Science Project Ideas: The Human Heart

Supplies include modeling clay, acrylic paint tubes, small paintbrush, and 12-inch dowel rod with a thickness of 1/4 inch.

The most difficult part of this project is the construction of the modeling clay into the shape of a human heart. Using three butter-stick shaped blocks of clay, press them together and then a medium wooden clay knife must be used carve the block until it resembles a human heart. Care must be taken to conform to the relative measurements of the heart so that the heart sections are neither too large nor too small. More clay can be added if too much was cut off.

Once the general shape is finished, the contours of the heart are then carved into the block of clay using a fine edge small wooden clay knife. This is time consuming and should be done several weeks before the project to allow for correcting errors by adding more clay, or reshaping if necessary.

Upon completion of the carving of the heart, acrylic paint is applied to demonstrate the different chambers of the heart, using a pre-made chart outlining which color denotes which chamber. While the paint dries you can construct a base to support the heart. Using two blocks of clay, form them together into a dome shape with the highest point at the center. Round it smoothly by using the handle of a clay knife and starting at the top then going down to the bottom. Use a clay sponge to smooth the surface. The base can be painted a neutral color unlike any used on the heart model.

After the paint dries on both the base and the heart model, insert one end of the dowel into the middle of the base and push it all the way down. Then put the heart model atop the dowel rod carefully, so that the tip of the dowel rod rests in the approximate middle of the heart model.

Accompanying the heart model should be a brief report stating the function of each chamber of the heart and referring to its location on the model heart by reference to color.