Lungs
Background Information & Activities

The lungs are spongy organs inside the chest and they are part of the body’s respiratory system. Remind your children than an organ is a body part with a special job. The heart, brain, and lungs are just some of the important organs in the human body. The lungs take in air and supply oxygen to the entire body. The body needs oxygen to function and break down food for energy.

Air enters in through the nose and mouth and goes down the throat and into the trachea, or windpipe. Review with children that when they inhale, air enters the lungs and they expand, or get bigger. Remind your children that air is a mixture of different gases, including oxygen. Lungs take oxygen out of the air and blood cells transport the oxygen to the entire body. The body makes a gas called carbon dioxide, which is breathed out. During exhalation, the lungs contract, or get smaller. Thus, oxygen goes into the body, and carbon dioxide is breathed out. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle underneath the lungs that helps the chest expand and contract during respiration. During inhalation, the diaphragm moves down and the ribcage expands which allows the lungs more room to expand.

The lungs do more than supply the body with oxygen. Air from the lungs gets pushed up the throat and through the vocal chords to produce sound. Lungs help people talk, sing, laugh, cry, scream, growl, and more. Lungs help people communicate. Sometimes when people eat something, they get the hiccups. People sneeze or cough in order to clear out things that bother the airways, such as dust or pollen. Children may notice that they cough more when they are around air pollution such as car exhaust. The lungs help clear out pollutants in the air through tiny hairs that line the lungs called cilia.

Remind your children that they must care for their lungs. Exercise is the best and most important way to care for lungs. During exercise, the lungs get filled with more air, allowing them to do their job better. Regular exercise promotes healthy lungs. Avoiding cigarettes and other drugs also keeps lungs healthy. Asthma is a condition in which the airways get irritated and swell, making breathing more difficult. Asthma affects many children around the world, and your children most likely know someone with asthma. People with asthma can lead healthy and active lives if they learn how to manage their condition and follow their doctors’ orders.

Your children should understand that the lungs are an important part of the body and they should treat their lungs with care and respect. If they take care of their lungs, their lungs will take care of them.

Lungs Teacher Activities – Click Here!

Lungs Family Activities – Click Here!

Lungs Teacher Activities

Balloons

Explain to your children that their lungs are like balloons. During inhalation, the lungs get filled with air and expand. During exhalation, the lungs contract, or get smaller, and push out carbon dioxide. Have your children blow up balloons to model the lungs. Discuss with your students about how their chests and lungs feel when they are sick. Would it be harder to blow up a balloon if they had a cold? Why?

Doctor’s Visit

If possible, invite a doctor or a pulmonary specialist to talk to your students about lungs and the human body. Some doctors or specialists can bring in models of human lungs so your students can see all the different parts and more specific details of the lungs. You may want the doctor or specialist to bring in chest x-rays to show to the students as well. To prepare your students, have them brainstorm different questions to ask the doctor.

Lungs Family Activities

Exercise Routine

To promote health and happy lungs, create an exercise plan for you and your child. Doctors recommend that people exercise 3-4 times a week. Remind your child that exercise helps lungs become stronger so they are better at their jobs. Pick different aerobic and cardiovascular activities, such as jump-roping, soccer, or dancing. Encourage your child to try different activities and sports.

Focus on Breathing

Have your child sit quietly and focus on his or her breathing. Does the inhalation sound as long as the exhalation? Does the breath sound shaky? Does your child inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth or vice versa? Try different breathing exercises together. Your child can inhale, hold the breath for three seconds, and then exhale. Your child can also inhale, exhale, and then wait for three seconds before inhaling again. Find different ways your child can change her breath. These techniques can also be used to help your child relax.