Build a model of human lungs.
Explain the function and mechanisms of human lungs.

","materials","

For each group:

Empty plastic water bottle with no cap
2 balloons
Scissors
A ball of modeling clay or playdoh, about 1 inch in diameter
Plastic straw
Pencil
Tape or a rubber band

For the whole group:

Whiteboard or anchor chart

","preparation","

Read and familiarize yourself with the activity.

Gather the materials for the project.

Watch the video and review the website linked to understand the steps of the activity and learn background information about the lungs. You may also choose to share the video with students to guide them through the activity.

Build a model of the lungs for students to refer to as they build their own models.

Lungs for Kids/How Do Lungs Work/DK Find Out

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Have youth take a deep breath, hold it, and then exhale. Invite youth to tell you what they already know about the human lungs and how they work in their own words.
Explain that the lungs are the main organs of breathing and that they work with other organs of the respiratory system to move air in and out of our bodies. (Optional: show the DK Find Out overview of the lungs as you explain the process.)
Tell youth that they will work with a partner to build a model of the lungs. Show the model you created as an example of the finished product.
Divide youth into pairs and distribute the materials.
Model for youth how to use scissors to cut a water bottle in half horizontally. (Optional: cut the bottles prior to the activity and only pass out the needed half.) Then have youth complete this step. Explain that they will use the upper half of the bottle, which is the half with a neck.
Next, have youth cut off the neck of a balloon. Have pairs work together to stretch the balloon over the wide opening of the upper half of the bottle.
Instruct youth to place the plastic straw inside the second balloon. Have them tape or rubber band the balloon’s neck tightly to the straw so no air can escape.
Have youth roll the modeling clay into a round ball and stick the pencil through the clay to make an opening. Model for students how to put the straw through the ball of clay and pinch it off to make a tight seal on the straw.
Have youth deflate the balloon by squeezing the air out using their hand. Have them push the balloon and straw inside the opening of the bottle until the clay ball touches the bottle opening. The top of the straw should stick out of the bottle. Tell youth to seal the clay tightly around the top of the bottle.
To make their model lung breathe, have youth pull down on the \"diaphragm\", or balloon that is stretched along the base of the bottle. In response, the interior balloon should expand as it fills with air. When youth gently let go of the balloon diaphragm, the interior balloon should expel air and collapse.
Invite pairs to describe to each other what is happening and why using the terms they learned earlier. (Optional: draw attention back to the website so youth can follow the path of air.)
Reconvene the whole group and discuss these questions.
- In your model, what does the balloon at the base of the bottle represent? What does the balloon inside the bottle represent? (The balloon at the base represents the diaphragm. The balloon inside the bottle represents the lung when it fills with air and when it releases air from the body.)
- Apply this model to explain how lungs work. (Air is pulled into the lungs when the air cavity expands. Air is pushed out of the lungs when the air cavity contracts.)
- How do you think your model compares to real human lungs? (The model is similar to real lungs. When you breathe in, you expand your chest and pull in air to your lungs. When you breathe out, your chest contracts, and air is expelled.)

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Have students watch and analyze a video of model lungs.

YouTube Video: Model of the Lungs

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A Model of the Lungs

A Model of the Lungs

A Model of the Lungs

Overview