Circulatory STEM Challenge lab

Carolina offers a STEM Challenge lab for Anatomy & Physiology that has been a great addition to my Physiology class for the last two years. 

The students work their way through the inquiry process using pipets, tubes, and valves to model blood movement through a two chambered heart.




If you have the funds to try it in your classroom, it's well worth the investment.  I re-used a lot of the pieces in year two, and that helped cut down on the cost. 

Have students save their materials at the end and sort into separate bins for tubing, pipets, and connectors.  Almost all items in the kit are reusable.  The only thing I will need more of next year is the flexible tubing in longer lengths.  Students would also need more parafilm, but that's easily available outside the kit.





The hardest part for my students was not having explicit instructions to build the prototypes.  They are students who usually do really well following lab guidelines and the freedom to try things on their own was difficult.  By the third prototype they realized I wasn't going to tell them if they were right or wrong and got more comfortable trying things on their own.  There are multiple setups that meet the requirement in the instructions, so they can be creative!



It's so difficult to find something related to physiology that includes inquiry, and I would highly recommend this activity!

I would also recommend this for students who need a good homeschool activity about the Circulatory System, as it's very simple and instructions for the teacher are very clear with good sketches of the models.

Ernie's Exit Blood Typing Lab

If you teach Blood Typing and you haven't tried "Ernie's Exit" from The Science Spot you're missing out.

Ernie's Exit - The Science Spot

Typical Blood Typing Lab simulations cost around $40 for materials.  This lab costs less than $5 and is incredibly easy to set up.  The only things to purchase are milk, vinegar, red food coloring, and toothpicks.










The lab instructions mention using cups to mix the substances, but I use washable well plates because that's what I have on hand in my classroom.  Students rotate through 6 stations testing three suspects' blood, the victim's blood, and two samples from the crime scene.











The scenario is silly enough that students are engaged but not upset about the crime committed, and the suspects have silly nicknames as well.  Find out if Barbie Doll Jones or Slim Jim Snoot is the criminal!

This also pairs well with the Nobel Prize Blood typing online lab.

Students then have a hands on lab and an effective computer simulation to learn from.  Together with a short lecture or text reading, and the topic of blood types is successfully taught to most students.

I use these every year in combination and my students are engaged and walk away with a better understanding of the blood typing system.


Both Activities above are free online - but if you have interest in seeing the resources available in my TPT store, click on the link to see what free and paid activities I have created.

Dorky Science Joke to send you on your way -  "What's the best blood type for teachers?    A+ !"