Healthy Hearts

Last week students learned about the heart by going through our Healthy Heart Obstacle Course. They pretended to be blood traveling in and out of the heart and through the body during the Healthy Heart Obstacle Course. Students learned about two types of blood vessels, veins and arteries, and the parts of the heart, such as the left ventricle, left atrium, right ventricle, and the right atrium. They also learned that their blood is blue, until it picks up oxygen in the lungs where it then changes to the red color.

Every so often before rotating to a new station, the class would be stopped and students would take their pulse. They were asked to name two places where your pulse can be found: in your neck and your wrist. Their pulse was then taken for six seconds and then a zero was added to their number. After their pulse was taken, students were asked whether or not they were in their Target Heart Rate Zone, which is 120-170 beats per minute. If their number was below 120, it meant that they needed to work harder. If their number was significantly above 170, then they need to go and take a breather and get some water. In the end, students have come away with a better knowledge of how and why they need to take care of their heart.