Smoker's Lungs Straw Breathing Challenge

Students do short bouts of effort breathing normally and then only through a straw, to feel the shortness of breath that smoking and vaping cause in the lungs. They then reflect on these habits from their own experience.

How to play

1. Briefing (2 min): how smoking and vaping damage the airways. Each student gets a straw labeled with their name.
2. Test 1 (2 min): in pairs, one does 30 seconds of light skipping between two cones 10 yards apart while the other times. Then they rate their effort from 1 to 10. Switch.
3. Test 2 (3 min): same exercise, but breathing only through the straw with the nose pinched, for 20-30 seconds max. Rate the effort again.
4. Test 3 (3 min): step up and down a step or talk while walking with the straw for 20 seconds.
5. Compare (2 min): each pair works out the difference in effort between normal and straw breathing.
6. Discussion (3 min): connect it to lung disease, asthma, and athletic performance, and how to say no to peer pressure.

Rules

• If anyone feels dizzy or panicky, they remove the straw and sit down right away.
• Each straw is personal and gets washed afterward.
• Students with asthma or breathing problems skip the straw test and serve as timers.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: do the test with seated arm movements.
• Anxiety: limit it to 10 seconds or just observe.
• Breathing problems: time, record data, and moderate the discussion.

Learning goals

• Safely experience restricted breathing.
• Analyze how smoking and vaping affect health and performance.
• Defend healthy choices against peer pressure.

Equipment for a class of 25

• reusable straws: 25
• cones: 26
• stopwatches: 13

Teacher tip

This is a powerful experience, but keep bouts short: never over 30 seconds. Have simple facts ready about vaping, which many students think is harmless.

More main activities for Middle School