Lesson 4
 
 



 
 
 
 
 


Grade Level:  3-5
Subject:  Health, Math, and Science
Learner Outcomes:
  1. Students will be introduced to the noncommunicable disease, asthma.
  2. Students will learn about factors that may trigger asthma attacks.
  3. Students will learn about treatments for asthma.
Duration of Lesson:  40-50 minutes
Materials
  • regular drinking straws
  • small coffee stirrer straws
  • stopwatch
  • pencil
  • paper
Technology Tools/Courseware: 
  • computers with Internet access
  • calculators

 
 Teacher notes
  • Teacher will have copies of signed permission forms for students to use the Internet. 
Procedures:
 
  1. The teacher will direct the students to log on to computers and go to the Internet site, Kids Health to read "Jill's Asthma Story".  As they read, they will write the definitions for the following words: asthma, bronchial tubes, asthma flare (asthma attack), wheeze, preventive medication, inhaler, triggers and allergens. 
  2. The teacher will lead a discussion about the article the students read.  She or he will ask the questions located in the headings: 
    1. What is asthma?
    2. Who gets asthma?
    3. How is asthma treated?
    4. What causes an asthma flare?
    5. Are kids with asthma different? 
  3. The students will calculate the answers to the following questions:
    1. Asthma affects about 2 kids out of ten.
    2. About how many would be affected in a classroom of 20?  in a group of 60? in a  roomful of 140?  in a school of 1,000?  in a town of  80,000?
  4. The teacher will give each child a regular drinking straw.  The students will breathe through the straws for 25 seconds, as the teacher times them. ( The students may stop if their breathing becomes very difficult or if they become dizzy.)  The students will tell how they feel.  The teacher will then give each student a small straw to breathe through for 20 seconds.    The students will tell how they feel now.  The teacher will remind the students that people with asthma have trouble breathing.
Modifications:
  1. Students who normally have difficulty breathing may help with the stopwatch.
  2. Students will be given extra time to respond during discussion, if needed.
Enrichment Activities:
  • The teacher may add a third step to the breathing activity: the students will do 10 (or 15) jumping jacks and then try to breathe through the straws. Again, they will discuss how they feel. 
  • If any of the students, or a member of their families, have asthma, they may share helpful insights about asthma.
Evaluation: 
  • Writes definitions to all the terms
  • Participates in discussion
  • Calculates all the answers to the questions about the incidence of asthma
  • Participates in breathing activity
          S = 3 or 4 of the above         N = 2 or less

 
 
WV Standards:
  • Health 
    • 3.1, 4.12, 5.5 
  • Math
    • 3.21, 4.17, 4.16, 5.5
  • Science
    • 3.36, 4.40, 5.32
National Standards:
  • Health
    • 10. Understands the concepts of growth and development.
  • Science
    • 6. Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment
  • Math
    • 3. Uses basic and advanced procedures while performing computation.
 
References:
  1. Internet site: Kids Health
  2. Internet site: Discovery School  

 
 
 
 AHHH-CHOO!
Lesson 1 
The Germs March In!
Lesson 2 
Hands off Germs!
Lesson 3 
The Itchy Truth!
Lesson 4 
Catch Your Breath!
Lesson 5
Skin - Save Your Hide!


Authors
Dreama Bromfield
Sharon Shields
Kelli Stanley