Science lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 minutes
Heart, blood and circulation
Human body and health
CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-3England: KS2 Y6 Animals, including humansEngland: KS4 Combined Science: Transport systems
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Heart, blood and circulation.
- 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: Breathing, gas exchange and respiration; Pathogens, immunity and vaccines; How diet, exercise and harmful substances affect the body
Materials: Stopwatches, Body diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 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.
- Which organ pumps blood around the body? (brain / heart / kidneys / lungs) → heartPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?
- Organs: which statement is true? (The heart is a muscle. / The heart is in the stomach. / The lungs pump blood. / Food goes into the lungs to be digested.) → The heart is a muscle.Prompt: Picture where each organ sits in the body.
- Which organ take in oxygen from the air? (stomach / lungs / kidneys / heart) → lungsPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?
Hook · 5 min
- Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
- Share the objective: Heart, blood and circulation. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Felix counts 19 pulse beats in 20 seconds. What is the pulse rate in beats per minute?
- Step 1: 60 ÷ 20 = 3
- Step 2: 19 × 3 = 57
- Step 3: So the answer is: 57 beats per minute
- Answer: 57
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Mateo counts 25 pulse beats in 15 seconds. What is the pulse rate in beats per minute? → 100Prompt: How many lots of 15 seconds are there in one minute?
- What do arteries do? (make urine / carry blood back to the heart / digest food / carry blood away from the heart) → carry blood away from the heartPrompt: "A" for arteries, "A" for away.
You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Why does your heart beat faster when you run? (Your blood gets heavier. / Your heart gets scared. / Your muscles need more oxygen and glucose. / Your lungs stop working.) → Your muscles need more oxygen and glucose.Prompt: Working muscles respire faster.
- Blood and circulation: which statement is NOT true? (Red blood cells carry oxygen. / White blood cells help fight infection. / The heart is on the far left side of the chest. / Capillaries are tiny blood vessels where substances pass to and from cells.) → The heart is on the far left side of the chest.Prompt: One of these is a famous myth.
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: Breathing, gas exchange and respiration; Pathogens, immunity and vaccines; How diet, exercise and harmful substances affect the body.
- 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-5.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder