In order to learn more about the cardiovascular system, students in Health Science II have been molding clay hearts. 

“[Learning the exterior of the heart] is just as important, and [I’m] hoping to [become] knowledgeable about all body systems as a future doctor,” sophomore Mariel Batara said. “We only learn from a book mainly, but being able to make 3D models of the heart helps [me] to understand more what it looks like instead of just seeing a picture.”

Molding the clay hearts is the second phase of an ongoing project the students have been completing. The first phase was making picture books about the blood flow in the heart. The third and last phase will be dissecting a heart. 

“All of us are different, so your heart could be different than mine,” Respiratory Therapy and Health Science teacher Vicki Silvernail-Smith said. “You could have a marginal artery, I could not have a marginal artery. That’s what happens in the heart.”

When finished with the hearts, students in Health Science II are going to present their projects to Anatomy & Physiology classes. 

“It’s been pretty helpful making these clay hearts,” sophomore Claire Canote said. “We’re not experts. That’s the point [and] the reason we’re doing it. We need to learn and understand everything that we possibly can to be a good health professional. ”

After students finish all three phases, they will be applying what they learned to their next topic: the respiratory system. 

“If [the students] understand how [the heart] works, patients come in and most of the time, they are all tied to [the lungs, the brain or the heart],” Smith said. “Any type of disease will affect those three systems. If they have a good understanding, they can do better patient care.”