In Carrie Pearson’s jaunty storytelling and Nancy Carpenter’s playful illustrations capture the energy and independence of a woman who didn’t slow down for anything―and changed newborn care forever.
Readers will be introduced to impressionable women in the medical field and the directions below will show you how to run your own Baby Doll Clinic. Enjoy exploring the role of a healthcare professional with this hands on activity – adjustable for any age.
Activity for Kids Celebrating Dr. Virginia Apgar
The Apgar Score is known the world over: a test given to babies to determine their health moments after they are born. Less well-known is the story of the brilliant, pioneering woman who invented it.
VIRGINIA WOULDN’T
SLOW DOWN:
THE UNSTOPPABLE DR.
APGAR AND HER LIFE
SAVING INVENTION
A Bit of History about Virginia:
Born at the turn of the twentieth century, Virginia “Ginny” Apgar soared above what girls were expected to do―or not do. She wasn’t quiet, she wore all sorts of outfits, she played the sports she wanted to―and she pursued the career she chose, graduating near the top of her class at Columbia University and becoming only the second board-certified female anesthesiologist in the United States.
The simple five-step test she created―scribbled on the back of a piece of paper in answer to a trainee’s question―became the standard and continues to impact countless newborn babies’ lives today.
Ginny adored science, hated cooking, drove fast, made her own violins, earned a pilot’s license, and traveled the world.
Objective:
This activity allows students to embody the role of a healthcare professional,
making the learning experience tactile and memorable, while providing them
with a greater appreciation for the APGAR Score’s significance in real-life
settings.
Give kids a hands-on experience evaluate their baby dolls with the APGAR Score. Older kids can use the scorecards to record their findings. For younger kids, introduce and repeat new words referencing body awareness including breath, pulse, and color.
Supplies:
- VIRGINIA WOULDN’T SLOW DOWN, the book
- Dr. Virginia Apgar’s Newborn Health Check Scorecard, (Guide, pg.
12) - Baby dolls (one for each small group or pair of students)
- Stopwatch or timer
- Stethoscopes (toy ones would work, or just make them out of craft material)
- Blankets
- Cardstock
- Scissors
Procedure:
- Print copies of Dr. Virginia Apgar’s Newborn Health Check on cardstock. Use scissors to trim around the borders of the Score cards.
- Explain to the students that, in this lesson, they will be playing the health provider’s role justlike Dr. Virginia Apgar by using her APGAR Score to check the health of newborn babies.
- Divide the students into pairs or small groups and give each a baby doll. Instruct them to play
the role of a health care provider and evaluate their newborn baby using the APGAR Score
card. - Distribute copies of the APGAR Score card and stethoscopes to the students.
- Show the students how to “evaluate” a baby doll using the APGAR Score criteria.
- Once they’ve finished their evaluations, group share their baby’s APGAR Score with the class. For young kids, practice going through the appearance, pulse, Grimace (yes, tickling!), Activitiy, and respiration.
- Discuss the importance of each criterion and why Dr. Apgar created the Score. Ask them how they felt being a “healthcare provider” and checking newborns.
THE APGAR SCORE CRITERIA:
Appearance:
Check the baby’s skin color. Is it blue, pink, or a mix of both?
Pulse:
Pretend to listen to the baby’s heart beat using the stethoscope. Is it fast, slow, or just right?
Grimace:
Tickle or lightly pinch the baby’s foot. How does it react?
Activity:
See how much the baby moves. Is it very active, a little active, or not moving at all?
Respiration:
Pretend to listen to the baby’s breathing pattern. Does the baby have a loud cry?
Virgina Wouldn’t Slow Down is an excellent book for libraries, classrooms and homeschoolers. See below for an extensive free guide.
At this link, you’ll find an extensive (FREE) guide made by Debbie Gonzales (GuidesbyDeb.com)
2 responses to “Medical Themed Activity for Kids and Classrooms”
This is so cool. She made a lot of difference in the lives of babies (and medical team)
Thank you so much, Kirbi, for sharing Dr. Apgar, her Scoring system, and the picture book biography about her amazing life. In my school and library visits about Dr. Apgar, we practice scoring baby dolls and stuffed toys alike, and the look on a child’s face when they hear their own heartbeat through a stethoscope is pure magic. So many layers of learning here!