Asthma Adventures: Lung Health Unveiled!

8th Grade Project 3 weeks

"Asthma Adventure: Explore, Create, Educate!"

Billie Piper

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Purpose

You'll dive into how asthma affects the lungs by doing cool hands-on activities and working together on research projects, integrating Spanish, social studies, ELA, math, and science standards. You'll meet with experts and people who have asthma to learn about their experiences and how they manage it. By making 3D models of lungs, you'll see the differences between healthy and asthmatic lungs and share what you learn with others. This project is all about thinking deeply and coming up with creative ways to help others understand asthma better.

Learning goals

You'll learn how asthma changes the way your lungs work and how it affects your breathing, aligning with science standards on human body systems. You'll find out what happens to your health if you have asthma for a long time and explore ways to manage it, incorporating ELA standards through reflective journaling and communication. By creating a 3D model of the lungs, you'll see firsthand what asthma does to lung tissue, integrating math standards in measurement and scale. You'll also work on a project to teach others about asthma and how to prevent it, using social studies standards to understand community health impacts and Spanish language skills to reach diverse audiences.

Standards

NGSS - MS-LS1-3: Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.
Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
Common Core - CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.SP.A.1: Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities.
Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details.
Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.

Products

You'll create a detailed 3D model of the lungs showing how asthma affects breathing, using materials like clay or 3D printing, integrating science and math standards to measure and calculate lung capacity changes. You'll also make a digital presentation in English and Spanish about the long-term effects of asthma, incorporating ELA standards for research and communication, and social studies standards by exploring the impact of asthma in different communities. Finally, you'll craft a personal action plan for managing asthma, using real-life scenarios and including practical tips and strategies, aligning with health and science standards.

Launch

Kick off the project with an engaging 'Lung Lab Day' where you'll get hands-on experience by dissecting animal lungs to see how they work. You'll also use a 3D model to explore how asthma changes the lungs, integrating science standards. A respiratory therapist will join us to share real-life stories and answer your questions, connecting to ELA standards through listening and speaking skills. Wrap up the day by creating a bilingual mind map in English and Spanish of what you know and want to learn about asthma, incorporating social studies standards by discussing the impact of asthma in different communities, setting the stage for your project journey.

Exhibition

Students will lead a 'Lung Health Workshop' where they showcase their 3D lung models and interactive exhibits, explaining the effects of asthma in an engaging way. They will guide hands-on activities and demonstrations for younger students or community members, teaching them about lung health and proper inhaler use. The event will invite family members, peers, and local health professionals to participate, fostering a community dialogue on asthma management and prevention. Students will incorporate Spanish language skills by creating bilingual materials, integrate social studies by exploring the history of asthma treatment, apply ELA skills in crafting informative presentations, use math to interpret asthma statistics, and connect science standards through detailed explanations of lung physiology.

Plan

Week 1	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Activity 1: Launch 'Lung Lab Day' where students participate in a guided dissection of animal lungs to explore their structure and function. Facilitate a discussion on how asthma affects these organs, using visual aids to compare healthy and asthmatic lungs.	Activity 2: Host a workshop with a representative from a pharmaceutical company who will explain the science behind asthma medications and treatments, including how inhalers function.	Activity 3: Conduct research on the anatomy of healthy versus asthmatic lungs. Use digital resources, videos, and library materials to gather information and compile findings into a shared digital document.	Activity 4: Begin the creation of a 3D model of healthy lungs. Use materials like clay or paper mâché to construct the basic structure, which will be detailed and expanded upon throughout the project.	Activity 5: Maintain a reflective journal to document daily learning experiences, insights on asthma and lung health, and personal emotional responses to the activities and information presented.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Completed section of the 3D lung model showing the basic structure of healthy lungs. 2. Deliverable 2: Reflective journal entries summarizing daily learning experiences, insights from the workshop, and research findings.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Arrange materials and tools for the lung dissection, ensuring all safety protocols are in place. 2. Prep Task 2: Coordinate with the pharmaceutical company for the workshop, handling scheduling and logistics. 3. Prep Task 3: Curate a list of digital and library resources focused on lung anatomy and asthma for student research. 4. Prep Task 4: Provide clay and other materials necessary for 3D model creation, ensuring sufficient supplies for all students. 5. Prep Task 5: Set up journals for each student to document their reflections and insights throughout the project.

Week 2	Day 6	Day 7	Day 8	Day 9	Day 10
Activities	Activity 1: Analyze real-life case studies of individuals with asthma. Students work in small groups to read, discuss, and summarize the challenges and management strategies. Summaries are prepared in both English and Spanish.	Activity 2: Conduct a lung capacity experiment using spirometers. Students simulate asthma attack scenarios by measuring lung capacity before and after, and analyze the data using math terminologies.	Activity 3: Develop a bilingual digital presentation on the long-term impacts of asthma. Students research complications and management strategies, creating engaging presentations with visuals and data.	Activity 4: Prepare for upcoming interviews by drafting questions and conducting practice interviews. Engage with healthcare professionals and asthma patients, using Spanish and English.	Activity 5: Begin constructing lung models from design sketches. Use clay or similar materials to demonstrate asthma effects on the lungs, ensuring bilingual labels and explanations are included.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Completed bilingual digital presentation on the long-term impacts of asthma, supported by research and case study analyses. 2. Deliverable 2: Initial assembly of the lung model, illustrating key physiological changes due to asthma, with bilingual labels.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Provide access to case studies in both English and Spanish, ensuring necessary materials and guidance for group discussions. 2. Prep Task 2: Set up and calibrate spirometers for the lung capacity experiment, with bilingual instructional materials. 3. Prep Task 3: Curate resources and templates for creating bilingual digital presentations, ensuring access to appropriate software. 4. Prep Task 4: Coordinate with healthcare professionals or individuals with asthma for interviews in Week 3, and prepare students with bilingual interview tips. 5. Prep Task 5: Organize materials for lung model construction and provide a safe workspace, with bilingual instructions available.

Week 3	Day 11	Day 12	Day 13	Day 14	Day 15
Activities	Activity 1: Finalize the 3D lung models by adding intricate details to show the physiological changes due to asthma. Students ensure all components are securely assembled, accurately labeled in both English and Spanish, and prepared for presentation.	Activity 2: Conduct and document interviews with healthcare professionals or individuals with asthma. Students use their prepared questions to gain insights on asthma management and real-world impacts, recording key learnings in a bilingual format.	Activity 3: Refine digital presentations by incorporating feedback from peer reviews and mentor sessions. Enhance presentations with insights gained from interviews, ensuring they are engaging and accessible in both English and Spanish.	Activity 4: Develop a personal action plan for managing asthma. Using hypothetical scenarios, students propose lifestyle modifications and preventative strategies, integrating research and interview insights into a bilingual document.	Activity 5: Host an exhibition where students present their lung models, digital presentations, and personal action plans. Invite family, peers, and local health professionals to view exhibits, engage in discussions, and ask questions, with some activities conducted in Spanish to reach a wider audience.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Completed 3D lung model illustrating asthma effects, with bilingual labels. 2. Deliverable 2: Finalized digital presentation that includes refined research and interview data, accessible in both English and Spanish. 3. Deliverable 3: Comprehensive personal action plan for asthma management, presented in a bilingual format.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Ensure availability of materials and tools for finalizing lung models and set up a workspace with bilingual instructions. 2. Prep Task 2: Confirm scheduling with healthcare professionals or individuals with asthma for interviews and provide necessary technology for virtual interactions, ensuring bilingual support. 3. Prep Task 3: Arrange peer and mentor feedback sessions for digital presentations and guide students on incorporating constructive critiques, emphasizing bilingual clarity. 4. Prep Task 4: Provide templates and examples for personal action plans, offering support as students draft their plans in a bilingual format. 5. Prep Task 5: Organize the exhibition space, including display tables, presentation equipment, and seating for guests. Coordinate invitations and logistics, ensuring availability of bilingual materials and signage.