This is an activity which works well at the end of a human heart discovery unit. It could be classified at the synthesis level of Bloom's cognitive hierarchy of learning. Students use their knowledge of the human heart and create a new heart with slight variations in anatomical structure. Students are given a story about an alien nation who suffer from hearts which fail early in their lives. The students are asked to design an artificial heart which will help the aliens extend their life expectancy.
Students can make their artificial hearts use an array of materials.
I give this assignment to students at the end of a heart unit because it allows the students to use their currents knowledge of the heart and apply it to a new situation. I give the students a handout which includes the story, alien heart anatomy and the method of evaluation. I do not give the students a lot of personal direction or attention because I want them to rely on themselves to develop their artificial heart. It important to provide students with alien heart anatomy which is similar to that of humans but not so close to human anatomy that they can model their alien heart out of textbook pictures. I found as I present this assignment to students, they look and the assignment then look at me with confusion.