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Science lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 60 minutes

Human organ systems and how they work together

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-3England: KS3 Biology: Cells and organisation

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Human organ systems and how they work together.

  • 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: Trace a meal through the digestive system

Materials: Stopwatches, Body diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 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.
  1. Which organ get rid of carbon dioxide? (heart / brain / stomach / lungs) → lungsPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?
  2. Organs: which statement is true? (The lungs pump blood. / We have two lungs and two kidneys. / The heart is in the stomach. / Food goes into the lungs to be digested.) → We have two lungs and two kidneys.Prompt: Picture where each organ sits in the body.
  3. Which organ mixes food with acid? (stomach / lungs / brain / heart) → stomachPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?

Hook · 6 min

  • Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
  • Share the objective: Human organ systems and how they work together. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Which organ system is this: brain, spinal cord and nerves?
  • Step 1: The brain, spinal cord and nerves carry electrical signals.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: nervous system
  • Answer: nervous system
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 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. Which organ system is this: heart and blood vessels? (respiratory system / digestive system / circulatory system / excretory (urinary) system) → circulatory systemPrompt: Think about the main job: transport, gas exchange, digestion, control, movement or removing waste.
  2. You touch a hot pan and pull your hand away. Which systems are involved? (digestive and respiratory / nervous and muscular / excretory and circulatory / respiratory only) → nervous and muscularPrompt: Something must detect the heat and something must move the hand.

You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Organ systems: which statement is NOT true? (Organ systems work together to keep the body alive. / The skeleton has no job except holding the body up. / The kidneys remove urea from the blood. / The heart is part of the circulatory system.) → The skeleton has no job except holding the body up.Prompt: Which system do the lungs belong to?
  2. You touch a hot pan and pull your hand away. Which systems are involved? (respiratory only / excretory and circulatory / digestive and respiratory / nervous and muscular) → nervous and muscularPrompt: Something must detect the heat and something must move the hand.

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: Trace a meal through the digestive system.
  • 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-6.

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

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Human organ systems and how they work together

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Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Organ systems: which statement is NOT true?

    • A. The kidneys remove urea from the blood.
    • B. The brain and spinal cord form the central nervous system.
    • C. Organ systems work together to keep the body alive.
    • D. The skeleton has no job except holding the body up.

  2. Question 2

    During a race, your heart beats faster and you breathe deeper. Which systems are working together?

    • A. skeletal and excretory
    • B. digestive and nervous only
    • C. digestive and excretory
    • D. circulatory and respiratory

  3. Question 3

    Which organ system is this: stomach and intestines?

    • A. respiratory system
    • B. digestive system
    • C. nervous system
    • D. excretory (urinary) system

  4. Question 4

    Glucose from a meal ends up in a leg muscle. Which two systems moved it there?

    • A. excretory, then skeletal
    • B. digestive, then circulatory
    • C. respiratory, then nervous
    • D. nervous, then digestive

  5. Question 5

    Which organ system is this: bones, joints and muscles?

    • A. digestive system
    • B. skeletal and muscular systems
    • C. respiratory system
    • D. circulatory system

  6. Question 6

    After a salty meal, your kidneys produce less urine. Which system is responding?

    • A. respiratory system
    • B. excretory (urinary) system
    • C. digestive system only
    • D. skeletal system

  7. Question 7

    You touch a hot pan and pull your hand away. Which systems are involved?

    • A. digestive and respiratory
    • B. respiratory only
    • C. nervous and muscular
    • D. excretory and circulatory

  8. Question 8

    Which organ system is this: lungs, trachea and bronchi?

    • A. skeletal and muscular systems
    • B. respiratory system
    • C. digestive system
    • D. excretory (urinary) system

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Answer key: Human organ systems and how they work together

  1. 1. D. The skeleton has no job except holding the body up.

  2. 2. D. circulatory and respiratory

  3. 3. B. digestive system

  4. 4. B. digestive, then circulatory

  5. 5. B. skeletal and muscular systems

  6. 6. B. excretory (urinary) system

  7. 7. C. nervous and muscular

  8. 8. B. respiratory system