Introduction to the Circulatory System

Objectives:  to identify the heart as the largest muscle in the body

 to describe the heart's role in pumping blood to the lungs and to all parts of
the body

Procedures: Ask students to identify the strongest muscle of the body. Allow students to
Student give their ideas and then explain that the correct answer is the heart. Show
Information: students diagram of the heart and share the background information with
them.

 The heart works day and night to pump blood through the circulatory
system.
 The heart consists of two pumps.
 The pump on the right side of the heart sends blood to the lungs where
the blood obtains oxygen.
 The blood which has obtained oxygen then travels back to the heart
where it is pumped to all parts of the body.

Explain that as the blood is pumped through the arteries, you can feel the
artery walls stretch and relax. Ask students what this is called. Entertain their
ideas and clarify that this is their pulse. Ask how they could measure the
pumping of their hearts using the pulse. Students work in groups to brainstorm
the possibilities. Allow groups to share and clarify.

Have students feel for pulse with their fingers. Guide into discussion of
problems that may arise by using the finger to feel pulse.

Ask students to share personal experiences of having their pulse taken with
Assessment:
their groups.

Detecting Your Pulse (Science/Math/Language Arts Connection)

Objective: to construct a simple apparatus to visually detect the pulse

Materials:  toothpicks
 modeling clay

Procedures:  Provide each student with a toothpick and a piece of clay.

Student  Stick the toothpick into a "dime sized" lump of clay.
Information:
 Have students rest the "counter" on the inside of their wrist just below the
base of the thumb.
 Have students observe the toothpick as it moves. Let students work in
pairs to time the counts in 15 seconds.
 Use this information to determine how many beats per minute.
 Assessment:  Use the information from each student to construct a class graph.
 Have students compare and contrast information compiled.
 Using this graph, have each student write a journal entry of the information
obtained. They should include at least three major points in their summary.

Calculating Beats per Minute (Science/Math/Language Arts Connection)

Objective: to describe the relationship between physical activity and heart rate

Materials: chart

Procedures: Provide a chart with the headings "activity" and "beats per minute." Have
Student students identify activities that they perform daily. Each student selects a
Information: minimum of three activities to record in the activity column of their chart. With
the assistance of a partner students calculate and record "beats per minute" for
each activity.

Assessment: Students include the chart in their journal. Using the information in the chart,
students will record observations about the relationship of physical activity and
heart rate.

Blood Vessels

Objective: to demonstrate with a model the expansion and contraction of blood vessels
as blood is pumped through the blood vessels

Materials: For each pair of students:

 large container of water
 bulb syringe
 oblong balloons

Procedures:  Divide students into pairs.

Student  One student fills the bulb with water. The other student secures a balloon
Information: over the tip.
 The first student gently squeezes and releases the bulb so that the balloon
repeatedly fills with water.
 The partner holds the balloon between the fingers to feel the expansion
and contraction. This models expansion and contraction of blood vessels as
the heart beats.
 Students should then exchange roles to allow each to feel the movement.

Assessment: Students will check to make sure that the partner in the activity successfully
completes both roles in the experiment.
Heart Rates of Adults vs. Children (Home Connection)

Objective: to compare heart rates of adults and children

Materials: graph of student heart rates from previous lesson

Procedures: Home Activity:

Student Have students record "resting" heart rates of at least one adult in the home
Information: and bring in these results.

Class Activities:
1. Students will compile a graph of "Adult Heart Rates." Begin by making a
comparison of adults. Have students determine the highest, lowest, most
frequently occurring, and develop an "average range."

2. Return to graph from previous lesson which recorded student resting heart
rates. Have students:

 compare their own heart rate to that of the adult in their own home
 compare the student graph to the adult graph in terms of highest,
lowest, most frequently occurring, and average range
 draw conclusions about resting heart rates of adults and children

3. Math Connection
Students will compute the following:

 What is the difference in heart beats per minute of you and the adult in
your home?
 What is the difference in the highest and lowest heart rate of the
children on the graph?
 What is the difference in the highest and lowest heart rate of the
adults on the graph?

Assessment: Students will solve problems related to graph comparisons.

Students will record in their journals the conclusions drawn when comparing
adult and child heart rates.

Researching the Heart

Objective: to use research skills to locate answers to relevant questions about the heart

Materials: reference materials

 Procedures: Students should have a basic understanding of the function of the heart. With
Student this background, they should now be prepared to formulate related questions
Information: that they wish to investigate.

1. Begin the activity by having students identify information that has already
been obtained in the unit.

2. From this list, have students brainstorm and formulate possible questions
for investigation.

3. Individual students should use this list to select personal questions for
investigation. Have students record these questions in a "Research" section of
their journals. They should be encouraged to add to this list as other questions
arise. This should be an ongoing project.

4. Discuss available resources for exploration and encourage students to use

a variety of these.

Assessment: The completed research project should include questions investigated,

answers to and discussions related to these questions, and resources used in
the investigation.

Dramatization of the Blood's Trip Through the Heart (Science/Dramatics Connection)

Objective: to describe the blood's trip through the body and the function of the heart

Materials:  diagram of circulatory system

 "oxygen" tags
 "carbon dioxide" tags

Procedures:  Set up a large room sized diagram of the circulatory system.

Student  Students assume the roles of "body organs and parts." This should include
Information: heart, lungs, arms, legs, etc.
 Other students act as the "blood." As the "blood" travels from the heart to
the lungs, students simulating the blood should be given several tags labeled
"oxygen."
 The "blood" then travels back to the heart and to the other parts of the
body. As the "blood" travels to each body part, it exchanges "oxygen tags" for
tags labeled "carbon dioxide" and "other wastes."
 When the oxygen is used up, the "blood" then must travel back to the heart
and lungs to exchange the "carbon dioxide and waste" for new "oxygen."

Assessment: Each student should be able to play the roles of a body part and blood.
Students then record journal entries explaining the process and how the
activity demonstrated this.
NOTE: This activity could also be used as a performance assessment
 following the material on the circulatory and respiratory systems.

The Heart as a Pump (Science/Social Studies/Technology Connection)

Objective: to describe the heart's function as a pump and relate this to other types of
pumps

Procedures: 1. Introduce the idea that the heart is a pump and have students offer their
Student definitions of pump. Clarify and agree on a class definition.
Information:
2. Divide students into groups of four or five and ask each group to think of
how pumps are used in everyday activities. For each idea the group should
provide an illustration of the pump as it is used, explain how it is used, and
explain what can be done in case of malfunction.

3. Each group should present their findings and display in a central location.

4. Have students compare and contrast their pumps to the heart.

Assessment: Students will each write in their activity journal ways the heart and other pumps
are the same. They will address the fact that machine parts can be easily
manufactured and replaced and that the heart as a pump is not easily
repaired.

Heart Health (Social Studies/Health Connection)

Objectives:  to recognize the need for maintenance of the body's strongest muscle, the
heart
 to identify ways to strengthen and maintain the heart

Procedures: 1. Review the previously learned materials relating to the heart's function and
Student have students consider what might occur if the heart does not function
Information: properly.

2. This provides an excellent opportunity to have resource persons come in to

discuss heart disease. Ideas include:

 health care professionals

 adults who suffer from heart disease that are willing to share their
experiences
 representative of the American Heart Association

3. Discuss the heart as a muscle and review previously learned information.

 Ask students to tell what they know about muscles in general. Encourage them
to share their knowledge of strengthening activities especially as related to the
school physical education program. Students may name individuals that they
consider to have "strong muscles" and include a discussion of how these
individuals build and maintain these strong muscles. Direct the discussion to a
comparison of strong muscles to weak muscles and the work that can be done
with each. Help students to transfer this discussion to the focus on the heart.

4. (Research) Students will use a variety of resources to answer the following:

 List some activities that contribute to building a stronger heart.

 How would a weak heart effect the movement of blood through the
body?
 Name some ways a "weak heart" might effect a person's daily
activities.

Tell how an exercise program for the elderly needs to be different from
younger adults.

Assessment: Students will name at least two activities that would be difficult if the heart does
not function properly.
Completed research projects will be assessed on the basis of accuracy and the
degree to which the topic is addressed. The project will be included in the
student's portfolio.

Make Your Own Stethoscope

Objective: to use a stethoscope to listen to the heart beat

Materials: 1 cardboard tube from a paper towel roll per every 2 students

Procedures: Over 170 years ago, a man named Laennec invented the first stethoscope. It
Student was a wooden tube about 1 inch in diameter and about 10 inches
Information: long. Students will use paper towel roll tubes as stethoscopes.

1. Have the students pair up and listen for their partner's heartbeat by placing
the tube over the partner's heart.

2. Count the number of beats per 30 seconds. Add this number together twice
to find out how many times each minute the person's heart beats.

3. Have one partner run in place for one minute, then listen again. Have the
students write down what they hear and calculate the new beats per minute.

4. Have the partners switch.

Assessment: (Follow-up discussion) The heart beats faster after the exercise in order to
 pump more blood (oxygen) to the working muscles.

Heart Words (Language Arts Connection)

Objective: to define the meaning of terms using the word heart

Materials:  crayons
 8 ½ x 11 paper folded into four boxes

Procedures: 1. As a class, brainstorm as many "heart" words as possible (i.e.. heart

Student throb, heart attack, heart-to-heart, etc.). Post them on the board.
Information:
2. Post them on the board, discussing the meanings as you go.

3. Students then work individually drawing the meanings of four of those

words (one per box).

Assessment: the final product of activity

Facilitator/Educator Guide: Modeling Blood Flow with

Straws
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What happens to the flow of blood when heart disease narrows a person's arteries? Create a model to
illustrate the answer using straws, disposable cups, and colored water.

Activity's uses: Demonstration or small group exploration

Area(s) of science: Life Science
Difficulty level:
Prep time: < 10 minutes
Activity time: < 10 minutes
health, heart disease, artery, circulatory system, diameter, flow rate,
Key terms:
building a model
Facilitator / Educator Guide PDF.
Student Guide web page or PDF.
Downloads and Links:
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Please sign in or create a free account.

Background Information
To be healthy, every part of the human body needs to be supplied with oxygen and nutrients. The blood's
job is to travel through the body's circulatory system (heart, lungs, veins, and arteries) picking up nutrients
and oxygen and delivering them to the other parts of the body. The heart acts as a powerful pump that
generates the force necessary to move the blood around the circulatory system. When something goes
wrong with the body's circulatory system, it can lead to serious health consequences or death.

The most common problem with the circulatory system is coronary heart disease, also called coronary
artery disease. Coronary heart disease is caused by the buildup of cholesterol and other material, called
plaques, in the arteries. This buildup is known as atherosclerosis. Over time as the plaques grow larger,
the arteries, which usually carry oxygenated blood to the heart, become narrower. As the arteries narrow
they cannot carry as much blood to the heart. The decrease in oxygenated blood can lead to chest pains
and heart attacks. The plaques sometimes become dislodged and form blood clots that block the blood
flow—this can also cause heart attacks and strokes.

In this science activity students can model what happens to blood flow when coronary heart disease
narrows a person's arteries by comparing the flow of water (blood) through straws (arteries) of different
diameters.

For Discussion

This science activity can be used as a starting point for a variety of science and health discussions. Here
are a few examples of questions that can be used to start a discussion:

 Do you expect the cups to empty at the same or different rates? If you chose different rates,
which one will empty first? Why?
 How can coronary heart disease be prevented?
 What part of the circulatory system does the water represent in this activity? How about the other
materials used? Do they represent parts of the circulatory system?
 Come up with examples of other places where diameter and flow rate matter. Think about
examples in your home or in manufacturing.

Materials

Needed for preparing ahead:

 Scissors (1)
 Food coloring (optional)
 Water (enough to fill all the cups at least once)
Needed for each demo or small group at the time of the science activity:

 Container for pouring water (1)

 Plastic or Styrofoam cups (2); easier with 16 oz size or larger
 Straws (2); make sure one has a larger diameter than the other
 Play dough, clay, or silly putty
 Pan or basin for catching water

Figure 1. A few simple household materials are all that are needed to do this fun science activity.

What to Do

Prepare Ahead (< 10 minutes)

1. Use the scissors to poke or cut a hole in the side of each cup, near the bottom. The holes should
be approximately the same distance from the bottom of each cup. Widen the hole enough to
comfortably fit each straw. The wider straw will need a bigger hole.
2. Trim the straws to approximately 2 inch lengths.
3. (Optional) Add food coloring to the water. This will make it easier for students to observe what is
happening.

Science Activity (< 10 minutes)

1. Each group should have two cups: one with a large hole for the wider straw and one with a
smaller hole for the slimmer straw. For each cup, put one straw in the hole. Make sure the hole is
not squeezing the straw and narrowing it.
2. Use play dough, clay, or silly putty to seal the inside of the hole around the straw so that water
cannot leak out of the hole.

Figure 2. Place play dough, or a similar material, around the straw on the inside of
the cup to prevent leaking. Water should only be able to escape through the straw.

3. Place both cups in a pan or basin. Quickly fill both cups with water. Through which straw does the
water flow faster? Tips: The water is easier to see if it is colored. Either fill the cups at the same
time, or fill the cup with the smaller diameter straw first. Make sure the straws are pointing down
so that the water can flow out.

Figure 3. Water will flow out of both straws, but at different rates.
Expected Results

You should see that the cup with the smaller diameter straw empties more slowly. This is because a pipe
or straw with a smaller diameter has a slower flow rate. This is also what happens in coronary heart
disease. The arteries (straws) become narrower (smaller diameter) due to the build-up of plaques. As the
arteries narrow, they carry blood (water) less quickly to the heart.

For Further Exploration

This science activity can be expanded or modified in a number of ways. Here are a few options:

 Use play dough or other substances to model plaques inside the arteries (straws). What happens
when the plaque breaks away from the artery wall?
 Make the activity quantitative by having students use stopwatches to time how long it takes to
empty the cup with different diameter straws. Graph the data.

Here’s what you’ll need: a large plastic container (or sensory tub), red water beads, ping-
pong balls (super cheap on Amazon), water, and red craft foam.
1. Follow the instructions on the packaging to hydrate the water beads. Go ahead and
put them (and the water) into your plastic tub / sensory table to soak. Our package
instructions indicated that once you add the water, it takes 10 hours for them to fully
hydrate.

2. Cut the craft foam into small pieces to create your platelets.
3. Put the “platelets” and several ping pong balls in your plastic tub.
 4. Let your kids explore for a while and then tell them the parts of blood:

Red water beads = Red Blood Cells (that carry oxygen)

Ping Pong Balls = White Blood Cells (that fight germs, bacteria, and viruses)

Craft Foam Pieces = Platelets (that help heal cuts)

Water = Plasma (helps the blood move through veins and arteries)

MAKE A MODEL HEART PUMP!

 Check it out, we made a heart!

For the past two weeks, Kat and I have been learning about the cardiovascular system and
how it works to keep our body alive and healthy. We've done some really great projects to
demonstrate how the heart works, and we've even dissected a pig heart in our home! All of
this will culminate into a visit with the American Red Cross, where we will learn more about
human anatomy relating to the circulatory system, Kat will learn some basic CPR, and I will
donate a pint of blood to the Red Cross!

In this post, I'll talk about how the heart works, and share some of the wonderful projects
we've been working on as we learned about the heart!

The heart is an incredible machine. Working tirelessly day and night, it pushes our blood
throughout our entire body, even working against gravity to get our body the nutrition it
needs to sustain itself!

The heart itself is divided into two halves, separated by a thick muscular wall called the
septum. These halves are each divided into two sections, creating a total of four
chambers in the heart. The top chambers consist of the left and right atria, while the lower
chambers consist of the left and right ventricles.
 Hand drawn diagram of the human heart.
Free hand drawing of the Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Biology diagram, Kat's labels!

When we breathe air into our lungs, tiny air sacs within the walls of the lungs (called
alveoli) allow the oxygen to pass into the blood stream. This oxygenated blood travels from
the lungs into into the left atrium. The heart muscles contract, pulling the valves open,
allowing the blood to be dumped into the left ventricle. The valve then slams shut,
preventing the blood from flowing backwards into the bloodstream. When the heart
contracts again, it opens the valve from the left ventricle to the aorta, sending freshly
oxygenated blood to the rest of the body!

Interestingly, the aorta is the largest artery in the human body, measuring about an inch in
diameter! This artery is responsible for sending all of the oxygenated blood to our entire
body (other arteries branch off the aorta). This blood moves fast, so the aorta must be
incredibly thick and strong to be able to handle all of that pressure!

After leaving the aorta, red blood cells take the oxygen to various parts of the body and
exchange it for carbon dioxide waste. This deoxygenated blood travels back to the heart
where it enters the pulmonary trunk and is dumped into the right atrium. The heart
contracts, pulling the valves open so the blood can fill the chamber of the right ventricle.
From here, it is pumped out to the pulmonary arteries where it heads to the lungs. The
blood cells then exchange the carbon dioxide for a fresh supply of oxygen. As we breathe
out the carbon dioxide waste, the blood travels back to the left side to begin the process of
circulation all over again!
After we had learned about the cardiovascular system and how it works, I wanted to find a
way to really demonstrate the flood of blood. So, we printed out and played with our own
model of the circulatory system!

THE PATH OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Actual placement of the organs in the human body may differ from that shown above.

Materials Needed:
1. Scissors
2. Large flat surface
3. Printed pictures of red blood cells
4. Printed pictures of the heart and other body organs

Instructions:

1. Turn on your "safe search" filters and do a Google Image Search for diagrams of various
organs. Exercise your child's knowledge of anatomy by inviting him/her to choose the
organs you search for!

2. Save and print your pictures. We printed ours as 3.5 x 5, so they would all be the same
size. You will want to print several copies of the red blood cells, since you'll be using a lot of
them to represent blood.
3. Cut out your pictures!

4. Have your child lay the organs out on a flat surface. Have him/her place them in the order
they would occur in the human body.

5. Using the red blood cells, make a path from the left side of the heart to the rest of the
organs! As you move the blood cells about, talk about how they're carrying oxygen to the
organs.

6. Once they arrive, pretend that they pick up carbon dioxide. Now take them to the other
side of the heart where the waste can be expelled through the lungs!

While talking about blood circulation, it helps to know exactly what the blood is carrying to
and taking from the various muscles, organs, and tissues of the body. Here is a fantastic
video by the band, They Might Be Giants, from the album Here Comes The Science. This
song is all about blood, how it moves, and what it does!

Once we had finished our model of blood flow, it was time to start thinking about how the
heart actually pumps blood. We wanted to make a working model of a pump to demonstrate
the how the heart acts as a pump to get our blood moving!
 MAKE A MODEL HEART PUMP!

Materials Needed:
1. Beaker or wide mouthed jar
2. Water
3. Red Food Coloring
4. 2 Flexible straws
5. Tape
6. Balloon
7. Toothpick or scissors
8. Large pan or sink
9. Scissors
1. Fill your jar halfway with water. Add red food coloring to resemble blood.

2. Cut the neck off the balloon, where it starts to widen. Stretch the balloon to soften the
rubber and set the neck piece aside.

3. Stretch the balloon around the rim of your beaker or jar. Pull it down as much as you can,
leaving a smooth, flat surface over the top of your container.

4. Using the toothpick (scissors worked much better for us), make two very small holes in
the balloon, approximately one inch apart. You want the holes only large enough to fit the
straw through, and it should tightly seal around the straw.

5. Put the straws in the holes, bending the neck downwards. If you cut the hole too large,
use tape to seal it so air doesn't pass through.

6. Use tape to secure the neck of the balloon around one of the straws. Make sure that no
air can pass through the straw.

7. Point the open straw downward and start pumping! The neck of the balloon over one of
the straws acts as a valve, blocking any of your blood from flowing back through the
"plumbing system". The other straw allows blood flow to pass through, where in a heart, it
will continue through the aorta to the body or pulmonary arteries to the lungs!

Kat loved using this pump!

Now we had a much better understanding of how the heart beats to pump blood throughout
our bodies! We've moved blood cells around in circulation and made our own pump to
represent the heart beating! But we still didn't have a precise knowledge of the anatomy of
the heart. Really knowing that would help us greatly in really internalizing how it all works.
To that end, we made our own anatomical model of the human heart!
 AN ANATOMICAL MODEL OF THE HUMAN HEART!

Our model of the human heart!

Before you begin, it helps to look at a diagram of the human heart for proper placement of
the arteries. We used our copy of Usborne's Illustrated Book of Biology to help us with our
placement. You can use any medical reference book, or search for diagrams on the
internet.

Materials Needed:

1. Modeling clay (red and blue)

2. Aluminum foil
3. Toothpicks
4. Hot glue gun
5. Pipe cleaners
6. Red crepe paper (you can also use paper mache)
7. Rolling pin
8. Milkshake straw

Instructions:

1. Take some big chunks of aluminum foil and make three balls out of them. The first ball
should be about the size of a tennis ball, while the other two should be about the size of a
golf ball.

2. Poke three toothpicks into the upper left corner of the larger ball. Use the hot glue to
secure them in place. Then attach one of the smaller balls to it. Do the same for the other
side until you have a sort of "Mickey Mouse" shape.

3. Take some chunks of red clay and roll them flat with your rolling pin. We covered our
rolling pin with foil so the clay wouldn't stick to it. Cover your foil pieces with clay until it
begins to look like a human heart. Continue shaping and smoothing the foil and the clay
until you are satisfied with how it looks.

4. Once you're finished with the shape of the heart, it's time to start on the aorta! Take 6
pipe cleaners and bend them in half so that they fold in on each other. Use the hot glue to
secure the ends in place.

5. Bend the pipe cleaners into a U-shape. Wind the crepe paper around the pipe cleaners
until they are fully covered. Use hot glue to secure. (Note, if using paper mache, follow
normal paper mache instructions, then paint red once it is dry.)

6. Stick 3 toothpicks on one end of your aorta. Glue them in place and stick the aorta into
the top of the right side of the heart (this is the left ventricle). Bend the U-shape so that it
ends behind the heart and glue it into place.

7. Now it's time to work on the pulmonary trunk! Take 3 pipe cleaners and bend them in half
so they fold in on each other. Use hot glue to secure the ends together. Bend the pipe
cleaners so that they have a slight curve.

8. Stick 3 toothpicks in one end of the pulmonary trunk. Use glue to secure in place and
then attach it to the top of the left side of your heart. Bend the pulmonary trunk so that it
hugs the aorta, and glue into place.

9. For the pulmonary arteries, take 2 pipe cleaners, and bend them together as you did for
the aorta and pulmonary trunk, using glue to secure the ends together. This is going to fit
through the loop of the aorta, and will hug the back of the pulmonary trunk. Use hot glue to
secure in place.
10. Now it's time to work on the arteries! Grab a milkshake straw and cut it up! You'll need
five 1/2 inch pieces, three 1 inch pieces, and two 2 inch pieces.

11. Put your 1/2 inch pieces on the ends of your arteries, as shown above. Two on each
end of the pulmonary artery, and one on the end of the pulmonary trunk. The 1 inch pieces
should be spaced evenly apart along the top of the aorta. Finally, the two inch pieces should
stick out of the right side of the heart, just off the left atrium.

12. Finally, roll out some blue clay into thin strips, and line the left ventricle with posterior
veins!

Now you're finished with your very own anatomical model of the human heart!
Congratulations and great job!
 Learning about how our heart works and our blood flows throughout our body was a
fascinating experience. One of the coolest things we learned was that not only are there
valves in the heart, but there are valves in our veins too! It was really neat to think about
how our blood flows through arteries and veins, what the role of blood is in our body, as well
as how hard our heart works to pump it through so many thousands of miles of blood
vessels every second!

We also now have a gorgeous model of the human heart that WE made, sitting on display
in our science library at home! Whenever we look at it, we can proudly remember how much
time we put into making it, and appreciate our heart for working continuously as it does.

We also learned even more when we dissected a heart in our kitchen! Due to the amazing
experience we had with the dissection, that took a whole new blog post! Here's the link
where you can see what we did and find out how to get your own heart dissection kit!

A Little Bit of Blood and Gore ...

Our classroom was covered in blood today ... before you start to worry, it was a good
thing. :) As part of our human body unit in science, we made blood today. I found
this wonderful idea on Pinterest and traced it back to HERE. I have afn extremely
high ratio of boys in my class (17:6) and it's getting close to Halloween, so I knew this
would be a hit. And a HIT it was!!! LOVE these moments!
The past few days we had studied the circulatory system, so today was the day to
make blood. I had all my students bring in plastic water bottles today (I had a few on
hand for those that forgot). We started out by making plasma (water, two drops of
yellow food colouring, and a bit of salt to represent the minerals and chemicals. (And
yes, I did get quite a few comments about it looking like pee in the bottle - I told you,
I have a LOT of boys in my class). ;)

We then added our red blood cells. I poured a large amount of Cheerios into a large
ziploc bag and added a whole bottle of red food colouring. I mixed it up until all of
the Cheerios were red, then let the students add the Cheerios to their bottles. The
students already knew that the red blood cells were the most plentiful type of cell in
the blood, and the reason why blood appears the colour of red. Like magic, as soon as
we added the Cheerios to our bottles, the plasma turned red.
 We then added some mini
marshmallows to represent the white blood cells and purple pompoms to represent the
platelets (both less plentiful then the red blood cells). The finished result was quite
gross, but definitely a useful model that my students will remember for a long time.