Activity 5D: Pulmo-Park Pom-Pom Shooter: Measuring the Effect of Restricted Breathing on Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) Topic: Pulmonary System Part of: Unit: Pulmo Park Lesson 5: Fill it Up: Pulmonary Health

Entire Activity Download (27 pages, 1.8 MB)

Individual Downloads

Teacher Background Information

Teacher Administrative Information

Teacher Group Task Cards

Teacher Peak Flow Nomogram

Teacher Station Instruction Cards

Student Background Information

Student Data Pages

How to Make a Pom Pom Shooter Diagram

Assessment

Pre/Post Test

Pre/Post Test Answer Sheet & Key

Keywords

pom-pom shooter, distance, restriction, obstruction, peak expiratory flow, PEF, pulmonary disorder

Search Curricular Keywords

Intended Grade Level: 7-8

Key Concepts

conceptual modeling, structure and function, force and motion, catapulting, change, systems, peak expiratory flow, pulmonary health and disease

Process Skills Utilized

laboratory investigations, analyzing data, conceptual modeling, scientific inquiry, critical thinking (limitations of models), demonstration, observing and measuring, constructing graphs, inferring, evaluating

Activity Description

A pom-pom shooter is one of the easiest and most entertaining tools your students will ever use in science class. Students simply place a small pom-pom into the mouthpiece, and blow as hard as possible with one breath. Student “spotters” will measure the distance traveled by each pom-pom and record the information for the person using the pom-pom shooter. The process is repeated with “restriction mouthpieces” placed on the pom-pom shooter. Data is analyzed and students see, very graphically, how restriction or obstruction can affect their PEF.

Objectives

Using a PVC pom-pom shooter and restriction adapters, students will be able to:

• relate distance traveled by a pom-pom after being shot through a pom-pom shooter to peak expiratory flow (PEF)
• explain the effect of simulated pulmonary obstructive and restrictive disorders on PEF
• identify independent and dependent variables
• formulate a hypothesis
• collect, tabulate, graph, and analyze data
• explain the difference between obstructive and restrictive pulmonary diseases and provide examples of each

Activity Management Suggestions

Be sure to identify those students with asthma or other respiratory problems. They should not perform the breathing exercises in this activity because they involve repeated maximal inhalations and exhalations and use of a breathing restriction mouthpiece which could leave the students short of breath or, possibly, trigger an asthmatic episode. These students can observe and use data collected by their group.

Pom-pom shooters are very simple and inexpensive to construct. A science teacher may ask students to volunteer to construct them before or after class, have them made in industrial technology classes, or, with parental and school permission allow students to construct the pom-pom shooters at home and bring them to class. Pom-pom shooters (Marshmallow Shooters) can also be purchased over the Internet and used instead of building them. If this activity is done in stations, only 4 shooters are needed; if the activity is done as a whole-group activity, a class set of 16 pom-pom shooters will be needed. A big advantage for having students construct their own is pride of ownership! Students will enjoy custom decorating their pom-pom shooter.

Tiny marshmallows can be used instead of pom-poms or pom-poms can be hand made rather than purchased. Use various colors and assign a specific color to each group for identification purposes. Laminate the Station Cards so they can be used again. If a peak flow meter cannot be obtained from a drugstore or drug department of a department store, have students use the Peak Flow Nomogram included in the Teacher Information Pages of this activity to estimate their Peak Expiratory Flow.

Modifications

For highly able students, assess prior knowledge with a KWL chart and allow these students to conduct the lab activity, process the results, and study pulmonary diseases in much fuller detail than that provided in this activity. For students needing assistance, group students so they are working with student leaders who can help them participate fully in the lab. Monitor these students carefully to ensure their success.

Extension

1. Students can vary the sizes of PVC in the pom-pom shooter to see if these variables affect projection of the pom-pom. This would be an excellent scientific inquiry into the theories associated with catapulting and ballistics.
2. Have students correlate physics of the pom-pom shooter with Newton’s Laws of Motion. They can turn in a written report with drawings and diagrams, or they can report to the class orally with models for demonstrations.
3. More advanced students may want to look at Poiseuille’s Law and explore its relationship to this lab experiment.
4. Have students design a more open inquiry investigation by selecting their own variables to test and devising their own methods for conducting the experiment.
5. Students can collect data from all classes and possibly other classes to find a correlation between the distance traveled by the pom-poms and Peak Expiratory Flow. Such a calibration would allow the pom-pom shooter to be used as a device to measure PEF.
6. Have students collect height information on each students and input height and pom-pom distance traveled into a graphing calculator to create a correlation graph. Have students share findings with the class.

Activity References Used

Johns, D. P. & Pierce, R. (2003) Pocket Guide to Spirometry. San Francisco:
McGraw Hill.

Medline Plus from the National Institutes of Health
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/emphysema.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tuberculosis.html

National Cancer Institute Website
http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/lung

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_WhatIs.html

Peak Expiratory flow Rate Normal Values
http://www.peakflow.com/top_nav/normal_values/index.html

Possible sources for supplies for this activity:

Disposable mouthpieces available at:
http://www.chponline.com/CHPStore.asp?WCI=wciProduct&WCE=16

Nose clips.
Purchase in stock for reuse. Call number #39290.
http://www.futuremedamerica.com/

Peak Flow Meter can be purchased at pharmacy: http://www.omronhealthcare.com/enTouchCMS/app/viewCategory?catgId=39

Vernier website
http://www.vernier.com/physiology/

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