There are a lot of instructions for a heart model out there but here is a simple example that isn’t realistic-looking but does show how blood circulates through the heart and is easily manipulated by kids.
Materials required:
A diagram of the heart for reference.
Four squarish plastic food storage containers, two slightly smaller than the others - a width of about 15cm would work. The boxes need to be pierced either beforehand or once the containers are taped into place so that the tubing can pass through snugly.
Flexible PVC laboratory tubing about 2.5 meters worth.
Adhesive packing tape (5cm wide).
Putting it together:
Lay the four plastic boxes down to form a rectangle. If you have used two smaller containers, these will go at the ‘top’ and represent the atria.
Tape the boxes together - not too tightly though, as you may need to make adjustments later. You now have the skeleton of the four-chambered heart model.
You need to figure out which container is going to be the right atrium (RA) bearing in mind that the heart’s right is going to be your left if you are standing in front it. At least one section of tubing needs to enter through a pierced hole at the top of the right atrium to represent the blood vessels.
Now we need to make holes to allow the tube to carry the fluid into the lower left chamber (LV). We are ignoring the fact that the fluid would normally leave the tubes and circulate in the ‘chambers’.
Thread the tubing through from the RA to the RV.
Now the blood is supposed to go to the lungs so we have to compromise. We need a hole to let the tubing leave at the bottom.
It is going to return to the left atrium (LA). In this model, the lungs are represented by a section of the tube that goes along the back of the model, curves around and enters the top of the LA. Tuck and tape the tubing under and between the lunchboxes.
Pierce holes to allow the tubing to enter the LV and leave again to go ‘around the body’.
You could also add a pumping mechanism if you wanted to take things one step further. For ideas and inspiration, why not view this demo video: Www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ime0_7GQJag&feature=related
Materials required:
A diagram of the heart for reference.
Four squarish plastic food storage containers, two slightly smaller than the others - a width of about 15cm would work. The boxes need to be pierced either beforehand or once the containers are taped into place so that the tubing can pass through snugly.
Flexible PVC laboratory tubing about 2.5 meters worth.
Adhesive packing tape (5cm wide).
Putting it together:
Lay the four plastic boxes down to form a rectangle. If you have used two smaller containers, these will go at the ‘top’ and represent the atria.
Tape the boxes together - not too tightly though, as you may need to make adjustments later. You now have the skeleton of the four-chambered heart model.
You need to figure out which container is going to be the right atrium (RA) bearing in mind that the heart’s right is going to be your left if you are standing in front it. At least one section of tubing needs to enter through a pierced hole at the top of the right atrium to represent the blood vessels.
Now we need to make holes to allow the tube to carry the fluid into the lower left chamber (LV). We are ignoring the fact that the fluid would normally leave the tubes and circulate in the ‘chambers’.
Thread the tubing through from the RA to the RV.
Now the blood is supposed to go to the lungs so we have to compromise. We need a hole to let the tubing leave at the bottom.
It is going to return to the left atrium (LA). In this model, the lungs are represented by a section of the tube that goes along the back of the model, curves around and enters the top of the LA. Tuck and tape the tubing under and between the lunchboxes.
Pierce holes to allow the tubing to enter the LV and leave again to go ‘around the body’.
You could also add a pumping mechanism if you wanted to take things one step further. For ideas and inspiration, why not view this demo video: Www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ime0_7GQJag&feature=related
