Crabby Kathy!

Note: Crabby Kathy is a true story inspired by Room Six KMAC Kids (non-NIEHS link); it was illustrated by Hooker Oak 3rd & 6th Grade Students, 1998-99.

Kathy and Jon and Sara and Boomer live in a house in the country. They like to watch the sunset on the buttes beyond. Kathy is never crabby when she watches the sun nest in the pink and purple sky.

Sometimes Kathy works in the garden. She loves the feel of the earth and the magic of the harvest. Kathy is never crabby in the autumn garden. Kathy loves the ocean, the crashing of the waves, and collecting worn shells in the soft white sand. Kathy is never crabby when she listens to the singing of the whales.

Sometimes Kathy takes Jon and Sara and Boomer to the Indian caves in the desert. She loves to explore the caves with their tales long past. Kathy is never crabby spelunking in the summer. In the spring when the patchwork colors of wildflowers blanket the Table Top Mountains, Kathy catches them before they fade. Kathy is never crabby taking memories.

When the sky is sprinkled with a billion bright stars, Kathy stands still and listens to the gentle quiet. Kathy is never crabby in the night's light. When winter takes its place on the mountain tops Kathy likes the cold chill of the dancing snowflakes. Kathy is never crabby watching winter's ballet.

Kathy goes to school. She loves the kids and they love her. She's the teacher. But most days when Kathy works in her room she gets a headache and she coughs and sneezes. Her throat hurts. Her eyes get red and she feels crabby. POOR Kathy!

The KMAC Kids and Super Sleuth Sprout set to work. They will solve the mystery of Crabby Kathy. The KMAC Kids take their cameras to Kathy's room and look for hazards that might be making her sick. They find dust. That means mites. And cleaners with chemicals. They see a machine that makes copies. And a vent that brings air. There are stinky pens to write with. And moms wearing perfume. Shut-tight windows. A smell from the carpet. And mold spores too.

No wonder she's feeling so crabby. Her body's immune and detoxifying systems are working "overtime" to protect her from all the chemicals and contaminants in her room.

Open the windows! Change the filter, move the copier and buy new pens. Dust for mites. Don't wear perfume. Drink pure water, eat real healthy and exercise too. Be like Kathy! Good as new!

The next time YOU feel crabby or sad or sneeze or cough, remember the air that you breathe can affect the way you feel and behave and live and learn. Don't forget Crabby Kathy and the KMAC Kids and Super Sleuth Sprout!

Background and Epilogue

The 1998-99 KMAC Kids (Kids Making A Connection, Health and the Environment) used what they learned in the ToxRAP curriculum to help Kathy, a Title I teacher, who experienced ill health when she taught her classes in their school's library.

Kathy had red itchy eyes. She experienced sinus pain and swelling. She had a sore throat and a stuffy nose. She would sneeze and cough. She would get a headache....and she was really CRABBY!

During the weekends, Kathy felt fine. When the KMAC Kids asked her to teach in another classroom for three days, she didn't have any of the symptoms. The KMAC Kids went sleuthing in the library. They discovered a number of possible hazards including "stinky" felt pens, a copy machine near her desk, parents wearing perfume, dust (that means mites), chemical cleaners, a filter needed to be changed, a smell from the carpet, and more.

On December 18, 1998 the KMAC Kids and Friends presented Kathy with a basket of non-toxic products including odorless felt pens, non-fragrance lotion and shampoo and hair rinse, a non-toxic cleaner, food based vitamins and an air purifier. Kathy also decided to make contact with a health professional to help in strengthening her immune system. And they raised money through two bake sales to buy her an air filter for her library space.

It worked! Kathy's symptoms went away and she isn't "Crabby" anymore.

The KMAC Kids also decided to write to medical professionals and scientists to gather information about the "synergistic" effects of indoor air contamination. And they pursued possible grants to help pay for measuring formaldehyde in the carpet. In addition, they worked with Mr. Sweet's Sixth Graders to illustrate the Crabby Kathy book.

All these efforts paid off! Their science fair project, "What's in the Air Crabby Kathy" won first place at the All City Science Fair and they were recognized with a gift certificate. They used the certificate to buy books for parents about environmental health, which were placed in the library in memory of a parent who had passed away from breast cancer. The KMAC Kids received a Service Learning Mini Grant. They will use the mini-grant to make copies of the book CRABBY KATHY to share with other third grade classes in the Hooker Oak School, Chico, California 95926.

A CD Rom of the book may also be produced by the students from Chico Senior High School; and the University of Arizona Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, Community Outreach and Education Program will be using the book for teacher training workshops and will also make extra copies of the book for the KMAC students to distribute.

Are there hazards in YOUR environment that are making you CRABBY?

The next time YOU feel crabby or sad or sneeze or cough, remember the air you breathe can affect the way you feel and behave and live and learn. And don't forget Crabby Kathy and the KMAC Kids and Super Sleuth Sprout! KMAC Kids understand that pure water, clean air, exercise, diet and healthy personal choices affect the way they learn and live.

Visit the
Hazard/Source and ToxRAP Map

The Crabby Kathy story was created by the KMAC Kids 1998. Copies may be obtained by contacting KMAC Kids, 1238 Arbutus Ave, Chico, CA 95926; (530) 893-1812. KMAC stands for: Kids Making A Connection, Health & the Environment. This project was partially supported by R25ES08221, an NIEHS grant in K-12 environmental health science education. Learn about other NIEHS educational grant programs at our K-12 Teacher Enhancement and Development, Environmental Health Sciences K-12 Education Grants materials, and the NIEHS K-12 Initiatives websites.

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