Science lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 45 minutes
Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems
Human body and health
CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-3CCSS NGSS.HS-LS1-2England: KS3 Biology: Cells and organisationEngland: KS4 Combined Science: Cell biology
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems.
- 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: Nervous system, reflexes and hormones
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 mixes food with acid? (brain / heart / lungs / stomach) → stomachPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?
- Organs: which statement is true? (The heart is in the stomach. / The lungs pump blood. / The heart is a muscle. / Food goes into the lungs to be digested.) → The heart is a muscle.Prompt: Picture where each organ sits in the body.
- Which organ get rid of carbon dioxide? (lungs / heart / stomach / kidneys) → 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: Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems. 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: Which organ system includes this part: bronchi?
- Step 1: The respiratory system exchanges gases with the air.
- Step 2: So the answer is: respiratory system
- Answer: respiratory system
- 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.
- Which organ system includes this part: brain? (circulatory system / skeletal system / nervous system / digestive system) → nervous systemPrompt: What job does this part do?
- What is a tissue? (a group of similar cells working together / a whole organism / a single cell / a group of organs) → a group of similar cells working togetherPrompt: Muscle is an example.
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.
- Which list goes from largest to smallest? (organ, cell, organism, tissue, organ system / cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism / tissue, organism, cell, organ, organ system / organism, organ system, organ, tissue, cell) → organism, organ system, organ, tissue, cellPrompt: Read carefully: largest first.
- Which organ system includes this part: bronchi? (digestive system / respiratory system / skeletal system / nervous system) → respiratory systemPrompt: What job does this part do?
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: Nervous system, reflexes and hormones.
- 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