Child: Wajiha Naveed Date: February Written by: Teacher-No-More Haneen

Thanks to Teacher Natasha and her enthusiasm, we were fortunate enough to be able to participate in the Heart Foundations annual Red Day. There were plenty of exciting red-themed activities set up for the children but one of those activities took Heart Foundation a little too literally. We decided to do a dissection of a lamb heart for the children in order to help aid their understanding of how the heart functions (You can always trust An-Nur to sneak in a little science when we can get away with it). It turned out to be an incredible success and the feedback from the parents was wonderful. I started out by asking the children where the heart is and what it does before explaining it to them in full as well as explaining the function of blood vessels and the importance of oxygen. They all seemed very interested in what I had to say and when I pulled out the actual lamb heart and showed it to them they were far more enthusiastic about it than I expected them to be. Hothaifah, Ahmed, Wajiha, Ain, Amal and Leena were the bravest when it came touching the various parts of the heart; they even put their fingers through the blood vessels to see where they lead to and all managed to recognize the contrast between fat and muscle when they felt each cell type. Uzma on the other hand was not overly keen on touching the heart and concentrated more on the factual information that I gave her and preferred to just watch the dissection intently. After opening the heart, I explained to them about the different chambers and the roles they play in squeezing the blood in and out before showing them the squeezing mechanism using a spray bottle and water. We also gave the children one small chicken heart each to have a good look at. Hothaifah was so fascinated by the lesson that he asked if he could cut his chicken heart open. When I opened it for him, he noticed that all the parts were the same as in the lamb heart. After answering the many questions that came from the inquisitive children we wrapped up the session and the children all went to wash their hands. The day after the dissection, Ahmeds mother came to me and relayed to me that Ahmed had explained the structure of the heart as well as how it squeezes blood to the body which shows that children are

never too young to understand what might seem like complex information. Everyone learned something valuable and hopefully when they go to high school and university and learn about the heart again they will already know the basics.

Links to Te Whriki Strand 5 (Exploration/ Mana Aotroa), Goal 3 they learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning Strand 5 (Exploration/ Mana Aotroa), Goal 4 they develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical, and material worlds Strand 4 (Communication/ Mana Reo), Goal 2 they develop verbal communication skills for a range of purposes by extending their vocabulary with scientific language. Strand 3 (Contribution/Mana Tangata), Goal 3 they are encouraged to learn with and alongside others

Teachers voice:

Ka pai Amal! We are so proud of how you responded with wonderment and awe and displayed courage when exploring how the heart works. Our teachers will continue to offer you experiences to work alongside your friends as we further explore how our bodies work and how we can live healthy lives. Teacher Natasha (Head Teacher)

Childs/Parents Voice: Feel free to add additional pages, we would love to hear your goals for your childs learning. Has Wajiha shown an interest in how our bodies work at home?