Gold Seal Lesson:
Exploring Lung Capacity

Copernicus Education Gateway

Subject:

Science

Grade:

9-12

Wyoming Standards:

Algebraic Concepts and Relationships: Students use algebraic methods to investigate, model, and interpret patterns and functions involving numbers, shapes, data, and graphs in a problem-solving situation.

Basic Concepts and Knowledge: Students develop an understanding of scientific concepts using facts, theories, principles, and models.

ICLE Standards:

Algebra: Use formulas to model mathematical relationships. Statistics: Collect and draw inferences from charts, tables, and graphs that summarize data from real-world situations.

Life Science: Develop an understanding of structure and function in living systems.
Science as Inquiry: Develop the abilities of scientific inquiry.

Performance Task:

Fred's uncle works as a respiratory technician in a medical center. In biology class Fred has been learning about the respiratory system and wonders about how much air our lungs can hold. He also wonders if there is a relationship between the size of a person and the capacity of his/her lungs.

In this activity, you will design an experiment to study the relationship between the size of a person and the capacity of their lungs.

Materials needed:

Several 12-inch round balloons
Measuring tape
Calculators

Part I

1. Select any two size characteristics of a person; for example, height, weight, chest size, foot length, circumference of head.
2. Make a hypothesis concerning the relationships between these two characteristics and lung capacity.
3. Measure your partner to obtain these selected characteristics and record in a chart.
4. Estimate the capacity of your partner's lungs.
5. Each partner should take one deep breath and exhale all the air possible into one of the balloons provided.
6. Find the volume of your partner's balloon using the formula for the volume of a sphere. This represents the capacity of his/her lungs.
7. Repeat so that you have a total of three trials.
8. Find the mean capacity of your partner's lungs.
9. Compare with your original estimate of your partner's lungs.

Part II

1. Select one person from the class to be the recorder.
2. Record all the data from the class in a chart on the chalkboard.

Part III

1. Design and conduct a statistical analysis to test your hypothesis using the entire class data.
2. In your science lab notebook.
a. Summarize the results of your statistical analysis.
b. Make any conclusions/inferences possible.
c. Write a complete report of this scientific inquiry concerning lung capacity.
d. State any other studies that could be related to this inquiry.

Note to the teacher: This activity provides an opportunity for students to relate mathematics to the life sciences. Prior to beginning the activity, students should have some knowledge of how a person's lungs function. Students may need to practice exhaling into a balloon before beginning the experiment.

Knowledge / Skills:

Know and apply the principles of scientific inquiry.  (xs1)

Measure properties of the environment using dimensional quantities such as time, length, mass, pressure, volume, acceleration, etc. Compare quantities and consider the error involved with measuring environmental properties.  (s23)

Understand gas exchange - the function of  breathing, cellular respiration, the respiration system and related disorders such as bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, etc.

Perform operations with signed (positive and negative) numbers, including decimals, ratios, percents, and fractions.  (m1)

Understand the best procedures for statistical data collection, organization, and display.  (m5)

Understand the characteristics of measures of central tendency (i.e., mean, median, and mode).  (m15)

Compute the volume of three-dimensional figures (solids).  (m17)

Use writing as a tool for learning in formats such as learning logs, laboratory reports, note-taking, and journals.  (ela40)

Rubric:

3 Points  =  The student completes all parts of the task. He/she demonstrates the ability to conduct a scientific inquiry, is able to formulate and test hypotheses, and is able to design and conduct a statistical analysis to reach conclusions. The student has an understanding of volume and statistical terms. His/her computations are accurate. The written summary of the experiment is complete, concise, and nicely composed.

2 Points  =  The student needs some coaching to complete all parts of the task. He/she demonstrates only a partial ability to conduct a scientific inquiry and has difficulty formulating and testing hypotheses. The student has difficulty designing a statistical study. He/she is somewhat weak in the understanding of volume and of statistical terms. The student's computations contain some minor errors. The written summary of the experiment is fairly complete and concise, but is not well composed.

1 Point  =  The student did not complete all aspects of the task. He/she demonstrates little understanding of scientific inquiry and needs considerable assistance in formulating hypotheses. The student is unable to design an acceptable statistical study and lacks the necessary mathematical skills and knowledge to complete the analysis. Several errors occur in his/her computations. The written summary is vague and poorly composed.

0 Points  =  The student does not complete the task and shows little, if any, understanding of scientific inquiry. He/she does not formulate a meaningful hypothesis and is unable to design any statistical analysis. The student demonstrates a lack of the scientific and mathematical knowledge required in the activity. Little effort is applied, and the written report, if attempted, is meaningless.

Keywords:

ALGEBRA
ALGEBRAIC OPERATIONS GEOMETRY
VOLUME
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
RESPIRATION STATISTICS
DATA ANALYSIS
DATA COLLECTION
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
INFERENCE
PROBLEM SOLVING
COMPUTATION
CENTRAL TENDENCY
LAB EXPERIMENT

Grades:

Kg [] - 1 [] - 2 [] - 3 [] - 4 [] - 5 [] - 6 [] - 7 [] - 8 [] - 9 [X] - 10 [X] - 11 [X] - 12 [X]

ICLE Application:

D

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