ScienceMakers Toolkit Manual - The History Makers

10. Dr. Nesbitt conducted a LIFE study and a TROPHY study. Research these types of studies and report
your fi ndings to the class. What is the signifi cance of these studies? How do these studies differ from
other types of studies? How could these studies affect someone you know? (See Biography)
Experiment - Travel The Path
This lesson was adapted from educational materials developed by the Center for the Advancement of Science
Education at the Museum of Science and Industry.
• Students will get to explore how blood travels through the body. Ask them: Is there a certain pathway
for blood to travel down? What do you think that pathway looks like?
• Have the group talk about this pathway. Make sure they incorporate the heart in this pathway, since its
primary function is to pump blood throughout the body.
• Tell the group that we know our bodies need oxygen to support our organs, but where does the oxygen
come from? How does it get into our bodies? Ask the group to take a deep breath. What did they just
breathe in? Oxygen.
• Tell the group that our organs make a waste called carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), that needs to be removed from
our bodies. How does our body remove carbon dioxide? Ask the group to breathe in and then exhale.
What did they just exhale? Carbon dioxide.
• Explain that one of our body parts is responsible for taking in oxygen and removing carbon dioxide: the
lungs.
• Ask the group to think about how the lungs are incorporated into the pathway.
• Let the students know that they are going to act out how blood travels through this pathway in the body.
They will be responsible for delivering oxygen and removing carbon dioxide.
Leader Activity Guide
Place the “Heart Station” sign on the fl oor, preferably in the middle of the room. Then put the “Lung Station”
signs on the fl oor almost directly above the heart, with some space between the heart and lungs. Next, place the
“Organ Station” sign directly below the heart, but with some distance between the two stations. Finally, place a
bucket on either side of the lung stations and one at the organ station.
Have a student stand with red poker chips at each “Lung Station,” and have another student stand at the “Organ
Station” with the blue poker chips. Tell the remaining students to line up at the Lung Stations. Explain to the
students that the red chips represent blood cells that are fi lled with oxygen, and that these blood cells need to
be delivered to the body. The blue chips represent blood cells that are carrying waste (Carbon Dioxide or CO 2 )
from the body and now need oxygen.
101
Life Science