Pollution and Lung Health

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Learners will build a lung model to understand how their lungs and diaphragm work to make them breathe. The lesson features a demonstration on how the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels releases particles into the air that can negatively affect human health, and how we can protect ourselves from breathing in these fumes. This standards-based lesson includes key vocabulary, extension ideas, and references for teachers. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 18
Resource Types:
Activity, Demonstration, Lesson/Lesson Plan, Model
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • plastic bottle (bottle suggestions: 20 oz. Gatorade bottles work best; 18 or 42 oz. Trader Joe’s sparkling mineral water and 20 oz. soda bottles work well too)
  • 1 8-inch piece of ¼” plastic tubing (available at hardware stores)
  • 1 Y- or T-shaped connector (available at hardware stores)
  • 2 balloons
  • 1 nitrile glove (or a third balloon, knotted at the bottom and cut across the widest part)
  • 1 wad of playdough or other modeling clay
  • several rubber bands (at least one large and two small)
  • scissors
  • 1 candle (not beeswax)
  • matches or a lighter
  • at least 1 clear glass or jar

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Ecology
      • Human Impact
    • Human Body
      • Circulation
      • Health and Nutrition
      • Respiration
  • The Nature of Technology
    • Technology and Society
      • Impacts of Technology
      • Technology and the Environment

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Other

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • California Academy of Sciences

Rights:

  • , California Academy of Sciences, 2010