Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

Science lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 45 minutes

Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.HS-LS1-3CCSS NGSS.SEP 5England: GCSE Combined Science: OrganisationEngland: GCSE PE: cardiac output

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output.

  • 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: Follow blood through the heart and lungs

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 (Follow blood through the heart and lungs). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Following blood from the lungs to the body: where does blood go straight after the lungs? (left ventricle / left atrium / pulmonary vein / aorta) → pulmonary veinPrompt: This side of the heart carries oxygenated blood.
  2. What is the job of the valves in the heart? (to stop blood flowing backwards / to make blood cells / to slow the heartbeat / to add oxygen to blood) → to stop blood flowing backwardsPrompt: They work like one-way doors.
  3. Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the right ventricle? (vena cava / pulmonary artery / lungs / right atrium) → pulmonary arteryPrompt: This side of the heart carries blood low in oxygen.

Hook · 5 min

  • Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
  • Share the objective: Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output. 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: A person's stroke volume is 90 cm³ and their heart rate is 72 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute?
  • Step 1: 90 × 72 = 6480
  • Step 2: So the answer is: 6480 cm³/min
  • Answer: 6480 cm³/min
  • 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. A person's stroke volume is 80 cm³ and their heart rate is 65 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute? → 5200 cm³/minPrompt: cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate
  2. During exercise an athlete's cardiac output is 11.25 dm³ per minute and their stroke volume is 75 cm³. What is their heart rate, in beats per minute? (1 dm³ = 1000 cm³) → 150 bpmPrompt: Convert the cardiac output to cm³ first.

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. During exercise an athlete's cardiac output is 9.6 dm³ per minute and their stroke volume is 120 cm³. What is their heart rate, in beats per minute? (1 dm³ = 1000 cm³) → 80 bpmPrompt: Convert the cardiac output to cm³ first.
  2. After exercise, a student counts 28 pulse beats in 30 seconds. What is the heart rate in beats per minute? → 56 bpmPrompt: How many lots of this time fit into 60 seconds?

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: Follow blood through the heart and lungs.
  • 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-9.

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

eurekami

Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    A person's stroke volume is 75 cm³ and their heart rate is 100 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute?

    Answercm³/min

  2. Question 2

    After exercise, a student counts 27 pulse beats in 10 seconds. What is the heart rate in beats per minute?

    Answerbpm

  3. Question 3

    During exercise an athlete's cardiac output is 8.4 dm³ per minute and their stroke volume is 70 cm³. What is their heart rate, in beats per minute? (1 dm³ = 1000 cm³)

    Answerbpm

  4. Question 4

    A person's stroke volume is 75 cm³ and their heart rate is 65 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute?

    Answercm³/min

  5. Question 5

    After exercise, a student counts 15 pulse beats in 10 seconds. What is the heart rate in beats per minute?

    Answerbpm

  6. Question 6

    During exercise an athlete's cardiac output is 5.6 dm³ per minute and their stroke volume is 80 cm³. What is their heart rate, in beats per minute? (1 dm³ = 1000 cm³)

    Answerbpm

  7. Question 7

    A person's stroke volume is 100 cm³ and their heart rate is 72 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute?

    Answercm³/min

  8. Question 8

    After exercise, a student counts 17 pulse beats in 20 seconds. What is the heart rate in beats per minute?

    Answerbpm

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output

  1. 1. 7500 cm³/min

  2. 2. 162 bpm

  3. 3. 120 bpm

  4. 4. 4875 cm³/min

  5. 5. 90 bpm

  6. 6. 70 bpm

  7. 7. 7200 cm³/min

  8. 8. 51 bpm