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South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

Not Just A Bag of Air (Grade 5)

Master Teacher

Garrison Hall

Time Allotment

45 minutes

Overview

This lesson explores the human respiratory system. After a discussion of its parts and functions, students will gain further insight by watching an animated video, visiting different Web sites, and constructing their own model of a respiratory system.

Subject Matter

Science and Health

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Label the parts of the respiratory system;
• Distinguish among the functions of its major organs;
• Construct a model of the respiratory system from a 2-liter bottle, straws, balloons, and cotton balls.

South Carolina Standards

(These Standards are available online at http://www.myscschools.com.)

a. Label the parts and distinguish among the functions of the major organs of the respiratory system, including nose/mouth, larynx, trachea, bronchi, alveoli, lungs, diaphragm.

National Standards

(These Standards are available online at http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/.)

Science

The human organism has systems for respiration and circulation. These systems interact with each other.

Media Components

Video

Our Human Body, Lesson 8: “Respiration”

Web Sites

When You Can’t Breathe, Nothing Else Matters
This American Lung Association site features a great diagram of respiratory system. This lesson could be taught just using this site. Click the Learn how your lungs work link to see a Flash presentation of how we breathe.

How Your Lungs Work
This is another great Web site with diagrams of the respiratory system, descriptions of how the parts of the system function, and an explanation of diseases of the respiratory system. It can be used to reinforce what students have learned on the American Lung Association site.

For Kids
This Canadian Lung Association site features links to word searches, mazes, and crossword puzzles. Worksheets may be printed for students. This site is not used in the lesson but has great follow-up activities to reinforce what the students have learned.

Materials

Per student:

• 2 small balloons (water balloons work well and are inexpensive)
• 2 flex straws
• clear 2-liter plastic bottle
• Sheet of Saran (or any other plastic) wrap,enough to cover bottom of bottle
• 3 rubber bands
• 3-4 cotton balls
• clear tape
• scissors

Equipment

• TV
• VCR
• computer with Internet access

Prep for Teachers

Ask students to collect and bring in 2-liter bottles. Before starting the lung model activity, cut off the top portion of the 2-liter plastic bottles (about 8” from the cap), one for each student.

As an introduction to the Respiratory System, go to the American Lung Association site (http://www.lungusa.org/learn/resp_sys.html). Have on the students’ computer screens, the diagram of the respiratory system so they can identify the parts. A poster, textbook or other diagram of the respiratory system may be substituted. Bookmark other Web sites used and load the necessary plug-in Flash Player.

Insert the video into the VCR and preset it to start after the Sci/Fax Question on screen—Are respiration and photosynthesis similar processes? This segment is close to the end of the video. The learning segment will begin when you see two people are walking up a slope.

When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.

Introductory Activity

Step 1: Say, “The respiratory system is the system of the body that deals with breathing. When we breathe, the body takes in the oxygen that it needs and removes the carbon dioxide that it doesn’t need. About 20 times a minute, we breathe in and out. Air is passed through the nasal passages where it is filtered, heated, and moistened.

Step 2: Provide a Focus for Media Interaction for students by asking them to watch how the respiratory system functions.

Step 3: Go the American Lung Association Web site at http://www.lungusa.org/learn/resp_sys.html. Point on the screen (or if you had to substitute, to a diagram or poster) and say, “First the body breathes in the air which is sucked through the nose or mouth and down through the trachea (windpipe). The trachea is a pipe shaped by rings of cartilage. It divides into two tubes called bronchi. These carry air into each of the sponge-like lungs.

“Inside the lung, the tubes divide into smaller and smaller tubes called bronchioles. At the end of each of these tubes are small air sacs called alveoli. Lungs contain almost 1500 miles of airways and over 300 million alveoli.

“You breathe with the help of your diaphragm and other muscles in your chest and abdomen. These muscles change the space and pressure inside your body to accommodate breathing. When your diaphragm pulls down, it not only leaves more space for the lungs to expand but also lowers the internal air pressure. Outside, where the air pressure is greater, you suck in air in an inhale. The air then expands your lungs like a pair of balloons. When your diaphragm relaxes, the cavity inside your body gets smaller again. Your muscles squeeze your rib cage and your lungs begin to collapse as the air is pushed up and out of your body in an exhale.”

Learning Activities

Step 1: Provide your students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them, “The segment you are about to see shows how air enters the lungs. It can enter through the nose and/or mouth. Watch how air makes its trip into the lungs. Listen to what the surface area of all the small air sacks in the lungs is.”

Step 2: Cue the videotape. PLAY starting where the narrator says, “The human respiratory system is made up of lungs and organs that connect them to the air.” You will see two men walking up a slope, then an image of a human respiratory system.

PAUSE after narrator says “…occupy the size of an average classroom.” The image of the respiratory system will be on the screen.

Step 3: To check for comprehension, say, “After the trachea, the air branches into the two bronchias. Once in the lungs, gases exchange in minute sacks and capillaries. If we were to spread these air sacks out, how much area would it take?” (It would take the size of an average classroom.)

Step 4: While the image of the respiratory system is still on the screen, review the passage that the air takes to the lungs.

Step 5: PLAY to the next scene of two lungs and the diaphragm and PAUSE on this image before the narrator says, “The lungs are located in our chest cavity….” Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by focusing on the image and pointing out the muscle below the lungs.

Say, “Our lungs don’t have any muscles, but there is a muscle that makes our lungs inhale and exhale. Listen to what that muscle is.”

Step 6: PLAY the tape and PAUSE after the narrator says, “As the diaphragm expands, and pushes up on the lungs there is less space and we exhale.” The image has changed to a diver in the water holding his breath.

Step 7: To check for comprehension, ask students what makes our lungs inhale and exhale. (diaphragm) Further explain by saying: The diaphragm is a muscle in the chest just below the lungs. It looks like an inverted saucer. When it contracts or tightens up, your lungs expand and you inhale. When it loosens up, your lungs contract and you exhale.

Step 8: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by saying: “In this last segment I want you to name one factoid about breathing.”

Step 9: PLAY tape and STOP tape after narrator says, “By deep breathing this sponge collector can stay underwater for a minute and a half.” Image on the screen is of diver under water.

The Factoids the students are looking for are:

• Lungs can hold one gallon of air.
• We normally use ¾ of our total lung capacity.
• We exchange about 1/7 of the total air in our lungs.
• With a deep breath we can exchange about ½ the total air in our lungs.

Step 10: To check for comprehension, ask the students to name some of the factoids.

Step 11: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by saying: “Let’s review the different parts of the respiratory system.”

Step 12: Go to the American Lung Association site at http://www.lungusa.org/resp_fl/lungsfinal.html. (Note to Teacher: Must have Flash Player) Point out the parts of the respiratory system on the screen and ask students to name them.

Step 13: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction and say, “Now let’s watch how breath is inhaled and exhaled. Pay special attention to how the diaphragm moves.”

Step 14: Click the buttons to watch the animated lungs breathe in and breathe out on the Web site.

Step 15: Check for comprehension by asking the students to describe what they saw.

Step 16: Say, “Sometimes your diaphragm muscle suddenly jerks and you find yourself sucking in air quickly. That air flow causes the flap at the top of your trachea to abruptly snap shut. This inhaling and then snapping shut sound is hiccuping.”

Culminating Activity

Making a Lung Model (Each student will make their own model

Step 1: Pass out the necessary materials to the students. Say, “Today, we are going to make a model of the lungs. The straws represent the windpipe and bronchia. The balloons represent the lungs and the Saran wrap represents the diaphragm.”

Step 2: Insert the 2 balloons onto the 2 straws on the flex ends and secure them in place with tape or rubber bands.

Step 3: Push the two straws through the mouth of the 2-liter bottle and secure with cotton balls.

Step 4: Use a rubber band to secure the Saran wrap on the bottom of the bottle.

Step 5: To watch how the lungs inhale and exhale: pull down on the Saran wrap for inhalation (balloons will fill), push up for exhalation (balloons will empty).

Cross-Curricular Extensions

Language Arts: Research and identify common intrinsic diseases and disorders associated with the respiratory system such as asthma.

Technology: Have students create a PowerPoint presentation using pictures and other information from the Internet, to describe how the Respiratory System and the Circulatory System work together.

Science: Have students research the respiratory systems of different living organisms like fish, frogs, and worms. Draw them on a poster for comparative and contrasting relationships.

Community Connections

Every day, volunteers for the American Lung Association fight lung disease by teaching children how to avoid asthma attacks, educating youngsters about the dangers of tobacco, and raising money for lung disease research. Go to the American Lung Association Web site to learn more about Advocacy Volunteer Jobs or invite a spokesperson for the organization to talk to the class.