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Connecting the Lung Express to the Classroom
(July 19, 2001) – The visits that the Lung Express will be making to schools throughout the San Diego and Imperial County region are only the most visible part of an in-depth study that elementary students will be making of the lungs, how they work, and how to keep them healthy.
A committee of science teachers, health educators, and physicians has been working to develop a full curriculum with the Lung Express as a centerpiece experience. Under the auspices of the San Diego County Office of Education, the committee united the educational goals of the American Lung Association with the standards set by the California Board of Education, resulting in a complete educational package that meets state requirements for science and health education while it amazes and awakens kids.
"The exhibits on the Lung Express are one element," explains Kathy Sullivan, who has managed the project for the Association. "The committee also is working up a series of hands-on activities that students will be doing outside the vehicle, and putting it all into a curriculum that teachers can use before and after the Lung Express visits their school."
Teachers will be offered three specific lessons, which can be used before, during, and after the Lung Express visits their school. When a teacher requests a Lung Express visit, s/he will also receive a packet with the curriculum lessons, materials for the Lung Express visit, and ideas for fun classroom activities. (Call the Association at 619-297-3901 to arrange a Lung Express visit.)
In the lesson plan, students will assume the role of researcher. They'll be told that a child is having difficulty breathing, and will explore exhibits and activities both inside and outside the Lung Express that show how the lungs can be affected by asthma, tobacco use, and polluted air. "In solving the breathing problem of their research subject, students become more active learners," Sullivan says.
The Lung Express lessons will also be available online through the Association's website at www.lungsandiego.org
No educational package is complete without a measurement of the benefits, and the Lung Express is no exception. Pre and Post tests will be given to students. The Association and its curriculum committee will track the results to ensure a meaningful learning experience. "We're hoping to see increased knowledge of the respiratory system, less exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, and interest in anti-tobacco actions," says Sullivan.
The Lung Express will be visiting schools in San Diego and Imperial Counties beginning in September 2001. It is a flagship project of the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties, the community leader in lung disease prevention, research, and education.
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