Materials Required:
Large roll of paper
Markers
Glue
Red and blue yarn
Red, white, and blue fabric
Cotton stuffing
Needle and thread
Paper towel roll
Tape
Top portion of a plastic funnel-shaped container
Steps Involved:
Circulatory System Model:
Trace one child’s body onto the large roll of paper using a marker to create a life-sized outline.
Draw a face on the outline.
Glue red yarn to represent arteries and blue yarn to represent veins, following the pathways blood takes through the body.
Add capillaries to the hands and feet by separating the yarn into smaller strands.
Heart and Lungs Model:
The oldest child sews a simple model of the heart and lungs using fabric. The heart must have four chambers: right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle.
Use blue fabric for the right side chambers and red fabric for the left side to indicate the flow of blood.
Shape white fabric into ovals to create the lungs and sew them in place next to the heart.
Glue the fabric heart into place on the large paper outline, then attach large veins and arteries using yarn to connect the heart to the lungs.
As the yarn approaches the heart, join the strands together to create larger veins and arteries.
Stethoscope Creation:
The son creates a stethoscope model using a paper towel roll for the tube and the top portion of a plastic funnel-shaped container for the chest piece.
He experiments with different models, ensuring that each contains a tube in the middle and a cone shape for listening to heartbeats.
Activity and Discussion:
Have the children repeatedly squeeze their fists to simulate the heart’s continuous pumping action. Discuss how the heart is different from other muscles because it never gets tired.
Teach the children how to find their pulse and discuss how the heart rate increases with physical activity.
Reflection:
Review the completed circulatory system model, discussing how blood travels through the body and the essential functions of the heart and lungs.
Encourage the children to think about the importance of the circulatory system in maintaining life.