BLOOD

BLOOD

I thought this one might get their attention.

We began by listing everything we knew or thought about blood and discussed these ideas. This raised a number of questions for research later to find out if they were fact or myth. We watched a video about the Circulatory System which explained some of the basics of the heart, blood, veins and arteries in a fun and entertaining way. 

Our next investigation was into heartbeats. What are they? Everyone was able to find their pulse, although some were easier than others. The questions to investigate just kept coming as we discussed pulses. The students took their resting pulse and then it was time to get moving.

Cardiovascular excercise for 3 minutes on a 30 degree day was a big ask. The kids did so well. After comparing the difference in pulse rates many were amazed. Most of them almost doubled their rate.

After asking their hearts to pump all that blood so quickly around their bodies it was time to work out their approximate blood volume. They did this by entering height and weight information into the online calulator https://www.easycalculation.com/medical/blood-volume.php . Another great question arose from one of the girls asking why she would weigh more if she entered the same height and weight but clicked 'male' instead. We could have spent all day investigating our questions. 

Filling buckets of water and adding red food colouring made their body blood volume so much more visual for them and tipping it out was definitely the most fun.

I think we all left with more questions than the simple one we began with. What is blood?