!
Instructions
Review the previous lesson by asking, "What was the main message from the previous lesson? ["Tambala is a brand name of salt."]
To begin today's lesson, discuss the knowledge component with children. After you have completed the discussion, ask the children if they have any questions before continuing. Take a few moments to write the main message on the chalk board. Ask the children to read it out loud and have all the children write down in their notebooks. Tell the class that this is the most important piece of information to remember from today's lesson.
Tell the children that today they will be testing their salt from home.
Ask the children to break into pairs of three or four. This way, if a child forgot to bring salt to school, he/she can watch another student test his/her salt.
Ask each child to place their small amount of salt on a sheet of paper on the ground or desk in front of them.
Depending on the number of salt testing kits you have, groups can work at the same time or one at a time. Instruct the student son how to test their salt by reminding them how you tested the salt yesterday. If you have enough salt testing kits, stand at the front of the room and have some salt to test yourself and instruct the students as a whole, proving step-by-step instructions on how to apply the solution. If you don't have enough kits, then visit each group, one-by-one and help them test their salt. Let the children drop the solution on their own salt. Follow the instructions listed in the previous activity on the proper administration.
Follow-Up Activities
Begin a discussion with the children by asking them the following questions:
Raise your hand if you salt turned purple. Congratulations! Your family buys iodized salt. Do you know the brand name of the salt? What is it? Please tell you mother and father to continue buying iodized salt.
What can you do if your salt did not turn purple?
Finish the lesson by asking a child to re-state the main message.
Suggestions for At Home Activities
Ask the children to explain this experiment and the results with their parents