Ken Krupa October 5th, 2010

Lung in a Bottle - 5th Grade

Standard: NJCCCS: 5.4 Nature and Process of Technology

Big Idea: As per NJCCCS standards, all students will understand the interrelationships

between science and technology and develop a conceptual understanding of the nature

and process of technology. The big idea here is that students will see the relationship

between the model of the respiratory system as it is similar to what really happens inside

the human body.

Resource: Lung in a Bottle (adapted from “Pop Bottle Science” by Lynn Brunelle).

http://www.education.com/activity/article/lung-bottle/.

Introduction to the lesson - “students, today we are going to examine how you might

use some everyday materials to simulate what goes on inside our respiratory systems.

This is an important study of how biological processes relate to physical models that we

can all build ourselves. Your lungs pull in air about 30 times every minute, and push it

out just as often, all without you really thinking about it. How do they work?

We're going to show you how to build a working model of your lungs, so you can see for

yourself!”

Potential Misconceptions: It is important that the students see the lung in a bottle model

as being analogous to the human respiratory system. If students do not see the relation,

show them a simplified diagram depicting the lungs and diaphragm as air moves through

the lungs and the muscles in the diaphragm contract. Explain that this is the same thing

that happens when they breath. If they still need some further instruction, ask them the

breath deeply to better show the example of diaphragm use and lung expansion. Explain

the chemical processes which take place; such as the exchange of oxygen with carbon
dioxide within the lungs. Also explain how the diaphragm acts as the voluntary muscular

portion of the respiratory system which allows us to control our breathing.

Inquiry: Before showing the students the model of the lung in a bottle, ask questions

such as “boys and girls, can someone describe for the class what you think breathing

looks like? The human body has several systems inside it helping you to move, think,

digest food and even to breath. Does anyone know which system inside your body helps

you breath?”

Have the pairs of students build their own lung in a bottle models in heterogeneous pairs.

Objectives: At the end of this lesson students will be able to describe the inner workings

of the respiratory system as it relates to a soda bottle "chest" and a balloon "lung" and

"diaphragm," Students will be able to manipulate these essential parts of the respiratory

system to illustrate what really goes on inside the human body.

- The students will be assessed to understand why the lung in a bottle exercise is

similar to the human respiratory system.

- the students will also be assessed based on their writing journal entries

describing this experiment (*implementing other subject matter).

- students success in this exercise will be measured by their ability to explain and

elaborate on what they have seen in terms of their models being relative to actual

biological processes.

Materials and Methods: pop bottle, a garbage bag, some scissors, duct tape, two straws,

two balloons, a lump of plasticine, and a small piece of thin cardboard.

Science processing skill in terms of building the model and observing how it relates to

the biological respiratory system:

 - “The first step is to cut off and discard the bottom half of the pop bottle. Cut out
a piece of plastic from the garbage bag, and tape it loosely but securely to the opening on
the top half of the bottle. Make sure the plastic is attached well; it must make an airtight
seal. The plastic should be loose and floppy in the center.”
- “Wrap the lump of plasticine carefully around the two straws so they make an
airtight seal. Attach two balloons to the straws as shown; tape them on securely. Then
wedge the lump into the bottle top, sealing it carefully again.
Now attach the piece of cardboard to the plastic bag, with some duct tape
- “The bottle represents your chest, with the neck at the top and the lungs inside.
The bag at the bottom represents your diaphragm, a flat tissue that moves up and down as
muscles contract and expand. When your muscles pull it down, (simulated by pulling
down on the cardboard), the chest cavity becomes larger, and the air pressure lowers. This
causes your lungs to expand, all by themselves, just as the balloons will, as they fill with
outside air.”
- “Now push up on the cardboard. This causes the chest cavity to decrease in size,
and the air pressure inside the chest to rise. This squeezes the lungs, forcing the air up and
out.
- “In your body, the muscles which cause the diaphragm to move up and down
are controlled automatically by your nervous system; you don't have to think about it.
- Give each pair five more minutes to study their model and discuss what they
will contribute to the class discussion at the end.
Integrating Other Subject Matter: While this exercise integrates science by examining

the relationship of models to biological processes, this exercise is integrated with other

subject matter by having the students write about their observations and wondering in

their writing journals - thus integrating language arts. It is important for the students to

see the parallels between the lung in a bottle experiment and the real respiratory system.

“Make sure to note any connections in your interactive notebooks/journals that you have

noticed between this exercise and something else in your daily life, in or out of school -

(active engagement). Use your skills in critical thinking in order to examine the
respiratory system closely. Collect your data, analyze it and be ready to give a

meaningful explanation of what you have discovered here.”

Students will also be able to see how this lesson relates to the integration of

mathematics in terms of the logical process by which oxygen is taken in, distributed

across the body, replaced by carbon dioxide as the lungs shrink and a person exhales.

During the class discussion at the end, ask the students if they have noticed the

connections between this lesson and any other subject, such as math, social studies, etc.

This activity is developmentally appropriate as it was designed for fifth graders as

it relates to their studies of elementary biology and the use of physical models as

manipulative materials.

Classroom Management Issues: Students should only be working with the materials in

the context of the experiment. Students should NOT be fooling around with the soda

bottle or balloon in any manner. Anticipate student behavior by circulating while they are

working. Never sit down unless to talk with a pair of students who are having trouble

with building the model - in that case, help them.

Grouping: Students will be grouped heterogeneously in pairs, allowing the students who

understand the activity entirely to teach those who may not. To make sure everyone

understands the main idea of the experiment, the teacher will individually ask each group

about the main ideas of the experiment.

“How does the balloon relate to the lungs in the human body?”

“What do you think the importance of the diaphragm is?”

“Why do you think we used a bottle for this?”

Differentiation: if some students require extra assistance, the teacher will provide extra
background information regarding why they are using a bottle for this exercise (to

simulate the chest cavity). Students having trouble may also get support from their peers

in the same group. Clearly show them the basic frameworks of the respiratory system

using the chart. Point out how the diaphragm affect our breathing and show the lungs

expanding and contracting.

Safety Issues: Students will be closely monitored especially so as to avoid ingestion of

the balloons or misuse of said materials. The teacher will direct them to only use the

balloons for their intended purpose of the experiment.

Engage: Students will be engaged through the use of the interactive notebooks/journals,

building and examining the model and class discussion at the end. Students will record

their questions about the lung in a bottle in their interactive notebooks/journals and be

allowed to talk about them at any point. The students will leave the class with more

knowledge about the inner workings of the respiratory system than they came in with,

thus engaging their thought process regarding the human body’s inner workings as they

relate to machinery. Students will leave the lesson with a sense of how possible strategies

and solutions to the class activity might be addressed later.

Explore: This activity is explained by the lesson introduction and instructions in the

plan. “Students, first we will cut off the bottom of the bottle, than put the larger portion

of a balloon inside the ’mouth’ of the bottle with the more narrow neck outside the bottle.

Then I want you to fold the thin part of the balloon around the ’mouth’ of the bottle and

place a rubber band around it so it stays there. This balloon will show you how lungs

work.” Students will record their explorations in their journals and also explore the

relationship between the model and both their prior knowledge of the respiratory system
and what has been presented in class.

Explain: The teacher will first show the students how to construct the lung in a bottle by

showing them a finished product and then helping a group to create a new one in order to

show the process. That group will be able to construct their own without much teacher

help after the demonstration. All students will be given a chance to explain and show

what they have figured out. They will be allowed to show their recordings in their

interactive notebooks/journals as well as their model.

Elaborate: Explain to students that as people breath in the diaphragm causes air to flow

inward and as we exhale, the reverse happens; allowing air to flow outward and causing

the chest to feel smaller or compressed. This explains the effect of muscle in the

respiratory efforts of humans and animals. Make it clear to students that this is their

opportunity to show off what they have learned about biology in terms of physical

models being like the actual respiratory system.

Evaluate: “After building your own lung in a bottle, what have you all discovered about

the respiratory system?” “Do you think this is similar to what happens in humans and

animals?” “ Why/Why not?” Make sure that each group contributes to class discussion.

Allow each group to appoint one spokesperson for the initial sharing of information, then

allow anyone with thoughts on the project to contribute as well. “What questions dose

the lung in a bottle raise for you, individually?”

Closure: After the discussion time has been concluded, one student from each group

will place the lung in a bottle model on top of a book shelf for display. Other students

will clean up the supplies used to make the model, after which all students will return to

their seats and prepare to move to the next part of the day’s schedule.
 - explain that students will share their work by pairs sharing something they

noticed about the physical model and how it related to what really goes on inside the

human body. Each pair will have to contribute to the discussion, trying to present

information different from what other groups have shown. Start with a pair who looks

like that understood the exercise.

Tie the responses into each objective:

- The students will be assessed to understand why the lung in a bottle exercise is similar

to the human respiratory system.

- the students will also be assessed based on their writing journal entries describing this

experiment, thus implementing language arts.

- students success in this exercise will be measured by their ability to explain and

elaborate on what they have seen in terms of their models being relative to actual

biological processes.

Assessment/Evaluation:

Assessment information will be used to design future lessons based on how the

pairs of students understand the analogous relationship between the model and the actual

respiratory system. The lesson will be reviewed until all students demonstrate an

understanding of the relationship between biological processes and physical models.

If groups of students have had a difficult time building their own models while

grouped heterogeneously in pairs, other options such as video demonstrations, readings,

and worksheet exercises will then be utilized more heavily to compensate. Future lessons

will also be occasionally taught for the individual instead of working in pairs.

If individual students have had trouble while the vast majority has succeeded,
students may be grouped differently in terms of who is grouped with who, in order to

maximize the efficient use of time for independent as well as guided practice during these

exercises. Ask them if their parents or anyone else have ever told them how the

respiratory system works. If not, ask the parents to talk about the biology of this exercise

to their child occasionally.

The overall discussion will be contributing to the larger assessment after the unit

has concluded. Tell the students that only what they have discussed during these lessons

will be on the final test.

Planning Ahead:

Follow up possibilities for the entire group might include building models of the

circulatory system, nervous system and/or digestive system. Instead of using models

throughout, for more difficult systems to build, worksheets might be more appropriate in

which students track foods path through the digestive system, or a coloring worksheet for

the different aspects of the nervous and circulatory systems. Throughout, these studies

would all encompass a larger idea that biological processes can be demonstrated through

the use of physical models, either throughout technological means or through the use of

manipulative materials. These lessons would culminate in a larger assessment in which

students would be given the task of identifying each system and noting the differences.

Follow up lessons for an individual may include worksheets based on the lung in

a bottle exercise to further build upon student comprehension. These studies would also

include building models of the circulatory system, nervous system and/or digestive

system. Throughout, these studies would all encompass a larger idea that biological

processes can be demonstrated through the use of physical models. This would most
likely involve labeling and coloring as well and be a continued practice for the other

systems as they are also taught.