Hands-on Lungs

 Make more models!  Just remember to explain how the lung works and what each part represents as you build it.  I start with a question, ‘What’s the point?’  Teach Engineering’s Just Breathe Unit is pretty comprehensive.   Surprise! Flinn has my favorite Lung Model.  Why?  It includes the diaphragm.  This Bottle Lung is similar and very good.  Here is an inspirational clay model. This AU webpage explains how to measure Lung Capacity.  This version uses a balloon to measure lung capacity. This webpage measures Vital Capacity, a type of lung volume.  Another suggestion is to make paper bag lungs, which also recommends loads of related books for kiddos.  Look at this lung model for younger kiddos.  There’s a template.  Older kids can calculate their heart beat and respiration rates  and measure their lung volumes while the younger kiddos make models.  Something for everyone.