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Science lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 30 minutes

Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-3CCSS NGSS.HS-LS1-2England: KS3 Biology: Cells and organisationEngland: KS4 Combined Science: Cell biology

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems.

  • 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: Nervous system, reflexes and hormones

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 mixes food with acid? (lungs / brain / heart / stomach) → stomachPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?
  2. Organs: which statement is true? (Food goes into the lungs to be digested. / The lungs pump blood. / The liver helps remove harmful substances from the blood. / The heart is in the stomach.) → The liver helps remove harmful substances from the blood.Prompt: Picture where each organ sits in the body.
  3. Which organ stores and churns food after a meal? (brain / heart / stomach / lungs) → 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: Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems. 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 includes this part: bronchi?
  • Step 1: The respiratory system exchanges gases with the air.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: respiratory system
  • Answer: respiratory 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 includes this part: ribs? (respiratory system / skeletal system / circulatory system / digestive system) → skeletal systemPrompt: What job does this part do?
  2. What is a tissue? (a whole organism / a single cell / a group of organs / a group of similar cells working together) → a group of similar cells working togetherPrompt: Muscle is an example.

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. Which organ system includes this part: nerves? (respiratory system / nervous system / digestive system / circulatory system) → nervous systemPrompt: What job does this part do?
  2. Which two systems work together to deliver oxygen to muscle cells? (respiratory and circulatory / digestive and nervous / digestive and skeletal / nervous and skeletal) → respiratory and circulatoryPrompt: One takes oxygen in, the other carries it.

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: Nervous system, reflexes and hormones.
  • 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-7.

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

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Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which organ system includes this part: trachea (windpipe)?

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

  2. Question 2

    What is a tissue?

    • A. a whole organism
    • B. a group of similar cells working together
    • C. a single cell
    • D. a group of organs

  3. Question 3

    Which organ system includes this part: small intestine?

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

  4. Question 4

    Which list goes from largest to smallest?

    • A. cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism
    • B. tissue, organism, cell, organ, organ system
    • C. organism, organ system, organ, tissue, cell
    • D. organ, cell, organism, tissue, organ system

  5. Question 5

    Which organ system includes this part: arteries?

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

  6. Question 6

    The stomach contains muscle tissue, glandular tissue and lining tissue. So the stomach is…

    • A. a cell
    • B. an organ
    • C. a tissue
    • D. an organism

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Answer key: Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems

  1. 1. C. respiratory system

  2. 2. B. a group of similar cells working together

  3. 3. C. digestive system

  4. 4. C. organism, organ system, organ, tissue, cell

  5. 5. C. circulatory system

  6. 6. B. an organ