Premium
Making Science PhUn: Build, Design, and Connect
Author(s) -
Silveyra Patricia,
Chiota Lauren,
Nagarajan Padmanabhan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.lb746
Subject(s) - spirometer , test (biology) , medicine , pulmonary function testing , lung volumes , lung function , medical education , lung , physical therapy , biology , exhaled nitric oxide , paleontology
To celebrate PhUn week, Milton Hershey School high school students in Anatomy and Physiology classes hosted Dr. Patricia Silveyra, a lung physiologist, APS member, and Assistant Professor at the Penn State College of Medicine. The visit objectives included discussion about lung physiology, diseases of the lung, and what diagnostic tools doctors use to assess lung function and diseases such as COPD and asthma. The visit also included a hands‐on activity that required students to build, design, and test a homemade spirometer; a diagnostic tool doctors use to measure lung function. Students used various materials such as plastic 2‐liter and 4‐liter bottles and plastic tubing to design and build their spirometer. Once the spirometer was prepared students were able to test their design. Students measured and recorded their vital capacity (VC), total lung capacity (TLC), residual volume (RV), and expiratory reserve volume (ERV). Future lessons on lung function and physiology required students to revisit their measurements to graph and analyze their values. Identifying differences between values observed for normal lung function and those measurements observed in patients with lung diseases will be a cumulative activity. Students appreciated the opportunity to learn from a professional in the medical field. Dr. Silveyra was able to connect with the students very easily and relate the activity to the student's lives. The students benefited from the application and authenticity of the build, design, and test spirometer model activity.