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Science lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 60 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 · 6 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 body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the vena cava? (right ventricle / right atrium / lungs / pulmonary artery) → right atriumPrompt: This side of the heart carries blood low in oxygen.
  2. Why is the wall of the left ventricle thicker than the right? (It pumps blood all round the body, so it needs more force / It pumps blood to the lungs only / It holds more blood / It is older) → It pumps blood all round the body, so it needs more forcePrompt: Compare how far blood goes from each ventricle.
  3. Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the right ventricle? (pulmonary artery / lungs / vena cava / right atrium) → pulmonary arteryPrompt: This side of the heart carries blood low in oxygen.

Hook · 6 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 · 12 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 · 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. A person's stroke volume is 80 cm³ and their heart rate is 80 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute? → 6400 cm³/minPrompt: cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate
  2. During exercise an athlete's cardiac output is 10.8 dm³ per minute and their stroke volume is 120 cm³. What is their heart rate, in beats per minute? (1 dm³ = 1000 cm³) → 90 bpmPrompt: Convert the cardiac output to cm³ first.

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. After exercise, a student counts 19 pulse beats in 15 seconds. What is the heart rate in beats per minute? → 76 bpmPrompt: How many lots of this time fit into 60 seconds?
  2. 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.

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

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Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    After exercise, a student counts 20 pulse beats in 30 seconds. What is the heart rate in beats per minute?

    Answerbpm

  2. Question 2

    During exercise an athlete's cardiac output is 6.4 dm³ per minute and their stroke volume is 80 cm³. What is their heart rate, in beats per minute? (1 dm³ = 1000 cm³)

    Answerbpm

  3. Question 3

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

    Answercm³/min

  4. Question 4

    After exercise, a student counts 25 pulse beats in 30 seconds. What is the heart rate in beats per minute?

    Answerbpm

  5. Question 5

    During exercise an athlete's cardiac output is 15 dm³ per minute and their stroke volume is 100 cm³. What is their heart rate, in beats per minute? (1 dm³ = 1000 cm³)

    Answerbpm

  6. Question 6

    A person's stroke volume is 90 cm³ and their heart rate is 80 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute?

    Answercm³/min

  7. Question 7

    After exercise, a student counts 26 pulse beats in 20 seconds. What is the heart rate in beats per minute?

    Answerbpm

  8. Question 8

    During exercise an athlete's cardiac output is 4.2 dm³ per minute and their stroke volume is 70 cm³. What is their heart rate, in beats per minute? (1 dm³ = 1000 cm³)

    Answerbpm

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Answer key: Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output

  1. 1. 40 bpm

  2. 2. 80 bpm

  3. 3. 10000 cm³/min

  4. 4. 50 bpm

  5. 5. 150 bpm

  6. 6. 7200 cm³/min

  7. 7. 78 bpm

  8. 8. 60 bpm