Complimentary fumigation during flight to Galápagos Islands

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Before arriving in the Galápagos Islands, you get to watch the cabin being fumigated with insecticide. Because the plane is full of Prius owners who listen to NPR, it was fun to watch peoples’ faces as they slowly realized what’s going on. The audio couldn’t pick up everyone’s conversations, but trust me, it was funny. They don’t ask, “Would anyone mind if we sprayed a little insectide right now?” They just start doing it.

I think the prior to the spraying the captain should have cued up a short video on what introduced insects can do to the islands. For example, showing the devastation of Philornis downsi. Then again, people might be eating …

By the way, when you step off the tarmac after the flight you walk over a spongy mat that has even more chemicals, suspended in a soapy liquid, to kill the things that might be hiding in your treads. Pro tip: watch your step after coming off the sponge mat … it’s incredibly slippery, and will make you wonder whether the airport planners have a firm grasp of basic safety protocols.

Teaching kids about sugar content of beverages

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Teaching kids about the sugar content of common drinks should be a requirement in kindergarten or first grade. Here’s one way: have the class construct a display for the hallway or classroom wall that visually shows how much sugar is hidden in common beverages. Here are some examples:

Pinterest board Educating kindergartners about sugary drinks on Pinterest.

This project would fit in perfectly with most state standards (for example, see page 10 in Health Education Content Standards for California Public Schools). And because it includes numbers (e.g., teaspoons), teachers can use the poster content to visually drive discussions about addition and subtraction. If this poster was done in a fun way, the experience might vaccinate kids against over-consumption of sugary drinks for the remainder of their lives. Ideally, project should include sweetened milk, apple juice, orange juice, and Gatorade.

Poster titles matter, too. “Rethink your drink” is a popular title (it rhymes) but is bland and doesn’t suggest that drinking less sugar is the ideal. “Avoid cavities by avoiding sugary drinks” or “Don’t drink dessert all day” might be more engaging and informative.

If you want some background information relevant to lesson plans on sugar for K-3 levels, here are some resources from BrainPOP. You can pitch the poster completely in terms of dental health.