Have students try these activities to expand their knowledge and interest in the Lungs.
Science/Language Arts/Art
Have students prepare materials for a Keep Your Lungs Healthy campaign. They can make posters, write a newsletter, or prepare a video. Their campaign should focus on ways to keep the lungs healthy. They can focus on exercise, breathing techniques, and avoiding unhealthy practices such as smoking. Encourage students to work in groups to prepare materials for display.
Language Arts
Take my breath away, breathing down one’s neck, breathe easy now, and a breath of fresh air—these are just a few idioms that refer to breathing. An idiom is a phrase or statement that has a different meaning from the literal meaning of the words. Have students brainstorm a list of idioms related to breathing or breath. Encourage them to make a dictionary that gives each idiom and its meaning.
Science/Art
Have students build a 3-D model of the lungs and trachea. Encourage them to use straws, hoses, balloons, plastic bags, bubble wrap, or other household or art supplies. Display their models in the classroom.
Math
So how much air does a person use in a month or a year? How much air does the entire class use in a day? How much air would the entire school use in a minute. Encourage children to extend the math in the Topic Different Ways Lungs Help to answer these questions and questions of their own. Students might develop math problems and challenge classmates to solve them.
Science
Invite a firefighter or emergency medical technician to speak to the class about cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Ask the EMT to explain and demonstrate the procedure.
Physical Education
You and your students can start an exercise program that promotes healthy lungs and heart. Perhaps they can run around a track or ride a bicycle daily.
Music
Ask a music teacher to explain breathing techniques that enable a singer or a trumpet, flute, or sax player to hold a note longer. The music teacher might be able to provide recordings of performances that clearly demonstrate breathing control by musicians and vocalists.
