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Description

Create a model of a human heart

Resources

Per pair / team:
3 small bottles (same size)
4 plastic bendy straws
Blue tack
Sellotape
Red food colouring

See the brilliant Mike from Scoutadelic:

https://activities.scoutadelic.com/model-heart/

Instructions

In advance:

Bottle top 1: drill a pin prick sized hole, then a second bigger hole to the diameter of the straws

Bottle top 2: drill 2 holes to the diameter of the straws

Bottle top 3: drill 1 hole to the diameter of the straws

During the activity:

Leave 1 bottle completely empty

Fill the other two bottles with water to about 80% full, then add a few drops of the food colouring

Add bottle tops 1 and 2 to the bottles with water in

Add bottle top 3 to the empty bottle

Line the bottles up 1, 2, 3 from left to right

Take two straws and bend into L shapes, then connect the short ends to make a U shape. Tape the join with sellotape.

Feed the first long end of the U straws through bottle top 1, and the second through bottle top 2

Create a second U with the remaining straws and then feed one long end through the second hole in bottle top 2, and the other end through bottle top 3

Wrap blue tack around each of the straws where they enter/exit the bottle tops, so that they are properly sealed

Now you should the bottles neatly lined up and joined together by the straws

Make Your Hearts Beat!

Pinch the straws between bottles 1 and 2 where the straws join, keep it pinched so no blood can pass through

Repeatedly squeeze and release bottle 2 and the blood will pump from bottle 2 to bottle 3

Then pinch the straws between bottles 2 and 3 where the straws join, keep it pinched so no blood can pass through

Repeatedly squeeze and release bottle 1 and the blood will pump from bottle 1 to bottle 2

Learnings:

Bottle 1 represents the atrium of the heart
Bottle 2 represents the ventricle of the heart
Bottle 3 represents the body
Pinching the straws represents the action of the hearts valves
Squeezing the bottles represent the action of the heart moving blood between the chambers (the atrium and ventricle) and around the body

Tags

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Badge Links

• Experiment - Experiment
• Health and Fitness - Heart
• Skills - Machine
• Skills - Other
• Teamwork - Challenge