Although we made it from A-Z in our Alphabet in Simple Science, I decided that I'd add some here and there. I added this one to go with our Heart and Lungs Unit.
Science Notebook Page (Click the picture to print).
Background
Since we were learning about the heart and lungs, we read a bunch of books about each. In them, he latched onto the components of blood. Since he showed an interested, I decided to build upon it. We talked about how red blood cells are important for carrying oxygen all around the body. He also knows that white blood cells fight germs and platelets help form clots when we get cut. He loved the book A Drop of Blood. The Magic School Bus Works Out was a good episode for talking about the role of oxygen in the muscles and why the blood needs to circulate. The Magic School Bus Lost Inside Ralphie also talks about how white blood cells fight germs (we were able to get the whole series for about $30, I'd recommend watching the prices on Amazon for another deal).
Modeling Blood with Blood Soup
Materials:
Cheerios
Red Juice
Mini Marshmallos
Craisins
Red Food Coloring
Procedure:
The setup is super easy, we just mixed all the food together and added a few drops of red food coloring to enhance the effect.
The Conversation:
Constructing and using models is a HUGE part of science. Scientists use models to explain ideas, so we created this edible model of blood. While Xander was enjoying his "blood" I asked him to explain what the different parts of the soup represented and why. "What types of cells are round and red like the cheerios?" "What types of cells are white" etc. I also asked him about the function of each.