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Science lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes

Human organ systems and how they work together

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-3England: KS3 Biology: Cells and organisation

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Human organ systems and how they work together.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Major organs and their jobs

Leads to: Trace a meal through the digestive system

Materials: Stopwatches, Body diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Major organs and their jobs). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which organ make urine? (brain / kidneys / heart / stomach) → kidneysPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?
  2. Organs: which statement is true? (We have two lungs and two kidneys. / Food goes into the lungs to be digested. / The heart is in the stomach. / The lungs pump blood.) → We have two lungs and two kidneys.Prompt: Picture where each organ sits in the body.
  3. Which organ stores and churns food after a meal? (brain / kidneys / stomach / heart) → stomachPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?

Hook · 3 min

  • Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
  • Share the objective: Human organ systems and how they work together. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Which organ system is this: brain, spinal cord and nerves?
  • Step 1: The brain, spinal cord and nerves carry electrical signals.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: nervous system
  • Answer: nervous system
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Which organ system is this: kidneys and bladder? (excretory (urinary) system / circulatory system / digestive system / respiratory system) → excretory (urinary) systemPrompt: Think about the main job: transport, gas exchange, digestion, control, movement or removing waste.
  2. Glucose from a meal ends up in a leg muscle. Which two systems moved it there? (respiratory, then nervous / excretory, then skeletal / nervous, then digestive / digestive, then circulatory) → digestive, then circulatoryPrompt: First it must be absorbed, then transported.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Organ systems: which statement is NOT true? (The kidneys remove urea from the blood. / Organ systems work together to keep the body alive. / The brain and spinal cord form the central nervous system. / The skeleton has no job except holding the body up.) → The skeleton has no job except holding the body up.Prompt: Which system do the lungs belong to?
  2. You touch a hot pan and pull your hand away. Which systems are involved? (nervous and muscular / respiratory only / digestive and respiratory / excretory and circulatory) → nervous and muscularPrompt: Something must detect the heat and something must move the hand.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Major organs and their jobs.
  • Use concrete materials: stopwatches.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Trace a meal through the digestive system.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-6.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Human organ systems and how they work together

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    During a race, your heart beats faster and you breathe deeper. Which systems are working together?

    • A. digestive and nervous only
    • B. digestive and excretory
    • C. skeletal and excretory
    • D. circulatory and respiratory

  2. Question 2

    Organ systems: which statement is NOT true?

    • A. Organ systems work together to keep the body alive.
    • B. The heart is part of the circulatory system.
    • C. The skeleton has no job except holding the body up.
    • D. The brain and spinal cord form the central nervous system.

  3. Question 3

    Which organ system is this: lungs, trachea and bronchi?

    • A. digestive system
    • B. circulatory system
    • C. respiratory system
    • D. excretory (urinary) system

  4. Question 4

    You touch a hot pan and pull your hand away. Which systems are involved?

    • A. respiratory only
    • B. nervous and muscular
    • C. digestive and respiratory
    • D. excretory and circulatory

  5. Question 5

    Which organ system is this: heart and blood vessels?

    • A. nervous system
    • B. digestive system
    • C. respiratory system
    • D. circulatory system

  6. Question 6

    After a salty meal, your kidneys produce less urine. Which system is responding?

    • A. skeletal system
    • B. respiratory system
    • C. digestive system only
    • D. excretory (urinary) system

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Answer key: Human organ systems and how they work together

  1. 1. D. circulatory and respiratory

  2. 2. C. The skeleton has no job except holding the body up.

  3. 3. C. respiratory system

  4. 4. B. nervous and muscular

  5. 5. D. circulatory system

  6. 6. D. excretory (urinary) system