5th Grade Lung Dissection Project While studying the body systems, Mrs. Hoffman's 5th grade class dissected pig lungs to learn more about the respiratory system. Below, several students used a bicycle pump to inflate the lungs. Our lungs hold about as much air as a basketball. Above, Mrs. Hoffman cuts down the trachea to the bronchial tubes to show her students the passage air takes into the lungs. To the right, a student prepares to place a marble down the esophagus, located behind the trachea. This tube leads to our stomach. By following the marble down the esophagus, students could see the pathway food takes to our stomach. [Back]