LAB # 9: FEEL THE BEAT (PULSE RATE)
Grade 5 Essential Lab (Teacher’s Version)
BENCHMARK:
SC.5.L.14.1: Identify the organs in the human body and describe their functions,
including the skin, brain, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, intestines, pancreas, muscles and
skeleton, reproductive organs, kidneys, bladder, and sensory organs.
SC.5.N.1.1: Define a problem, use appropriate reference materials to support scientific
understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types such as:
systematic observations, experiments requiring the identification of variables, collecting
and organizing data, interpreting data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze
information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.
SC.5.N.2.1. Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations
that are testable; explanation must always be linked with evidence.
LACC.5.W.3.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
MACC.5.MD.2.2. Represent and interpret data.
MACC.K12.MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
OBJECTIVE:
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Students will draw evidence from informational texts to support investigating,
analysis, reflection, and research.
Students will identify the heart as an organ in the human body and describe its
function.
Students will investigate the relationship between physical activities and heart beat
as measured by pulse rate through an experiment.
Students will collect, represent and interpret data.
Students will draw conclusions and communicate findings.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Pulse Measurement
Your pulse is the rate at which your heart beats. Your pulse is usually called your heart
rate, which is the number of times your heart beats each minute (bpm). Changes in
your heart rate or rhythm, a weak pulse, or a hard blood vessel may be caused by heart
disease or another problem. Some medicines such as decongestants, stimulants such
as caffeine, fever, stress, and levels of activities can change your heart rate.
As your heart pumps blood through your body, you can feel a pulsing in some of the
blood vessels close to the skin's surface, such as in your wrist, neck, or upper arm.
Counting your pulse rate is a simple way to find out how fast your heart is beating. Your
doctor will usually check your pulse during a physical examination or in an emergency,
but you can easily learn to check your own pulse .
You can check your pulse the first thing in the morning, just after you wake up but
before you get out of bed. This is called a resting pulse. Some people like to check
their pulse before and after they exercise. You check your pulse rate by counting the
beats in a set period of time (at least 15 to 20 seconds) and multiplying that number to
get the number of beats per minute. Your pulse changes from minute to minute.
Resting heart rate
Age or fitness level
Beats per minute (bpm)
Babies to age 1:
100-160
Children ages 1 to 10:
70-120
Children ages 11 to 17:
60-100
Adults:
60-100
Well-conditioned athletes:
40-60
SOURCE: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/pulse-measurement
Teacher Notes:
You will need to duplicate the whole class data chart in the Explore Activity ahead of
time so the all students can post their pulse rate results and so that each student can
see and copy everyone’s data for the three activities. The whole class data chart can be
done on the white board, on a large chart or electronically and shown through a LCD
projector.
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ENGAGE:
Have students sing this song:
Heart and Blood
(Sung to “The Ants Go Marching One by One”)
The heart is pumping blood for us,
Hurrah, hurrah!
The heart’s a muscle, fabulous,
Hurrah, hurrah!
The heart is pumping blood for us,
It pumps all day without a fuss,
And the blood goes round
Because of our pumping heart!
The blood supplies us oxygen,
Hurrah, hurrah!
It’s what our body needs to run,
Hurrah, hurrah!
The blood supplies us oxygen,]
And that’s a need for everyone,
And the blood goes round
Because of our pumping heart!
Next ask students what body part is responsible for pumping their blood throughout their
body? (The heart pumps blood around the body. The blood supplies oxygen that our
body needs.) Tell students when your heart beats, it pumps blood into vessels. The
flexing of these blood vessels caused by your beating heart is your pulse.
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EXPLORE:
Part 1
Say so now let’s try to find our pulse and feel the beat!
Students can do the Grade 5 Scott Foresman Directed Inquiry from page 60 to explore
their pulse.
How can you observe your pulse?
Materials:
short straw
cube of clay
What to Do:
1) Insert one end of the straw into a ball of clay.
2) Flatten the bottom of the clay.
3) Rest your hand on a flat surface with the palm side up.
4) Place the bottom of the clay on the thumb side of your wrist. Move the
clay around until you observe the straw start to move.
5) Write your observations in your journal.
EXPLAIN:
Students can read the background information and then answer the following questions:
Has your doctor ever tested your pulse rate?
Why do doctors check the pulse rate of their patients?
Is your pulse rate always the same?
What factors might change your pulse rate?
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EXPLORE:
Part 2
Say let’s look at two different ways to check our pulse. You can either check your pulse
rate on the wrist or on your neck. Guide students in trying both ways.
A. Checking your pulse on the wrist
You can easily check your pulse on the inside of your wrist, below your thumb.
Gently place 2 fingers of your other hand on this artery.
Do not use your thumb, because it has its own pulse that you may feel.
Count the number of beats for 30 seconds, and then double the result to get the
number of beats per minute.
B. Checking your pulse in the carotid artery
You can also check your pulse in the carotid artery. This is located in your neck, on
either side of your windpipe. Be careful when checking your pulse in this location,
especially for people older than 65, because, if you press too hard, you may
become lightheaded and fall.
Say in today’s lab we will explore the effect of exercise on pulse rate.
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PROBLEM STATEMENT:
Does physical activity affect your pulse rate?
HYPOTHESIS:
Develop a hypothesis to test the relationship between physical activity and pulse rate.
Ex If I ________________my physical activity, then my pulse rate would ___________.
VARIABLES:
Test (Independent/ Manipulated) Variable (What do I change?)
Outcome (Dependent/ Responding) Variable (What data do I collect?)
Constant Variables (What do I keep the same in the experiment?)
MATERIALS: Calculators and Stopwatches (http://www.online-stopwatch.com/)
PROCEDURES:
1. Measure your pulse rate, by pressing both your index and middle finger on your
wrist or neck to locate your pulse (see pictures on previous page).
Take your pulse rate at rest. Measure your heart beat or pulse rate by counting
the number of beats in 30 seconds, and then multiply by 2 to get your pulse rate
per minute (bpm=beats per minute). Record under Data: Individual Student
2. Walk for 1 minute and then measure your heart beat or pulse rate by counting the
number of beats in 30 seconds and then multiply by 2.
Record under Data: Individual Student.
3. Jump up and down for 1 minute and then measure our heart beat or pulse rate by
counting the number of beats in 30 seconds and then multiply by 2. Record under
Data: Individual Student
4. Record the data for your three pulse rates on the Class Data Chart posted in the
classroom.
5. Record the pulse rate data for you and all your classmates on Whole Class
Table 1 Chart in your lab report.
6. Calculate average for each type of activity. To calculate average pulse rate per
activity, add all measurements of pulse rate and divide by the total number of
students and record on chart.
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7. Analyze the data.
8. Construct a bar graph of the average results. Graph should have a title and the x
and y axis should be labeled (see sample on pg. 8).
Data: Individual Student
Pulse Rate: At Rest_________ After Walking_________ After Jumping__________
Data: Whole Class
Student Name (First and Last)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
At Rest
After Walking
After Jumping
CLASS AVERAGE
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Sample Bar Graph:
(Title) Ms. Smith’s 5th Grade Class – Pulse Rate
Nu
mb
er
of
Pul
se
Bea
ts
(yaxis
)
____
____
____
____
__
200
195
190
185
180
175
170
165
160
155
150
145
140
135
130
125
120
115
110
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sample Data:
At Rest
65
Walking
85
Physical Activity (x-axis)
Jumping
110
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EXPLAIN / EVALUATE:
1. When you measured your pulse rate, what body organ were you analyzing?
2. What did you notice when comparing your pulse rate from resting, to walking to
jumping?
3. How did your pulse rate for each activity compare to the class average?
4. List 3 factors that may make your heart beat faster (Hint: Read background information)
5. How do you predict the pulse rate of most fifth graders would be on the day of the
FCAT? Why?
CONCLUSION:
1. What was investigated? (State the purpose of the experiment by describing the
problem statement.)
2. Was your hypothesis supported by the data? (Write a statement as to whether the
data supports or does not support the hypothesis including a restatement of the
hypothesis.)
3. What were the major findings? (Describe the data collected that provides the
evidence as to why the hypothesis was supported or not supported.)
4. What possible explanations can you offer for your findings? (Think about everything
that may have affected your results.)
5. What are new questions that can be investigated?
EXTEND:
Do you think an adult will have a higher or lower rate than you?
1. Take the resting pulse rates of two adults. They can be family members or friends or
school personnel for 15 seconds. Multiply that by four. Record rates on the chart
below.
Pulse Rate for 15 Seconds
Pulse Rate for one Minute
You
Adult One
Adult Two
2. Are their heart rates higher or lower than yours?
3. Why do you think that is so?
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