Activity 2A: Building Pulmo Park: A Constructivist Activity

Building Pulmo Park: A Constructivist Activity is a lab experience that allows students to discover critical principles of the respiratory system. Students will make observations and inferences about the structure and function of the respiratory system from watching a flash animation of The Anatomy of Breathing and record them in a graphic organizer called Pulmo Park Blue Print. This activity is meant to be exploratory and then progress into a more insightful discussion with the teacher. Students will then apply what they learn by taking a “deeper” look into the functions of the respiratory system through a lab investigation called Under Construction. During the lab, the groups of students will complete a Pulmo Park Builder’s Log and use it to help match each lab experience to specific lung functions. Student lab investigations will support students as they create and manipulate a working model of the lungs called Project: Build It! Students will be encouraged to observe the flash animation as often as needed to achieve greater understanding of how the lungs work.