Process Description PDF

A Step-By-Step Guide for a Clay Human Heart

            The can of Play-Doh was first opened up and contained a cylinder of red clay. Half of the clay was then formed into an oval-shaped lump, with the top of the oval being larger than the bottom half. The form was also not flattened but kept rounded to represent a 3-D figure of the human heart. Then, the top of the Play-Doh was shaped to be angled to the left, by compressing the right side and extending the left side to be higher. This tubular figure represents the majority of the heart shape.

The rest of the clay was then separated into four more sections. Those four sections were then rolled into tube-like structures. The tubes were about 1-inch in length each, and they were as wide as the top part of the ovular shaped clay mentioned earlier in the procedure. The first tube was then pressed into the top left side of the ovular structure and smoothed into place. This first tube was a representation of the vena cava. Then, the second tube was flattened to the right of the first tube and represented the aorta. Both the first and second tube were placed so that they remained on the left side of the heart (the ovular structure). The third tube was placed to the right of the second tube and represented the pulmonary artery. The final tube was placed to the right of the third tube and was placed towards the back of the heart. It also was not placed from the top of the heart, but 1/3^rd of the way down from the top of the heart. This final tube represented the pulmonary vein. The third and fourth tube should be placed so that they are on the right side of the heart.