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Science lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 minutes

How diet, exercise and harmful substances affect the body

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-3England: KS2 Y6 Animals, including humans

Objective and success criteria

Students will: How diet, exercise and harmful substances affect the body.

  • 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; Exercise and your body: heartbeat and breathing

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

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 (Heart, blood and circulation; Exercise and your body: heartbeat and breathing). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Chloe counts 17 pulse beats in 20 seconds. What is the pulse rate in beats per minute? → 51Prompt: How many lots of 20 seconds are there in one minute?
  2. What does blood carry to every part of the body? (oxygen and nutrients / air bubbles / undigested food / bones) → oxygen and nutrientsPrompt: Cells need these to release energy.
  3. Fatima counts 12 pulse beats in 30 seconds. What is the pulse rate in beats per minute? → 24Prompt: How many lots of 30 seconds are there in one minute?

Hook · 5 min

  • Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
  • Share the objective: How diet, exercise and harmful substances affect the body. 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: Does this help or harm the body: drinking water instead of fizzy drinks?
  • Step 1: These choices keep the heart, lungs, muscles and brain healthy.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: helps the body
  • Answer: helps the body
  • 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.
  1. Does this help or harm the body: smoking cigarettes? (helps the body / harms the body) → harms the bodyPrompt: Think about the heart, lungs, teeth and energy.
  2. Why should medicines only be taken as directed by a doctor or on the label? (Medicines never have side effects. / Medicines are just sweets. / The wrong dose can harm the body. / More medicine always works better.) → The wrong dose can harm the body.Prompt: Medicines are drugs that change how the body works.

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.
  1. Does this help or harm the body: breathing in other people's smoke? (helps the body / harms the body) → harms the bodyPrompt: Think about the heart, lungs, teeth and energy.
  2. Why is regular exercise good for the heart? (The heart is a muscle and gets stronger with use. / It makes the heart smaller and weaker. / Exercise has no effect on the heart. / It makes the heart stop resting.) → The heart is a muscle and gets stronger with use.Prompt: What happens to any muscle you train?

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

  • 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

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How diet, exercise and harmful substances affect the body

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    True or false? Taking extra medicine makes you get better faster.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  2. Question 2

    Why does too much sugar harm your health?

    • A. Sugar is a vitamin.
    • B. Sugar has no energy.
    • C. It can cause tooth decay and unhealthy weight gain.
    • D. Sugar makes bones stronger.

  3. Question 3

    Does this help or harm the body: eating plenty of fruit and vegetables?

    • A. helps the body
    • B. harms the body

  4. Question 4

    True or false? Exercise strengthens the heart and muscles.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  5. Question 5

    How does smoking harm the body?

    • A. It cleans the lungs.
    • B. Tar damages the lungs and chemicals harm the heart and blood vessels.
    • C. It only affects your clothes.
    • D. It makes muscles stronger.

  6. Question 6

    Does this help or harm the body: playing sport most days?

    • A. helps the body
    • B. harms the body

  7. Question 7

    Why should medicines only be taken as directed by a doctor or on the label?

    • A. More medicine always works better.
    • B. The wrong dose can harm the body.
    • C. Medicines are just sweets.
    • D. Medicines never have side effects.

  8. Question 8

    Does this help or harm the body: smoking cigarettes?

    • A. helps the body
    • B. harms the body

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Answer key: How diet, exercise and harmful substances affect the body

  1. 1. B. False

  2. 2. C. It can cause tooth decay and unhealthy weight gain.

  3. 3. A. helps the body

  4. 4. A. True

  5. 5. B. Tar damages the lungs and chemicals harm the heart and blood vessels.

  6. 6. A. helps the body

  7. 7. B. The wrong dose can harm the body.

  8. 8. B. harms the body