1. Heart Hopscotch: Teaching Cardiovascular Physiology to 2 nd Graders N Rodriguez, C Jarrett, KL Sweazea School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ Introduction: Arizona currently ranks in the bottom 10 th for education in the United States. In an effort to encourage science education, we designed PhUn Week activities for 2 nd grade students at Kyrene de los Niños elementary school in Tempe, AZ. The emphasis of the activities was basic anatomy of the heart and the flow of blood through the heart. Methods: Students were first asked to draw a scientist according to their perceptions of what a scientist looks like. They were then asked to draw what they thought the heart looked like as well as guess the sizes of hearts for various animals. Through these activities and some basic questions, the educators were able to assess the baseline knowledge of the students. Using heart models, we were able to teach the students about the anatomy of their hearts. During the final activity that we designed, “Hopscotch through the Heart”, students were able to hop or walk through a diagram of the heart drawn in chalk on the sidewalk. Each student pretended to be a blood cell being pumped by the heart, and described their path as they made their way through the heart and into the lungs to collect oxygen then back through the heart where they were then pumped out to the body. Results: Students’ understanding of cardiovascular physiology seemed to improve based upon verbal and physical demonstration of their knowledge with the Hopscotch activity. More importantly, they seemed to have a lot of fun while learning. Students asked about the size of their own hearts and the size of other animals’ in comparison. Conclusion: Involving different modes of learning – lecture/discussion, visual (drawing), and kinesthetic (Hopscotch) – appears to be effective at educating elementary students about cardiovascular physiology. The Arizona Department of Education standards for second grade emphasize understanding personal health and disease prevention in addition to basic concepts in anatomy and physiology. Additionally, the science standards encourage learning how physiological systems work together 1. According to data gathered in 2011 from the U.S. Department of Education, Arizona elementary science proficiency levels rank below the national average 2. Therefore, the goals for the 2011 PhUn Week were to introduce the students to the concept of physiology with a special emphasis on cardiovascular physiology.  We visited the 2 nd -grade class at Kyrene de los Niños Elementary School in Tempe, AZ.  To assess preconceptions, the students were asked to draw a scientist at work.  Students were then introduced to the concept of physiology including the types of things a physiologist might study.  To gauge prior knowledge, students were then asked to draw a picture of a heart. Using their pictures, they responded to and asked questions about the heart and were then introduced to the basic anatomy and physiology using models and lecture. We additionally discussed how the size of a heart can vary between people as well as different animals.  Lastly, each student participated in Heart Hopscotch, indicating the flow of blood through the heart.  Students drew different pictures of what they thought scientists looked like (examples below), and discussed areas that scientists work in, such as medicine, veterinary medicine, and laboratory science. They shared personal stories about people they knew who did research.  Students were able to verbally and physically demonstrate their knowledge of cardiovascular physiology during the Heart Hopscotch game. 2 nd -grade students were able to understand basic cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, especially when presented in an interactive learning environment. Students benefited from drawing activities and the Heart Hopscotch game, which emphasized kinesthetic learning. Students recognized the importance of science in career fields such as medicine and research. Examples of designs for Heart Hopscotch. Students from Mrs. Mason’s 2 nd grade class at Kyrene de los Niños Elementary School in Tempe, AZ, with their PhUn Week backpacks and heart models. Examples of students’ drawing of scientists. 1. K-12 Academic Standards, Arizona Department of Education. http://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/common-standards/ 2. State Education Data Profiles, National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/stateprofiles/sresult.asp?mode=short&s1=04 ShakirCaydenHarley