Science lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 45 minutes
Follow blood through the heart and lungs
Human body and health
CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-3England: KS3 Biology: Gas exchange systemsEngland: GCSE Combined Science: Organisation
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Follow blood through the heart and lungs.
- 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: Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output
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). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Yuki counts 14 pulse beats in 15 seconds. What is the pulse rate in beats per minute? → 56Prompt: How many lots of 15 seconds are there in one minute?
- How many chambers does the human heart have? (2 / 1 / 4 / 6) → 4Prompt: Two atria and two ventricles.
- Blood and circulation: which statement is NOT true? (Red blood cells carry oxygen. / Blood is always red; it is bright red with oxygen and darker red without. / Arteries carry blood to the heart. / Capillaries are tiny blood vessels where substances pass to and from cells.) → Arteries carry blood to the heart.Prompt: One of these is a famous myth.
Hook · 5 min
- Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
- Share the objective: Follow blood through the heart and lungs. 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: Following blood from the lungs to the body: where does blood go straight after the lungs?
- Step 1: lungs → pulmonary vein → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta
- Step 2: So the answer is: pulmonary vein
- Answer: pulmonary vein
- 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.
- Following blood from the lungs to the body: where does blood go straight after the left atrium? (left ventricle / lungs / pulmonary vein / aorta) → left ventriclePrompt: This side of the heart carries oxygenated blood.
- Humans have a double circulatory system. What does that mean? (blood flows both ways in each vessel / we have two hearts / blood passes through the heart twice on each full trip round the body / only half the blood reaches the lungs) → blood passes through the heart twice on each full trip round the bodyPrompt: One loop goes to the lungs, one to the body.
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.
- Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the vena cava? (right ventricle / lungs / right atrium / pulmonary artery) → right atriumPrompt: This side of the heart carries blood low in oxygen.
- What is the job of the valves in the heart? (to make blood cells / to slow the heartbeat / to stop blood flowing backwards / to add oxygen to blood) → to stop blood flowing backwardsPrompt: They work like one-way doors.
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: Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output.
- 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