Hannah Filling
Grade 3-5
 Engineers, particularly biomedical engineers, need to
understand how our body systems work in order to
help take care of our bodies on Earth and in space.
 The human body has many examples of joints, which
engineers can mimic when designing machines.
 Chemical engineers, study the immune system in
order to develop treatments for people with
compromised immunity, and vaccinations, antibiotics,
disinfectants, and sterilizers are designed by engineers
in order to help keep people healthy.
 Environmental engineers work on keeping the air we
breathe and the water we drink free of toxins via air
purifiers and water filters.
 Engineers play a huge part in keeping the human body
safe and healthy!
 Related Subjects:
 Related Activities
 Biology
 Blood Cell Basics
 Human Anatomy
 Do You Have the
Strength?
 Just Breathe
 Identify the different
composites of blood and
their functions.
 Describe the relative
amounts and size of the
components of blood.
 List several possible
complications associated
with the circulatory
system and how
engineers have helped
combat such problems.
Materials:
 red gelatin
 white rice
 sealable sandwich bag
 Blood Cell Model
Worksheet
 Crayons
 Why are there only a few
white blood cells? (Answer:
The rice represents the white
blood cells, and as we
learned, there are very few
white blood cells in our
blood-only about 1%.)
 Why is it so squishy?
(Answer: The red blood cells,
water and plasma are
represented by the gelatin.
The red blood cells, in
particular, have to be very
flexible in order to travel
through tiny arteries, called
capillaries.)
Cholesterol:
 Have students demonstrate
themselves as blood and
cholesterol.
 More students will act as
cholesterol to block the students
who are blood from passing
through.
 Explain the heart as a
pump.
 Use data analysis and
graphing to describe and
model the strength of
the heart.
 Describe engineers as
creating devices to keep
the heart strong and
functioning.
Materials:
 Paper and pencil
 1 tennis ball
 Tennis Ball Squeeze
Worksheet
 Squeeze the ball as hard as
possible; then, release the grip
without dropping the ball.
 Tell students that this is very
similar to the force of one pump
of the heart, but the difference is
that the heart does not get tired.
 Now, have the student squeeze
the tennis ball as fast and as
hard as they can for ten seconds,
30 seconds, and one minute.
Their partner should count the
number of squeezes, and record
the results on the Tennis Ball
Squeeze Worksheet.
 Describe the function of
Materials:
the respiratory system.
 Create a model of the lungs
and explain what happens
to them when you inhale
and exhale.
 Give examples of
engineering advancements
that have helped with
respiratory systems.
 2-liter empty plastic bottle with
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cap
2 plastic drinking straws
(available inexpensively at
restaurant supply stores or
donated by fast-food chains; do
not use the flexible drinking
straws)
2 9-inch balloons
1 larger balloon (for example, for
a punch ball)
2 rubber bands
Lung Worksheet, one per
student
 The activities were meaningful and easily accessible.
 Objectives were clear and concise.
 Each activity connected to the overall unit of
Engineering and the Human Body.