Leave the left side of the top indent (the right ventricle) slightly taller than the right side (the left ventricle). Remember that the left side is actually the right ventricle and vice versa. If you get confused, imagine the heart inside your body!
Use a playdough knife to make a small incision into the end of the cylindrical piece to represent the center tubing of the aorta.
Make sure the small tube runs directly across from the top tube, as if both of them make one single piece running through the heart.
Create 3 small holes in the tips of the tubes using the tip of your playdough knife or a toothpick. These represent the circular inner tubing of the arteries.
If it’s easier, break the blue tube into 2 pieces and attach them individually. Start by running one from the bottom of the aorta up to the center of the heart, and the other extending from this point to the right over the remaining section of the aorta.
Create a small hole in the top tip of the tube using a playdough knife or toothpick. This represents the center tubing of the vein.
Create a small hole in each tip of the artery using your knife.
You can use a beaker instead of a cup for similar results. Add a few drops of red food coloring for a nice effect!
Keep broken or uninflated balloons away from children under 8 years of age.
Discard any broken balloons as soon as possible.
Purchase wooden skewers from big-box stores and home hardware stores.
If the holes are too big and air escapes, remove the balloon and repeat the last 3 steps.
Use Scotch tape for the best results.
The cut part of the balloon acts as a valve that stops the blood from moving back down the straw into the previous chamber.
Remember that the balloon neck is your heart’s valve. This example shows how 1 chamber of your heart works with its valve. But inside your body, there are 4 chambers and 4 valves!
Each hole should be big enough for your straws to slide through. Never use an electric drill without the help of an adult!
Always place the bottle caps onto a flat surface while drilling.
Stir the food coloring into the pitcher using a straw.
Keep the long portions of the straws parallel and facing downward. Repeat the above process with the remaining 2 straws.
Remove the labels from your pop bottles if you haven’t already.
Place your bottles on a clean, flat surface.
Leave the third bottle empty. Carefully slide the long ends of the straws into each pop bottle before you attach the caps and take care not to bend them.
Seal any open space between the holes and the straws with clay.
You can skip this step if you’d like, but it helps to better understand the function of each part of the model.
Repeat this process to pump blood from the heart into the ventricle, and then distribute it into the body! When the blood in the heart is low, remove some from the body and distribute it back to the heart. Now, you can start the process over.
