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Science lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 60 minutes

Follow blood through the heart and lungs

Human body and health

CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-3England: KS3 Biology: Gas exchange systemsEngland: GCSE Combined Science: Organisation

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Follow blood through the heart and lungs.

  • 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: Heart, blood and circulation

Leads to: Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output

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 (Heart, blood and circulation). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Maya counts 17 pulse beats in 20 seconds. What is the pulse rate in beats per minute? → 51Prompt: How many lots of 20 seconds are there in one minute?
  2. How many chambers does the human heart have? (6 / 1 / 4 / 2) → 4Prompt: Two atria and two ventricles.
  3. Blood and circulation: which statement is NOT true? (Veins carry blood back to the heart. / Capillaries are tiny blood vessels where substances pass to and from cells. / Blood is always red; it is bright red with oxygen and darker red without. / Arteries carry blood to the heart.) → Arteries carry blood to the heart.Prompt: One of these is a famous myth.

Hook · 6 min

  • Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
  • Share the objective: Follow blood through the heart and lungs. 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: Following blood from the lungs to the body: where does blood go straight after the lungs?
  • Step 1: lungs → pulmonary vein → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta
  • Step 2: So the answer is: pulmonary vein
  • Answer: pulmonary vein
  • 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. Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the vena cava? (right ventricle / lungs / right atrium / pulmonary artery) → right atriumPrompt: This side of the heart carries blood low in oxygen.
  2. What is the job of the valves in the heart? (to stop blood flowing backwards / to make blood cells / to slow the heartbeat / to add oxygen to blood) → to stop blood flowing backwardsPrompt: They work like one-way doors.

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. What is the job of the valves in the heart? (to slow the heartbeat / to stop blood flowing backwards / to add oxygen to blood / to make blood cells) → to stop blood flowing backwardsPrompt: They work like one-way doors.
  2. Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the right ventricle? (pulmonary artery / right atrium / lungs / vena cava) → pulmonary arteryPrompt: This side of the heart carries blood low in oxygen.

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: Heart, blood and circulation.
  • 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 rate, stroke volume and cardiac output.
  • 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

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Follow blood through the heart and lungs

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Following blood from the lungs to the body: where does blood go straight after the left atrium?

    • A. pulmonary vein
    • B. lungs
    • C. aorta
    • D. left ventricle

  2. Question 2

    What is the job of the valves in the heart?

    • A. to stop blood flowing backwards
    • B. to slow the heartbeat
    • C. to add oxygen to blood
    • D. to make blood cells

  3. Question 3

    Following blood from the lungs to the body: where does blood go straight after the pulmonary vein?

    • A. lungs
    • B. left atrium
    • C. aorta
    • D. left ventricle

  4. Question 4

    Humans have a double circulatory system. What does that mean?

    • A. blood passes through the heart twice on each full trip round the body
    • B. only half the blood reaches the lungs
    • C. blood flows both ways in each vessel
    • D. we have two hearts

  5. Question 5

    Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the vena cava?

    • A. lungs
    • B. right atrium
    • C. pulmonary artery
    • D. right ventricle

  6. Question 6

    Which blood vessel carries oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart?

    • A. pulmonary vein
    • B. vena cava
    • C. pulmonary artery
    • D. aorta

  7. Question 7

    Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the pulmonary artery?

    • A. vena cava
    • B. right ventricle
    • C. right atrium
    • D. lungs

  8. Question 8

    Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the right atrium?

    • A. vena cava
    • B. pulmonary artery
    • C. lungs
    • D. right ventricle

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Answer key: Follow blood through the heart and lungs

  1. 1. D. left ventricle

  2. 2. A. to stop blood flowing backwards

  3. 3. B. left atrium

  4. 4. A. blood passes through the heart twice on each full trip round the body

  5. 5. B. right atrium

  6. 6. A. pulmonary vein

  7. 7. D. lungs

  8. 8. D. right ventricle