How the Lungs Work
Explain how the respiratory system works in detail: air travels through the nose/mouth, down the trachea, into bronchi and bronchioles, reaching tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs where oxygen passes into the blood and carbon dioxide passes out
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“Can your child describe what happens to the air they breathe in — how it travels deeper and deeper into the lungs until oxygen swaps into the blood?”
Full guide and materials
- Activity. Explain how the respiratory system works in detail: air travels through the nose/mouth, down the trachea, into bronchi and bronchioles, reaching tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs where oxygen passes into the blood and carbon dioxide passes out
What to notice. Trace the air pathway: nose/mouth → trachea → bronchi → bronchioles → alveoli • Explain gas exchange in the alveoli: oxygen passes into blood capillaries, carbon dioxide passes out • Describe the mechanical process: the diaphragm contracts to pull air in and relaxes to push air out
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Can your child describe what happens to the air they breathe in — how it travels deeper and deeper into the lungs until oxygen swaps into the blood?
Explain how the respiratory system works in detail: air travels through the nose/mouth, down the trachea, into bronchi and bronchioles, reaching tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs where oxygen passes into the blood and carbon dioxide passes out
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Check understanding
- Trace the air pathway: nose/mouth → trachea → bronchi → bronchioles → alveoli
- Explain gas exchange in the alveoli: oxygen passes into blood capillaries, carbon dioxide passes out
- Describe the mechanical process: the diaphragm contracts to pull air in and relaxes to push air out
“Can your child describe what happens to the air they breathe in — how it travels deeper and deeper into the lungs until oxygen swaps into the blood?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- The Human Body
- Age range
- Ages 9–11