3.31 Parts of the Respiratory System: Lesson for Kids
You can try to hold your breath, but before too long your body will make you breathe. The system that causes breathing is the respiratory system. This lesson will teach you about the three main parts of that system: the trachea, lungs and diaphragm.
Breathing
Did you ever notice that you have to breathe more often when you run? When you exercise you need to breathe faster to get new air in and used air out. Your respiratory system is the part of your body that handles breathing.
1. Main points:
The text talks about how your respiratory system helps you breathe more often and faster when you run or exercise.
2. Questions:
– Content Analysis: What happens to your breathing when you exercise?
– Contextual Analysis: Where in your body is the part that handles breathing?
– Thematic Analysis: What is the main job of the respiratory system?
3. Further Discussion:
Why do you think it’s important to get new air in and used air out when you’re exercising?
4. Answers:
– What happens to your breathing when you exercise?
– "When you exercise you need to breathe faster to get new air in and used air out."
– Where in your body is the part that handles breathing?
– "Your respiratory system is the part of your body that handles breathing."
– What is the main job of the respiratory system?
– "Your respiratory system is the part of your body that handles breathing."
Does this help you understand why you breathe faster when you’re running or playing?
Lungs
Your lungs are the two biggest parts of your respiratory system. Give yourself a big hug, and then take in a deep breath of air. Did you feel your chest get bigger? That’s because your lungs fill with air when you breathe in.
Even though your lungs fill up with air, they aren’t empty balloons. In fact, if you were to look at one, you’d say it looks more like a sponge, than a balloon. That’s because of all of the little air tubes and blood vessels inside your lungs.
Lungs
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Your lungs take up much of the space inside your chest. Your left lung is a bit smaller than the one on the right. That’s because of your heart, which takes up some of the room on the left side of your chest.
Having your lungs so close to your heart is really helpful. Oxygen from the air you breathe goes into tiny air sacs deep within your lungs. Those air sacs hand off the oxygen to very small blood vessels. The oxygen that’s now in your blood stream gets pumped around your body by your heart.
1. Main points:
The text describes the role of lungs in the respiratory system, their structure, and how they work closely with the heart to circulate oxygen.
2. Questions:
– Content Analysis: What do your lungs look like inside?
– Contextual Analysis: Why is one lung smaller than the other?
– Socio-cultural Analysis: Why do you think the text asks you to give yourself a big hug and take a deep breath?
3. Further Discussion:
How does the close relationship between your lungs and heart help your body?
4. Answers:
– What do your lungs look like inside?
– "If you were to look at one, you’d say it looks more like a sponge, than a balloon."
– Why is one lung smaller than the other?
– "That’s because of your heart, which takes up some of the room on the left side of your chest."
– Why do you think the text asks you to give yourself a big hug and take a deep breath?
– "Did you feel your chest get bigger? That’s because your lungs fill with air when you breathe in."
Doesn’t it feel amazing how your lungs and heart work together to keep you breathing and moving?
Diaphragm
Below your lungs is a large flat muscle that helps you breathe called the diaphragm. While the diaphragm is a muscle, it is unlike the muscles in your arms and legs. Your diaphragm works all day long, without you needing to think about it! That way you don’t stop breathing while you’re asleep.
When you breathe in, your diaphragm pulls down and flattens out. This allows more room in your chest for your lungs to fill with air. When you breathe out, your diaphragm relaxes and moves up, which helps push air out of your lungs.
Did you ever get a case of the hiccups? Your diaphragm was to blame! Sometimes we do things that the diaphragm doesn’t like, such as eating or drinking something too quickly. These types of things can irritate the diaphragm making it jump. That quick movement forces air out of your lungs causing a funny sound. Hic!
1. Main points:
The text explains the role of the diaphragm in breathing, how it’s different from other muscles, and how it can cause hiccups when irritated.
2. Questions:
– Content Analysis: What does the diaphragm do when you breathe in and out?
– Contextual Analysis: When does the diaphragm work?
– Thematic Analysis: Why might you get hiccups?
3. Further Discussion:
What would happen if the diaphragm didn’t work as it should?
4. Answers:
– What does the diaphragm do when you breathe in and out?
"When you breathe in, your diaphragm pulls down and flattens out. This allows more room in your chest for your lungs to fill with air. When you breathe out, your diaphragm relaxes and moves up, which helps push air out of your lungs."
– When does the diaphragm work?
– "Your diaphragm works all day long, without you needing to think about it! That way you don’t stop breathing while you’re asleep."
– Why might you get hiccups?
– "Sometimes we do things that the diaphragm doesn’t like, such as eating or drinking something too quickly. These types of things can irritate the diaphragm making it jump."
Isn’t the diaphragm such a hardworking muscle, even taking care of you while you sleep?
Trachea
The air that leaves your lungs travels through the same tube as the air that comes in. The main tube that allows air to travel to and from the lungs is called the trachea. Sometimes we call the trachea the windpipe because it’s shaped like a pipe and it carries air.
The trachea is lined with tiny hairs, which are kind of like the hairs in your nose, only smaller. The hairs in your nose, just like the hairs that line your trachea help keep dust and other unwanted particles from going into your lungs.
1. Main points:
The text describes the trachea as the main tube for air to travel to and from the lungs, explaining its shape and how it’s lined with tiny hairs to filter out dust and unwanted particles.
2. Questions:
– Content Analysis: What is the main function of the trachea?
– Linguistic Analysis: Why is the trachea sometimes called the windpipe?
– Thematic Analysis: What role do the tiny hairs in the trachea play?
3. Further Discussion:
Why do you think it’s important for the trachea to have tiny hairs?
4. Answers:
– What is the main function of the trachea?
– "The main tube that allows air to travel to and from the lungs is called the trachea."
– Why is the trachea sometimes called the windpipe?
– "Sometimes we call the trachea the windpipe because it’s shaped like a pipe and it carries air."
– What role do the tiny hairs in the trachea play?
– "The hairs that line your trachea help keep dust and other unwanted particles from going into your lungs."
The trachea sounds like an amazing air filter, doesn’t it?
Lesson Summary
Your respiratory system is the part of your body that handles breathing. It’s largely made up of the trachea, lungs and diaphragm.