Testing Blood Types!

Did you know that dogs have 13 different blood types? WOW! Luckily, humans only have four main types (Type A, B, O, and AB), which we studied today. To start out the lesson, I posed a question to the students: "If you were in need of a blood transfusion, which type of blood would you prefer to be? What about if you were donating blood...what type would be most useful?"

To answer this question, the students did an experiment to test which blood types can mix with others. The students "donated" each type of blood to a "receiver" of Type A, Type B, Type AB, and Type O. They charted the results and then we discussed our findings afterward. To asses whether or not the students understood, they answered the initial questions in their science notebooks. If they said they'd prefer to be type O if donating blood, they got it! If they said they'd prefer to be type AB if receiving blood, they were right. The kids LOVED this activity; one student said he felt like a real-life crime scene investigator. :)

Enjoy!

Mrs.Bush