Category: Learning

Fireworks - Lessons in History, Science, Math and Art

7/3/2016

With the 4th of July/Independence Day in the United States approaching (and now upon us), I decided to create some learning activities for my kids that center on fireworks. The topic allows for incorporating several disciplines, including history, science, math and art. I've included links to resources and to activity options that I either did or am planning to do.

Fireworks Safety
Fireworks safety is an important topic to cover with kids, and a couple good resources for some firework safety tips are:

The History of Fireworks
China is generally credited with the invention of fireworks. For discussing the history of fireworks with my kids, I found these links as useful resources:

Science and Fireworks
It is difficult to do many hands-on science projects involving fireworks with young kids because, well, explosives and young children are not a good mix. Nevertheless, I came up with or happened upon a couple activities that were safe for kids (with adequate adult supervision).

Dissect a firework to see it's components, and explain how it works at a high level.
- I chose to use an inexpensive daytime aerial parachute firework, and purchased two - one to cut into, and the other to set off so that we could see the firework in action. I found a page with a good diagram of an aerial parachute firework that helped us identify the component parts in our firework and explain how it worked. (The site, Powder Keg Fireworks, has good diagrams and explanations of several other fireworks as well.)

Observe the making of a homemade smoke bomb, followed by a very basic discussion of what is occurring. The smoke bomb we observed was made from potassium nitrate (a.k.a. saltpeter) and sucrose (a.k.a. table sugar). This requires safety precautions, and should be done by an adult or responsible older kid only.

Heating the potassium nitrate and sucrose.

Pouring the caramelized mixture into a mold.

Lighting a piece of the smoke bomb.

Make "fireworks in a jar," which is really a simple experiment on liquid density using oil, water and food coloring. This post on Active Wild can help with explaining density to kids as well.

Approximately 16 drops of food coloring in 4 tablespoons of oil, mixed gently (avoid mixing too much if multiple colors are desired).

Slowly pouring oil/food coloring mix into a jar of warm water. The food coloring (water-based) is more dense than the oil so "falls" into the water, creating a mini-explosion of color in the water.

Watch this video from Science Kids which shows some of the chemistry behind the color of fireworks.
Do this experiment from Science Buddies to see how a couple different metal salts, when burned, create some of the different colors seen in fireworks. Table salt is one of the metal salts used in this experiment, so is very accessible.

Math and Fireworks

Introduce the math terms parabola and trajectory, and explain that math allows people to safely plan fireworks shows...this is one way to plant a seed about how useful math is and how fun it can be. (I like to use either our little hand-held whiteboards or our large 6-foot whiteboard to draw and help explain concepts like this, preferably with the kids copying what I am drawing.) I used this post on math and fireworks from Math for Grownups as the basis and background for this activity. I also like the author's suggestion of having a child toss a tennis ball up at different angles to help understand the concepts of a parabola and trajectory.
Use the purchasing of fireworks as a math and finance lesson by giving a child a certain amount of money to spend , and help them figure out what they can and cannot afford to buy (using a variety of dollars and coins can help a child practice money identification and value, if they are ready for that). This involves addition, subtraction, greater than/less than, money concepts and so on. Examples: "If you have $5, how many $2 firework cones can you buy?" or "If you have $5, do you have enough to buy 3 packs of snappers at $0.50 each and a bag of smoke bombs for $1? How much money would you have left over?" Similarly, math skills can be practiced when enjoying the fireworks too: "You bought 6 smoke bombs, and you've set off 2. How many do you have left? If you share them equally with your sibling, how many can each of you have?"

Firework Art

Make toilet paper tube firework art. There are several examples of this online, but we referred to this post on Crafty Morning.

Use glitter and glue to make firework art, as shown in this Kids Activities Blog post. I like the way this art looks, but haven't done it with my kids, and haven't decided if I will since I have such a dread of glitter in the house because I will continue to find pieces of glitter for months afterwards.
Any online search for fireworks art or fireworks crafts ideas will likely produce many other great options, as evidenced by the extensive list on this Pinterest site.

Other Resources:

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The American Revolution - Play and Reading for Kids

6/30/2016

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As the Fourth of July nears, I have been reading the kids several books related to the American Revolution. I want them to understand what the holiday means, to be introduced to the history of the United States of America, and to understand a bit about what it means to fight for what one believes in and for what one believe their rights to be. In conjunction with reading, I've helped the kids create play inspired by the American Revolution. Hopefully, this helps them to better imagine scenarios and to solidify some of what they are learning. Our reading and play activities are outlined below.

Kids' Play Related to The American Revolution

I found a relatively inexpensive American Revolutionary War toy soldier set at Hobby Lobby for just $10, which only cost me $6 with their weekly 40% off coupon (it has Colonial soldiers in blue, British soldiers in red, and German Hessians in black, as well as General George Washington and his white horse, General Charles Cornwallis, and French General Marquis De Lafeyette). To create more figures, I bought some round doll pins with flat ends; cut red, blue, white, and brown strips from felt rectangles; notched the strips in the center; pushed the strips over the doll pin "heads" to create clothing; and tied the felt "clothing" down with a small piece of crochet thread. These figures can be made to represent women of the time by making the felt strip a little longer to suggest a dress. For other projects, I've painted faces and hair on the doll pins with acrylic paint, and the same could be done here - however, I wanted to leave the option to use the doll pins for other projects once our Revolutionary War play has run its course. We've incorporated craft picket fences, miniature wooden pickle barrels, popsicle sticks (for whatever the mind can imagine), Lego ships, rocks, and a myriad of other toys and objects into our play. My kids have pretended to have a Boston Tea Party, fight the Battle of Bunker Hill, and re-enact other key events in the American Revolution, all with a great deal of liberty in the re-enactment, just as child's play is wont to do (who knew that a truck carried the soldiers to Breed's Hill and that there were Lego pirate ships sailing right next to the hill pulling barrels of ammunition through the water?). Ultimately, I want them to have fun with the topic and get an introduction, and I think we've achieved that.

Kids' Books Related to The American Revolution

There can be many accounts of history, with the story differing depending on who is doing the telling. This in itself can be a lesson on the importance of listening to different sides but being willing to question and seek the most accurate answers before forming one's own opinion - to not just consider those accounts that feel good or that reinforce what we want to believe to be true or have always accepted to be true. To be fair, the goal of some texts or verse is not so much historical accuracy, as it is to incite some sense of bravery or patriotism (example: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), and I think such writing has its place. However, I want to point this out to my kids, in the hope that they may grow to be discerning readers with an understanding of context. This is certainly not always easy to do, particularly when, in my opinion, historiography sometimes tends to be one-sided and neglectful of topics that don't best serve the majority or those with the most power. Historical accounts that are presented as strictly factual accounts (such as textbooks) may have an underlying agenda, such as instilling patriotism or casting historical figures as absolute embodiments of the particular values we want to transmit to our children...not to mention that the waters can be further muddied when there is legitimate disagreement over factual accuracy regarding what truly occurred in the distant past. In my selected readings for the kids, I tried to also find some texts that highlighted groups whose achievements are often overlooked in the retelling of history. In this case, I specifically sought texts that described the role of women, African Americans and Native Americans in the American Revolution. I had some luck with the first, very limited results for the second (and geared toward kids older than mine), and although I searched for books on the role of and impact on Native Americans in the American Revolution and found some texts for adult-level reading, I did not come across any for children. To me, this is indicative of the need for more inclusivity in children's literature. Below are several titles that we have checked out from our library and have been reading.

Joining the Boston Tea Party (The Time-Traveling Twins)
by Diane Stanley, illustrated by Holly Berry
Recommended for ages 5-10
This is a fun approach to learning about the Boston Tea Party, as it follows a pair of time-traveling twins as they go back in time to visit their ancestors.

The Boston Tea Party
by Russell Freedman, illustrated by Peter Malone
Recommended for ages 8-11
This is written and illustrated in the style of a storybook, but is a somewhat lengthy, factual retelling of the Boston Tea Party.

You Wouldn't Want to Be at the Boston Tea Party!: Wharf Water Tea You'd Rather Not Drink
by Peter Cook, illustrated by David Antram
Recommended for ages 8-10
This is a humorous, fun-loving, and sometimes silly approach to history. There are several books in this series, which can make learning about history attractive for many kids.

Let It Begin Here! Lexington & Concord: First Battles of the American Revolution
by Dennis Brindell Fradin, illustrated by Larry Day
Recommended for ages 6-10
This book is a nice way to introduce younger children to the first battles of the American Revolution.

Let It Begin Here! April 19, 1775: The Day the American Revolution Began
by Don Brown
Recommended for ages 7-10
This is similar to the above title, but is a longer story and is more appropriate for kids who can maintain attention levels a little longer.

The Declaration of Independence (True Books: American History)
by Elaine Landau
Recommended for ages 7-9
This is an informational text, not a storybook, so may not be as appealing to some children. My kids tend to do well with these types of books, and enjoy the drawings, paintings and photographs.

George vs. George: The American Revolution as seen from Both Sides
by Rosalyn Schanzer
Recommended for ages 9-12
This book is helpful in encouraging kids to try to see the perspective from the other side - or at least gain greater understanding of where they are coming from - regardless of whether you end up agreeing with it or not.

DK Eyewitness Books: American Revolution
by Stuart Murray
Recommended for ages 8-12
While this book is geared towards older kids, I find that it is still a nice way to show pictures of people and artifacts associated with the American Revolution. My kids find the pictures interesting, and we skip around the book reading tidbits of information as they see fit. The DK Eyewitness series is produced in association with The Smithsonian Institution and is reminiscent of a visit to a museum.

Independent Dames: What You Never Knew About the Women and Girls of the American Revolution
by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Recommended for ages 6-10
This is a great book for exposing kids to the role women played in the American Revolution and introducing them to some of the more notable female figures of that time. The book provides quick snippets of information about several women, as well as a timeline of events during the Revolution.

Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies
by Cokie Roberts, illustrated by Diane Good
Recommended for ages 7-12
This book is more wordy and detailed than the above text, so may be better suited for older children, but is still a great way to quickly learn about the ladies of the American Revolution. I am able to skim over the text and provide my kids with a synopsis, but this is a book I plan to bring out again when they are older. For adult-level reading, I recommend Cokie Roberts book Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation.

America's Black Founders: Revolutionary Heroes & Early Leaders with 21 Activities
by Nancy I. Sanders
Recommended for ages 9-12
This book is really too advanced for the age of my children - it is primarily wordy text with some black and white pictures. However, there are some good suggestions for activities, nice synopses of several notable African Americans of the 1700's and early 1800's, and some good background on the role of and impact on African Americans around the time of the American Revolution. The information in the book can be used for general discussion with younger children.

Sybil's Night Ride
by Karen B. Winnick
Recommended for ages 5-7
This is an enjoyable storybook relating the tale of Sybil Ludington, a 16-year old girl who rode through the night to warn her father's, Colonel Ludington's, militiamen of an oncoming British attack. Her nighttime ride was more than twice the distance of Paul Revere's famous ride.

Katie's Trunk
by Ann Turner, illustrated by Ronald Himler
Recommended for ages 5-8
This is a good storybook for younger children, and I appreciated how it humanized the people involved in the Revolution, both those loyal to Britain and those rebelling against Britain. The story is based on an actual incident with the author's ancestors, and is centered around a loyalist/Tory family. The book provided an opportunity to discuss with my kids how, regardless of how much our beliefs and ideology might differ from those around us - including our family and neighbors - we should not let that make us forget our and others' humanity.

They Called Her Molly Pitcher
by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Cynthia von Buhler
Recommended for ages 3-7
Many experts now believe Molly Pitcher was a mythical figure who was grounded in fact, a composite of camp followers. Though the author's note in this book indicates that Molly was a real person named Mary Hays McCauly, other texts insist that there is evidence to the contrary. Regardless, this is still an enjoyable story and one of the enduring legends of the American Revolution.

George Did It
by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain, illustrated by Larry Day
Recommended for ages 5-9
This book does a nice job of using light-hearted prose to create a more human portrait of George Washington, revealing his reluctance and nervousness about assuming the presidency.

Thomas Jefferson: Third President (Getting to Know the U.S. Presidents)
by Mike Veneza
Recommended for ages 6-9
As the title and series suggest, this is an informative book and not a storybook. The text is written in language understandable to younger children, so although a bit dry, some children may find the historical pictures and cartoon drawings enough to keep it interesting.

Benjamin Franklin from A to Z
by Laura Crawford, illustrated by Judith Hierstein
Recommended for ages 7-10
Though not as engaging as a storybook, this book does provide some interesting snippets of facts about Ben Franklin.

A Picture Book of Paul Revere
by David A. Adler, illustrated by John & Alexandra Wallner
Recommended for ages 6-9
Like David Adler's other picture books highlighting historical figures, the story is factual, but written well for younger children, and the illustrations maintain interest.

Those Rebels, John & Tom
by Barbara Kerley, illusttrated by Edwin Fotheringham
Recommended for ages 7-10
This book, though a long read for young children, has fun illustrations and enjoyable writing. It juxtaposes John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two very different many who often disagreed but together "helped launch a new nation."

DVD: Liberty's Kids - The Complete Series
Rated G
This is not a book, but rather a DVD series of 40 episodes. The series follows Benjamin Franklin's fictional teenage reporters, a young colonist named James and a young Englishwoman named Sarah, through the many events leading up to and through the American Revolution. My kids love this series, and though we are still in the earlier episodes (it will take us awhile to get through these since I limit screen time), they are asking me each day to watch more. I tend to prefer books to movies, but this series is a fun and easy way to expose kids to the events of the American Revolution.

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Science for Young Kids: Anatomy & Physiology - Blood

5/15/2016

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The fifth lesson that I covered in an A&P unit for younger children dealt with blood. Previous lessons centered on the skeletal system, the central nervous system, the respiratory system, and the cardiovascular system. Our lesson on blood tied in well with the latter, and provided some review.

Activities:

Read the book A Drop of Blood by Paul Showers, illustrated by Edward Miller. This book was recommended for an older age group than what my children are, but with several breaks for discussion and explanation, they remained engaged.
Reviewed the pages on the heart, blood and circulation in our book Eye Wonder: Human Body. The book has some very nice microscopic photographs of cells, the interior of the heart, the inside view of an artery, capillary networks and so on.
Completed a short project to demonstrate how bruises are injuries where blood vessels break and blood leaks out and can be seen where it collects beneath the skin. I came upon this project on the site Our Time to Learn in a post about injuries. We adapted the project somewhat to use materials we had on hand: paper towels, straws, food coloring and water. I traced the kids' hands and forearms onto paper towels, placing a second paper towel beneath each one. Next, I cut our straws into shorter pieces and added red and blue food coloring to water to create a blood-colored liquid. I carefully put the liquid into the straws and laid each straw piece between the prepared layers of paper towels. The kids then hit the straws, causing the liquid to shoot out and create what looks like a bruise on the hand and arm. We had a few trials - getting enough liquid in the straws and getting it to stay there until being hit was a bit tricky. But overall, the kids understood the concept of how a bruise is formed.

Made a model of blood, based on the post "What's Inside a Drop of Blood" by Creekside Learning. For this model, we again went with what we had on hand, as well as adding an element to represent fibrin. As we added blood components, I also had the kids draw a diagram of the components onto their mini whiteboards, using differing colors of dry erase markers for each component. Our steps used in creating this model are shown in the following slideshow.
- Items used: corn syrup, dry lentils, red cinnamon candies, white poker chips, white string, bowl, mini whiteboard with various colored markers

Discussion points:

Blood has four main components - plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Plasma makes up more than half of our blood (55%), and is a clear, light yellow liquid which transports the other components as well as many other substances that our bodies needs.
Red blood cells (RBC's) make up a large portion of our blood (45%) and carry oxygen to and carbon dioxide away from our cells. The RBC's are small and are red-colored due to having hemoglobin, which is red-colored and contains iron.
White blood cells (WBC's) make up a very small portion or our blood (<1%) but are very important in fighting off germs, bacteria and viruses. When people are sick, their bodies release more WBC's. The WBC's are larger than RBC's, and there are several different types.
Platelets are small, sticky cells that help to form clots when there is an injury that causes bleeding. They also comprise a small portion of our blood (<1%). Platelets are assisted in their clot-forming job by fibrin, a thread-like substance that helps the clot stay together.
Blood also carries other things that our bodies need to function properly - like nutrients, proteins, and hormones - as well as wastes that our bodies need to dispose of.
Bruises, also called contusions, occur when small blood vessels break due to being bumped. Blood escapes from the blood vessel and collects under the skin, forming the coloration of a bruise. A bruise will change colors as it heals.
If a person is injured and loses too much blood, they can die. However, when people lose blood from injuries or operations, some of their blood can be replaced by blood donated by other people. This is how someone can help to save a life by donating their blood (though they have to be a healthy, old enough and big enough to donate). Blood donation involves taking blood from one person using a needle and tube and putting that blood into another person, after the blood has been checked and received special treatments. When a person donates blood only a small amount is taken, so the donor will still be okay.
Since blood carries so many substances needed and released by our bodies, it can indicate a lot about a person's health. Sometimes, a doctor may order a blood test so that a person's blood can be checked to ensure they are healthy. During a blood test, a needle is inserted in to a blood vessel to withdraw a very small amount of blood. It might sound scary, but it doesn't hurt very much, doesn't last very long and is often necessary to make sure a person is healthy.

Vocabulary words:

Plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, fibrin, contusion, blood donation, blood test

Additional activities (which we didn't do this time, but I'd like to do sometime in the future):

Watch a video about blood donation, such as this one by Florida's Blood Centers.
Explain the different blood types (A, B, AB, O).

Resources:

KidsHealth provides an explanation of blood, along with a video about what is involved when getting a blood test.
The Women and Children's Health Network in South Australia has a Child and Youth Health page that provides good kid-friendly information about blood.
Easy Science for Kids has a succinct explanation of blood and a drawing indicating what percent of blood is comprised by each component.

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Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust

5/3/2016

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The kids and I are currently learning about the Holocaust in honor of the Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (DRVH) which is an 8-day period designated by the United States for commemorations and educational programs related to the Holocaust. The dates of the DRVH change from year to year, as they usually run from the Sunday before through the Sunday following Yom Hashoah (also known as Holocaust Memorial Day/Holocaust Remembrance Day/Holocaust Day). Yom Hashoah is Israel's designated day for commemorating the Jewish victims of the Holocaust - a day that marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Since the date of Yom Hashoah is based on the Hebrew calendar, which is a lunar calendar, the Gregorian date of the observance will change from year to year. In 2016, Yom Hashoah is observed on Thursday, May 5th, and consequently the Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust in the United States is observed from Sunday, May 1 through Sunday, May 8.

This year, I am spending a little time personally commemorating this period by remembering and learning/relearning some history surrounding the Holocaust. In doing so, I have found the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website to be a good resource. Various DRVH events throughout the United States can be found on an event map at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's website, though many of the events this year have already occurred. In thinking about the Holocaust, I - like many - often wonder how such an unimaginable tragedy could have come to pass, and I continue to wonder at what dynamics allow for the continued genocide of groups seen even more recently. I found the overview of the early warning signs of the Holocaust on the museum's site interesting and enlightening, as well as their page on confronting genocide. And, of course, the individual stories are always impactful, as they put a relatable human face to events that can seem impersonal on the pages of history texts.

Discussing the Holocaust with kids can be a little tricky. Were my children older and better able to understand and contextualize information about the Holocaust, this would be easier. However, given their ages, our discussions are very high level, and I find myself using this time as an opportunity to discuss prejudice, an appreciation for diversity, and being courageous in the face of hatred and cruelty. It is also an opportunity for me to stress the importance of remembering history so that we can better understand and act in our present, be sensitive to the continued impacts and residual feelings from what may seem to be distant events, and work together to chart a better future. There were a few picture books I found at our library that dealt with stories surrounding the Holocaust, which I have listed below. These titles are more appropriate for my 6 year old than my younger son, so I read with caution and am prepared to skip or alter sections when Hopper 2 is listening. Also, we follow with much more lighthearted reading and play afterwards. I know there are many parents who might find it inappropriate to bring up the Holocaust or other such atrocities with children as young as mine, and I respect others' role in determining what they believe to be the best decisions for their child(ren). My decision to do so is not because I enjoy discussing such heavy topics with them (because I do not - this is some really hard stuff to try to explain), but because I believe in beginning to talk about prejudice early since research has shown that stereotypes and attitudes towards groups of people can begin in the preschool years. I take the character and moral development part of my parenting "job" more seriously than fostering academic-based skills - still important, don't get me wrong, but I don't consider academic success (or the often assumed subsequent financial success) to be the ultimate hallmark of a successful human being. I hope that by beginning to discuss such topics as the Holocaust and prejudice early, I might lay the groundwork for my kids to later recognize and speak or act against prejudice and injustice.

Here are a few children's book titles, most of which are recommended for ages 6 and older, but I suggest reading through the stories completely before reading aloud to children (or allowing them to read to themselves) in order to determine if it is appropriate - some children may not yet be able to process the content or some children may be more sensitive to the events described. My children are not old enough to read well, so I am able to skip parts or alter wording somewhat when I am reading to them. Sometimes we just discuss the pictures and how we think the characters are feeling based upon the pictures.

The Butterfly
by Patricia Polacco
This true story comes from the author's family history. The protaganist is Polacco's aunt, who in the story is a child named Monique. Monique's mother was part of the French underground and resistance and hid Jews in her basement during the Nazi occupation of France. One of the people she hid was a little girl named Sevrine, who befriended Monique. The events of this friendship are the basis for the story in this book.

Irena's Jar of Secrets
by Marcia Vaughan, illustrated by Ron Mazellan
This book relates the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker who, at great risk to herself, helped the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto. She began by smuggling in needed items, but later helped to smuggle nearly 2500 children out. The children were given new identities and placed with foster families and orphanages. Hoping to later reunite the children with their families, Sendler buried lists indicating the real and false identities in jars under an apple tree.

A Picture Book of Anne Frank
by David A. Adler, illustrated by Karen Ritz
This book gives an overview of the short life of Anne Frank, who is well-known from her diary published after her death.

Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust
by Eve Bunting
I actually have not had a chance to read this book, as all copies have been in use at our library system. However, per the description and reviews online, I hope to check it out later and determine if it will be appropriate for my kids. Per the Amazon description: "This unique introduction to the Holocaust encourages young children to stand up for what they think is right, without waiting for others to join them."

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Science for Young Kids: Anatomy & Physiology - The Cardiovascular System

4/26/2016

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The fourth lesson that I covered in an recent A&P unit involved the cardiovascular system. Previous lessons centered on the skeletal system, the central nervous system and the respiratory system.

Activities:

Watched this video on the cardiovascular system from aboutkidshealth.
Printed out copies of this blood flow diagram from Children's Heart Institute, discussed the diagram at a high level, cut it out and pasted it on our body maps in the appropriate location.
Felt for our pulse at our wrists and in our necks, and listened to each other's heartbeats by putting our ear against each other's chests - a stethoscope would have been great, but we didn't have one.
Got the kids physically involved in what we were learning by enacting blood flow in the cardiovascular system.
- We laid down a red blanket and a blue blanket next to each other to represent the left atrium/ventricle and right atrium/ventricle, respectively.
- We set sawhorses or chairs on one end of each blanket and in the middle of each blanket to represent the valves of the heart - there are 4 valves, so we needed 4 sawhorses or chairs (I looked for anything I had on hand that could be crawled through and wasn't too long). The sawhorses/chairs in the middle of the blankets represented the valves between the atria and ventricles (on both the left/red blanket and right/blue blanket sides of the heart), and the sawhorses/chairs at the end of each blanket represented the valves leading out of the ventricles into the aorta (left side/red blanket) and pulmonary artery (right side/blue blanket).
- I inflated red and blue balloons to represent oxygen (red) and carbon dioxide (blue).
- I stood to the side, and I represented dual roles of lungs and the rest of the body - I just moved back and forth between nearby different spots in the room to fulfill my two roles.
- Then the kids pretended to be red blood cells (RBC's) rushing through the the cardiovascular system among heart and lungs and the rest of the body. We started with them holding blue balloons (carbon dioxide) and me holding red balloons (oxygen), assuming they were RBC's headed back to the heart from the rest of the body. With that assumption their path was:
  1. Onto the blue blanket (right atrium)
  2. Through the sawhorse/chair in the middle of the blue blanket (tricuspid valve) onto the other half of the blue blanket (right ventricle)
  3. Through the sawhorse/chair at that end of the blue blanket (pulmonary valve)
  4. Over to me-as-the-lungs where they gave me their blue balloons (carbon dioxide) and I gave them my red balloons (oxygen)
  5. Onto the red blanket (left atrium)
  6. Through the sawhorse/chair in the middle of the red blanket (mitral valve) onto the other half of the red blanket (left ventricle)
  7. Through the sawhorse/chair at the end of the red blanket (aortic valve)
  8. Over to me-as-the-rest-of-the-body where they gave me their red balloons (oxygen), and I gave them my blue balloons (carbon dioxide)
- And then through the whole pathway again, as I called out each part of the pathway they were completing. To emphasize how exertion causes the heart to beat faster to meeting the increasing oxygen delivery/carbon dioxide removal needs of the body's tissues, I-as-the-rest-of-the-body would jump up and down and urge the kids (my little red blood cells) to move faster, faster through the pathway because I really needed the oxygen and needed to get rid of the carbon dioxide. The kids loved trying to see how fast they could run to where they needed to go and crawl through all the "valves." Not only did they really enjoy this very physical learning activity, but they were talking about the pathway later, indicating to me that this really helped them understand the basics of circulatory blood flow.
- Items needed for this activity:
  - Chairs, sawhorses, open-ended boxes or other items that can be crawled through and aren't too long
  - 1 Red and 1 blue blanket (or other blankets of differing colors could work if red and blue aren't available)
  - Red and blue balloons (or other balloons of differing colors could work if red and blue aren't available)

Discussion points:

The cardiovascular system is the means by which our bodies move blood throughout our bodies. Our bodies need to move blood in order to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all the parts of our bodies and to take away carbon dioxide and wastes that are produced by our bodies activities.
The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart, lungs, veins and arteries (blood vessels) - "cardio" refers to the heart and "vascular" refers to the blood vessels.
The heart is a muscle that pumps our blood throughout our body. This muscle has four "rooms," or chambers, and works all the time - if it were ever to stop working for long, we would die. The heart pushes the blood to the lungs to get oxygen and then pushes the oxygenated blood out to the rest of our bodies. Valves in our heart keep the blood from flowing backwards between heartbeats.
We can tell our heart is beating by feeling our pulse at certain places in our body where the arteries are nearer to the surface of our skin, such as on our wrists below our thumbs or in our necks under the jaw, or by listening to our heartbeat with a stethoscope (we can hear someone else's heartbeat just by laying our ear against their chest).
The lungs breathe in oxygen that our bodies need, and breathe out the carbon dioxide of which our bodies need to be rid.
The veins and arteries are flexible tubes through which the blood flows from the heart and lungs to the other parts of our bodies. The arteries carry oxygenated blood (blood with more oxygen) away from the heart and lungs, and the veins carry deoxygenated blood (blood with less oxygen) back to our heart and lungs.
We can help to keep our heart healthy by exercising, eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress and not smoking.

Vocabulary words:
Cardiovascular, atrium (left and right), ventricle (left and right), valves, arteries, veins, pulse, oxygen, carbon dioxide

Sources:

KidsHealth website can provide some background information for discussing the circulatory system.
This aboutkidshealth site has the video mentioned above as well as some other high level information for kids regarding the circulatory system. This page on the site is geared more towards adults, but it briefly explains the blood flow pathway.

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Fireworks - Lessons in History, Science, Math and Art

The American Revolution - Play and Reading for Kids

Science for Young Kids: Anatomy & Physiology - Blood

Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust

Science for Young Kids: Anatomy & Physiology - The Cardiovascular System

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Fireworks - Lessons in History, Science, Math and Art

The American Revolution - Play and Reading for Kids

Science for Young Kids: Anatomy & Physiology - Blood

Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust

Science for Young Kids: Anatomy & Physiology - The Cardiovascular System

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