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

Breathing, gas exchange and respiration

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-7CCSS NGSS.HS-LS1-7England: KS3 Biology: Gas exchange systemsEngland: KS3 Biology: Cellular respirationEngland: KS4 Combined Science: Cell biology

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Breathing, gas exchange and respiration.

  • 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: Heart, blood and circulation

Leads to: Respiration without oxygen: muscles and yeast

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 (Heart, blood and circulation). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Chloe counts 15 pulse beats in 20 seconds. What is the pulse rate in beats per minute? → 45Prompt: How many lots of 20 seconds are there in one minute?
  2. Why does your heart beat faster when you run? (Your heart gets scared. / Your lungs stop working. / Your blood gets heavier. / Your muscles need more oxygen and glucose.) → Your muscles need more oxygen and glucose.Prompt: Working muscles respire faster.
  3. Blood and circulation: which statement is NOT true? (Arteries carry blood to the heart. / Blood is always red; it is bright red with oxygen and darker red without. / Capillaries are tiny blood vessels where substances pass to and from cells. / Red blood cells carry oxygen.) → Arteries carry blood to the heart.Prompt: One of these is a famous myth.

Hook · 3 min

  • Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
  • Share the objective: Breathing, gas exchange and respiration. 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: Where does gas exchange happen in the lungs?
  • Step 1: Oxygen diffuses from the alveoli into the blood, and carbon dioxide diffuses out.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: in the alveoli (air sacs)
  • Answer: in the alveoli (air sacs)
  • 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. During hard exercise, muscles may respire without enough oxygen. What do they make? (lactic acid / alcohol and carbon dioxide / oxygen / starch) → lactic acidPrompt: This is anaerobic respiration in animals.
  2. Respiration: which statement is NOT true? (Aerobic respiration releases more energy than anaerobic respiration. / We breathe out only carbon dioxide. / Respiration happens in every living cell. / Mitochondria are where aerobic respiration happens.) → We breathe out only carbon dioxide.Prompt: Respiration and breathing are different things.

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. Respiration: which statement is NOT true? (Mitochondria are where aerobic respiration happens. / Respiration happens in every living cell. / Plants respire as well as photosynthesise. / Respiration produces energy from nothing.) → Respiration produces energy from nothing.Prompt: Respiration and breathing are different things.
  2. During hard exercise, muscles may respire without enough oxygen. What do they make? (alcohol and carbon dioxide / starch / lactic acid / oxygen) → lactic acidPrompt: This is anaerobic respiration in animals.

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: Heart, blood and circulation.
  • 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: Respiration without oxygen: muscles and yeast.
  • 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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Breathing, gas exchange and respiration

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Respiration: which statement is NOT true?

    • A. Respiration produces energy from nothing.
    • B. Aerobic respiration releases more energy than anaerobic respiration.
    • C. Plants respire as well as photosynthesise.
    • D. Respiration happens in every living cell.

  2. Question 2

    During hard exercise, muscles may respire without enough oxygen. What do they make?

    • A. oxygen
    • B. lactic acid
    • C. starch
    • D. alcohol and carbon dioxide

  3. Question 3

    What is the difference between breathing and respiration?

    • A. Breathing happens in every cell.
    • B. Respiration only happens in the lungs.
    • C. Breathing moves air in and out; respiration is a reaction in cells that releases energy.
    • D. They are exactly the same.

  4. Question 4

    Complete the word equation for aerobic respiration: glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + ___

    • A. lactic acid
    • B. water
    • C. nitrogen
    • D. oxygen

  5. Question 5

    Yeast respiring without oxygen produces…

    • A. oxygen and glucose
    • B. water only
    • C. ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide
    • D. lactic acid only

  6. Question 6

    Where does gas exchange happen in the lungs?

    • A. in the ribs
    • B. in the alveoli (air sacs)
    • C. in the diaphragm
    • D. in the trachea

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Answer key: Breathing, gas exchange and respiration

  1. 1. A. Respiration produces energy from nothing.

  2. 2. B. lactic acid

  3. 3. C. Breathing moves air in and out; respiration is a reaction in cells that releases energy.

  4. 4. B. water

  5. 5. C. ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide

  6. 6. B. in the alveoli (air sacs)