Cilia on Strike

- plays like Moon Ball

Purpose: As a person smokes, tar goes into the lungs as it travels down the air passage. When the tar reaches the lungs, it is deposited in the tiny air sacks and will eventually fill them up. This leads to diminished breathing capacity and eventually emphysema. There are tiny hairs located in the air passage called cilia and their job is to protect the lungs from foreign particles such. To accomplish this task, the cilia wave back and forth and capture the tar on hair-like strands. When the cilia become too coated with tar to wave back and forth anymore, the cilia cannot do their job. At this point, the tar proceeds directly to the lungs without any of it being intercepted by the cilia. This activity will simulate what happens to the body with the breakdown of the cilia.

Materials: One inflatable beach ball for every 10-15 people

Activity: Divide your group into teams of 10 to 15 people. Give each team an inflated beach ball. Tell them that you want them to see how many times they can hit the ball in the air before it hits the ground. Record how many times each group was able to hit the ball.

Round 2: The object is the same but there is an additional rule. Before anyone may hit the ball twice, everyone must hit the ball once. Record how many times each group was able to hit the ball.

Round 3: They are still trying to see how many times they can hit the ball. This time everyone may hit it as many times as they like, but no one may move their feet to hit the ball. Record how many times each group was able to hit the ball.

Round 4: The object is the same. However, the group participants are restricted to the use of only one arm and they may not move their feet. They must decide before the round starts which arm they will use. They must place the arm they aren’t going to use behind their back or in their pocket and only hit the ball with the other arm. Record how many times each group was able to hit the ball.

Processing:

1. How did your group do the 1^st round?

2. How did your group do when everyone had to hit the ball before someone could hit it again?

3. How hard was it when you couldn’t move? How did your group do when you couldn’t move their feet and could only hit the ball with one arm?

4. How can we compare this activity with the slowing down of the cilia in our air passage?

5. How does this activity show the effect that tar has on the cilia?

6. Was it harder or easier as more restrictions were placed on the group? Explain.

7. What happens to your lungs when the cilia become coated with tar?

Resources:

More Activities that Teach, Tom Jackson

MPS Ropes & Challenge Education Curriculum