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Introducing the Lead Busters (start the story here)
Lead in the Neighborhood
Ms. Marble's Advice
Sherman and the Lead Busters Club Look for Lead
Lead Busters' Neighborhood
Agatha Fights Lead
Elisa Saves the Day!
Henry and His Worries
Join the Lead Busters' Club
Club Certificate
Healthy Food Quiz
Club Rap Song
Lead Busters' Poster
Teacher's Guide
Teacher's Assessment
Credits
Disclaimers
Links Caution
Ms. Marble, Eliza Perez, Agatha Krispy, Henry Lee, Sherman Holmes!
Sherman Holmes, Henry Lee, Agatha Krispy, and Elisa Perez, are in school. Ms. Marble, their teacher, says to the class, "There is something dangerous in our neighborhood. Do you know what it is? Sherman,Henry,Agatha, and Elisa do not know. Ms. Marble says, "We have lead in our neighborhood. There is lead in old paint. There is lead in the flakes from old paint. There is lead in the dust from old paint." Lead is bad for you if it gets inside your body," says the teacher. "It can make you sick. It can hurt your brain and make it hard for you to learn. But you can keep lead out of your body. I'll tell you how!
Here is what Ms. Marble says: "First, you need to learn where to find lead in our neighborhood."
"Now here's what you can do to be safe from lead," says Ms. Marble.
Sherman says, "I want to be safe from lead. I want to find dangerous lead in my neighborhood. I want to be a detective and find dangerous lead."
Henry says, "Me too." Agatha says, "Me too." Elisa says, "Me too."
Sherman says, "Let’s start a club. We can call it the Lead Busters Club. We can find dangerous Lead in our neighborhood." Henry, Agatha, and Elisa all say, "Yes! We want to be Lead Busters."
Agatha says, "Let’s have a club motto. How about ‘Looking for Lead’?"
Henry, Elisa, and Sherman agree. Sherman says, "OK, Lead Busters, let’s go looking for lead." So they all go out and look for lead in their neighborhood.
How many lead dangers can you find in your neighborhood, school, or home?
Things to look for: paint flakes and paint dust.
Talk with your teacher, class, parents, and friends about what Sherman could do about these lead dangers. Where would you look for lead in your neighborhood?
Sherman says, "OK, Lead Busters. We found some dangerous lead. What should we do now?"
Agatha says, "Let’s tell some grownups about what we found."
Henry says, "What else?"
Agatha says, "Let’s stay away from lead paint flakes and lead paint dust."
Elisa says, "What else?"
Agatha says, "Let’s wash our hands before we eat and after we play."
Sherman says, "What else?"
Agatha says, "Let’s leave our shoes at the door and wear socks in the house."
Henry shouts, "Or slippers!"
Sherman says, "What else?"
Agatha says, "Let’s eat healthy foods like milk and oranges and broccoli and chicken."
Elisa says, "Broccoli? Yuck. Do I have to?" All four yell, "We can be lead-safe. We’re the Lead Busters!"
Ms. Marble says, "Shhhhh."
Let’s Think About It.... What can you do if you see lead dangers in your neighborhood?
Elisa sees a window. Elisa sees a window with old paint. Elisa sees a window with old paint and paint flakes. Elisa sees her baby brother. Elisa sees her baby brother near the window. Elisa says, "Stop! Don't touch!" Elisa washes her brother’s hands with soap and water. Elisa tells a grownup about the old paint and paint flakes. The grownup knows how to clean up the paint flakes with a damp soapy rag. Elisa saves the day!
The Lead Busters are meeting to talk about lead. Henry is worried. He knows that some paint has lead, and he’s afraid to use his paint box and finger-paints.
Agatha is worried too. She has a pencil. She heard someone call it a "lead pencil." She’s afraid to use her pencil. Henry asks their teacher, Ms. Marble, for help.
Ms. Marble says they do not have to worry. Henry’s paint box is safe. It is marked "nontoxic." That means there is no lead in the paint.
Henry’s finger-paints are safe too. They are marked "nontoxic." That means there is no lead in the finger-paints.
Agatha’s pencil is safe. A long time ago, pencils had lead in them. But today there is no lead in pencils.
Remember: Always ask a grownup if you are worried about lead. Do you have any questions about lead? Who are some grownups you can ask about lead?
Certificate of Membership ( print a copy)
Student's Name: _____________________
is a member of the Lead Buster's Club. Club members know how to:
Teacher's Name: _____________________
Date:______________________
Some foods can help keep your body safe from lead. These healthy foods include fruits and vegetables, beans, lean meats, lowfat dairy foods, and rice, bread, and cereal. Other foods do not help keep your body safe from lead. These foods have a lot of sugar, fat, or salt. If you eat them, eat only small amounts and eat them only once in a while. Which foods on the list below can help keep your body safe from lead?
Apple, Apple pie, Beans, Bread, Broccoli, Carrots, Cereal, Cheese, Chocolate, candy bar, Corn chips, Cupcakes, Doughnuts, French fries, Hot dogs, Milk (lowfat), Oatmeal, Oranges or orange juice, Peaches, Peanut butter, Popcorn (plain or with a little butter and salt), Potato chips, Rice, Roasted chicken, Tuna, Yogurt (lowfat).
Write down the names of the healthy foods from the list below in one column. Then write down the names of the foods that do not help keep your body safe from lead in another column.
Apples, Beans, Bread, Broccoli, Carrots, Cereal, Cheese, Lowfat Milk, Oatmeal, Oranges or orange juice, Peaches, Popcorn (plain or with a little butter and salt), Rice, Roasted chicken, Tuna, Lowfat Yogurt.
Apple pie, Chocolate candy bar, Corn chips, Cupcakes, Doughnuts, French fries, Hot dogs, Potato chips.
Make your own lead-safety poster on a separate sheet of paper. You can draw or write anything that will help other people learn about how to be safe from lead. When you are finished, give the poster to your teacher, parent, or guardian.
Lead is bad, it can make you sick.
You can get the lead out with this easy trick.
Take warm water and add some soap
Rub your hands together, now don't say "nope."
Clean between your fingers, then rinse and rinse.
Sing this little ditty -- it gives you the hints.
Get the lead out, get the lead out.
Get the L-E-A-D lead out!
Teacher's Guide
Teacher's Guide Assessment
Credits
Copyright 2000 by the University of Connecticut (non-NIEHS site)
All Rights Reserved
The Adventures of the Lead Busters Club was written by Joan Bothell,
Environmental Research Institute; Maureen T. Mulroy, School of Family Studies (non-NIEHS site); and Mary-Margaret Gaudio (non-NIEHS site), Cooperative Extension System (non-NIEHS site), University of Connecticut (non-NIEHS site). Contact Mary-Margaret Gaudio, University of Connecticut, Cooperative Extension System,
1800 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06092,
mgaudio@canr.uconn.edu, for reprints. Technical assistance was provided by Owen J. Humphries, Jr., Coordinator, Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Hartford Health Department. The book was illustrated by Karen Havens and Sue Schadt and designed by Sue Schadt, Office of Communications and Information Technology, University of Connecticut. The project was inspired by the Connecticut Lead Hazard Awareness Coalition.
Funding was provided by the State of Connecticut and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (non-NIEHS site). The project was sponsored by the Hartford Department of Housing and Community Development and the Hartford Health Department.
Requests for Copies
Disclaimer Statement
Also visit: Bradley and the Bad Pb and Lead Poisoning, an NIEHS Hot Topic)
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