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Science lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 60 minutes

Major organs and their jobs

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.4-LS1-1England: KS2 Y4 Animals, including humansEngland: KS2 Y6 Animals, including humans

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Major organs and their jobs.

  • 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: Skeleton and muscles

Leads to: Heart, blood and circulation; Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems; Human organ systems and how they work together

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 (Skeleton and muscles). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. How do muscles move bones? (by pushing them / by melting / by contracting (getting shorter) and pulling on them / by growing longer) → by contracting (getting shorter) and pulling on themPrompt: Muscles can only pull, never push.
  2. Skeleton and muscles: which statement is true? (Babies and adults have exactly the same number of bones. / Bones are dead, like rocks. / The spine (backbone) protects the spinal cord. / Muscles can push bones as well as pull them.) → The spine (backbone) protects the spinal cord.Prompt: Think about what happens when you break a bone.
  3. To bend your arm at the elbow, which muscle contracts? (the stomach / the heart / the biceps / the triceps) → the bicepsPrompt: It is on the front of your upper arm.

Hook · 6 min

  • Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
  • Share the objective: Major organs and their jobs. 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 receives messages from the senses?
  • Step 1: The brain controls the body, thinking and memory.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: brain
  • Answer: brain
  • 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 receives messages from the senses? (heart / brain / kidneys / lungs) → brainPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?
  2. Organs: which statement is true? (The liver helps remove harmful substances from the blood. / Food goes into the lungs to be digested. / The lungs pump blood. / The heart is in the stomach.) → The liver helps remove harmful substances from the blood.Prompt: Picture where each organ sits in the body.

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. Which organ take in oxygen from the air? (kidneys / heart / lungs / brain) → lungsPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?
  2. Organs: which statement is true? (Food goes into the lungs to be digested. / The heart is in the stomach. / The lungs pump blood. / The heart is a muscle.) → The heart is a muscle.Prompt: Picture where each organ sits in the body.

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: Skeleton and muscles.
  • 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, blood and circulation; Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems; Human organ systems and how they work together.
  • 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-4.

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

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Major organs and their jobs

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Organs: which statement is true?

    • A. The heart is in the stomach.
    • B. Food goes into the lungs to be digested.
    • C. The lungs pump blood.
    • D. The heart is a muscle.
  2. Question 2

    Which organ mixes food with acid?

    • A. stomach
    • B. kidneys
    • C. lungs
    • D. brain
  3. Question 3

    Which organ has the ring around it?

    • A. heart
    • B. brain
    • C. stomach
    • D. intestines
  4. Question 4

    Which organ controls thinking and memory?

    • A. stomach
    • B. lungs
    • C. heart
    • D. brain
  5. Question 5

    Which organ beats about 70 times a minute at rest?

    • A. brain
    • B. stomach
    • C. lungs
    • D. heart
  6. Question 6

    Which organ receives messages from the senses?

    • A. heart
    • B. brain
    • C. lungs
    • D. kidneys
  7. Question 7

    Which organ stores and churns food after a meal?

    • A. kidneys
    • B. brain
    • C. lungs
    • D. stomach
  8. Question 8

    Which organ take in oxygen from the air?

    • A. heart
    • B. stomach
    • C. kidneys
    • D. lungs

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Answer key: Major organs and their jobs

  1. 1. D. The heart is a muscle.

  2. 2. A. stomach

  3. 3. D. intestines

  4. 4. D. brain

  5. 5. D. heart

  6. 6. B. brain

  7. 7. D. stomach

  8. 8. D. lungs