Appropriate grades or age groups:
4th grade and up.

Estimated time to complete this project:
One month.

Materials:
heart rate monitor
stop watch
logbook and pencil

Instructions:
1) Research how your heart works and why your pulse speeds up and slows down based on activities that you do. Are you in good shape? Give yourself a month to find out. Make a commitment to guage your heart rate at specified times of the day. Hypothesize on what you think your results will be.

2) Check your pulse when you wake. Record results.

3) Take your pulse after you take your shower. Record results.

4) Take your pulse after you eat. Record results.

5) Take your pulse after playing sports. Record results.

6) Every day climb a set of stairs. Record results.

7) As the month goes on, do you see any changes? You just might get in better shape!

8) Make a graph of what happens to your heart rate with strenuous and less strenuous activities. Are there differences? Are the results what you expected?