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.
- Which organ stores and churns food after a meal? (brain / stomach / kidneys / heart) → stomachPrompt: Is the job about blood, air, thinking, waste or food?
- Organs: which statement is true? (The heart is in the stomach. / The liver helps remove harmful substances from the blood. / The lungs pump blood. / Food goes into the lungs to be digested.) → The liver helps remove harmful substances from the blood.Prompt: Picture where each organ sits in the body.
- Which organ controls thinking and memory? (heart / brain / lungs / kidneys) → brainPrompt: 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.
- Which organ system is this: brain, spinal cord and nerves? (circulatory system / respiratory system / nervous system / excretory (urinary) system) → nervous systemPrompt: Think about the main job: transport, gas exchange, digestion, control, movement or removing waste.
- After a salty meal, your kidneys produce less urine. Which system is responding? (respiratory system / digestive system only / excretory (urinary) system / skeletal system) → excretory (urinary) systemPrompt: Which organs filter the blood?
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.
- Which organ system is this: filters urea and extra water out of the blood? (nervous system / digestive system / excretory (urinary) system / circulatory system) → excretory (urinary) systemPrompt: Think about the main job: transport, gas exchange, digestion, control, movement or removing waste.
- Organ systems: which statement is NOT true? (The heart is part of the circulatory system. / Each organ system works completely on its own. / Organ systems work together to keep the body alive. / The kidneys remove urea from the blood.) → Each organ system works completely on its own.Prompt: Which system do the lungs belong to?
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