This week, we learned about the respiratory system--what it's purpose is, what parts of the body are directly involved in breathing, and how it works with the circulatory system. In order to better understand how the diaphragm works to bring air into and push air out of our body, we created a model of a lung. By creating an air-tight chamber in the bottle, the students were able to inflate the balloon inside when they pull down on the knotted balloon at the bottom (the diaphragm), and push the air out when they let go. This helps demonstrate how they lungs aren't pumped full of air, but instead filled when space is created with lower air pressure than outside. (Directions for this can be found at, and photo credit goes to, Science Sparks.) Then, they measured their lung capacity using balloons. While this was not the most precise tool (but cheaper than buying meters to test everyone), it did allow for some math skills to be used and a discussion about why we use the metric system in science. The balloons opened the door for a lot of silliness, but then they got down to business. Some were pretty competitive trying to get the fullest breath they could so they could try to increase the size of their balloon. After everyone recorded three measurements for themselves, we collected the results and filled in a chart with the class data to be used for comparison. Next week, we will continue our experiment with the effect of exercise on lung capacity! Videos:
The Respiratory System We watched a really short intro to the Respiratory System in class, but there are several that use more vocabulary and go into more detail, like this one. Respiratory System Song This one might be good to help memorize some of the anatomy of the system. Activities: Now that we've studied a few systems, comparisons can be made. Make a Venn diagram comparing the respiratory system to the circulatory system, or the digestive system. What do they have in common? What things are different? Look at their structures and their purpose. Your lungs are important for breathing, and talking! Research the larynx and it's role in the respiratory system. Then, experiment with different sounds and how you make them. Printable Respiratory System Diagram This is a fun diagram to color that has lots of info about what is going on in the respiratory system at each location in the body. abpi Respiratory System Check out the animations and interactive quiz questions on this site. There are several sections, including topics such as asthma and factors that affect breathing.
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May 2020
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