Week 34 of Nutrition Expedition: Lung Power!

May 23- 27, 2016

Lung Power!

We released a lot of hot air in Nutrition Expedition this week! First, the children learned how our lungs function as they observed a model of a lung at work. We then worked on making our own set of lungs to bring home. We sure have used a lot of oxygen the last few weeks! Next month, we'll be studying the digestive system, which is sure to be very intriguing :)

As we recapped what we've discovered about the respiratory system, I brought in a model I made to show them how our lungs work. Using a 20 oz. pop bottle (a 2 L bottle would also work), I drilled a hole in the cap and inserted a straw with a balloon attached to the end (this was to represent a lung). I then cut off the bottom portion of the bottle, and covered it with another balloon (diaphragm). As you pull on the "diaphragm", the "lung" inflates, and it deflates as you push on the diaphragm. 

The 3's and 4's were very excited to make their own lungs! They were given two paper bags or "lungs", on which they were instructed to draw branches, or bronchioles. They used bingo markers to make the alveolis. Teachers assisted them with attaching a straw to the top of each bag (twist the bag closed around the straw, then tape it), and taping the two straws together to form the trachea. Viola! A replica of the human lungs! They really enjoyed making the lungs inhale and exhale :)

The older infants, toddlers, and 2's got to spend some time outside practicing their lung capacity by blowing bubbles and pinwheels! 

Super Sleuth Questions

1. What did you make in Nutrition Expedition? (answer:  lungs)

2. What is the muscle in your tummy that helps your lungs breathe air in and out? (answer:  diaphragm)

Week 33 of Nutrition Expedition: Let's Learn About Lungs!

May 16-20, 2016

Let's Learn About Lungs!

We had to catch our breath after learning a lot about lungs this week in Nutrition Expedition! Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth...

We started out by watching a few short video clips about our respiratory system, including a few hilarious and catchy tunes:

The 3-and-4-year-olds played a fun, yet challenging oxygen game. I split the children up into groups. In the first group, one child played the lungs, another the liver, and two children were blood cells (red=oxygenated cell, blue=deoxygenated cell). The two remaining groups consisted of the same "parts", except one contained a brain, and the other contained a heart. These 3 organs (liver, brain, and heart) require the most oxygen of any organ in our body, so I thought it appropriate to include these in the game. The premise of the game was for the red blood cells to deliver an oxygen (white circle) molecule to their group's organ. Then the "blue" red blood cells picked up a carbon dioxide molecule (brown circle) and delivered it back to the lungs, where it was picked up by the "garbage collector" (an extra child in the game). This proved a bit too challenging for the 3-year-olds, so I tweaked the game a bit for the next group. For the next round, we had only one child in each group play the red blood cell, so it was a bit less confusing :).

For the two-year-olds and under, we checked out our breath in a mirror. We discovered that the air was warm when we exhaled, and it fogged up the mirror. I explained that our exhaled breath got warm while it was inside our warm lungs :) 

We also talked a little about what part of our lungs are in charge of getting the oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the red blood cells:  the alveoli! The alveoli are small sacs attached to the end of each bronchiole (or branch of our bronchial passages). These air sacs inflate and deflate with each breath we take, and oxygen and carbon dioxide are absorbed through its membrane. Essentially, there is an exchange of gases (oxygen & carbon dioxide) between the alveoli and the blood cells in our body. These are very important structures in our lungs! Read more about this fascinating process here. To give the children a visual of our lung structure, I brought in a bunch of grapes, and we also explored the stems once the grapes were removed. They looked just like bronchioles and alveoli! The children were very happy to eat the display model ;)

                                                            

Super Sleuth Questions

1. What part did you get to play in the game? What was your job?

2. What goes into our lungs when we breathe in air? Hint:  It's something our bodies need to survive! (answer:  oxygen)

3. What are the little sacs in our lungs called that give the oxygen to the red blood cells, and take the carbon dioxide from our red blood cells? Hint:  It sounds like ravioli! (answer:  alveoli)