Life Processes 2 Humans as Organisms 2.2 The Heart & Circulation
Sc 2: Life Processes
2 Humans as Organisms
2.2 The Heart & Circulation
P.O.S.
Key Stage 2 Sc 2: 2c, 2d
Key Stage 3 Sc 2: 2i, 2j, 2l
Life Processes 2 Humans as Organisms 2.2 The Heart & Circulation
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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To be able to locate the position of the heart.
To know that the heart can beat faster.
To know that that heart pumps blood round the body and to the lungs.
To be able to locate the position of the lungs.
To know that arteries carry blood away from the heart and veins to it.
To know that blood is carried around the body in tubes called blood vessels
To know that blood is carried round the body in veins and arteries.
To know that blood carries food and oxygen to all parts of the body and waste away.
To develop the skills of measuring and recording.
To be able to find and count the pulse rate.
To know that a pulse is caused by heart beat.
To be able to describe the effect of exercise and rest on pulse rate.
To understand, simply, why the pulse goes up with exercise.
ICT
LINKS
CD Roms about human body
Digital pulse counter
PE
ACTIVITIES
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Discuss with the pupils what they already know about where the heart is and how it works.
Draw the position of the heart on a body outline and where they think the blood flows.
Obtain a heart from a butcher to look at (SAFETY SYMBOL)
Let the pupils observe different types of pump in action.
Examine valves in arm bands, rubber rings to show how they allow flow in one direction.
Listen to the heart and feel the pulse. Make a home-made stethoscope from the top part of a
washing-up bottle and a piece of plastic tubing.
Discuss the effect of poor diet/lack of exercise on the heart.
Discuss how blood is carried round the body and that it is a one-way system. Arteries take
blood Away from the heart. Think about what happens when they cut themselves.
Use a simple diagram to show how blood circulates.
Link this to work on the heart – left side pumps blood with lots of oxygen through arteries and
right side pumps blood with less oxygen (more carbon dioxide) through veins.
VOCABULARY
Heart, heart rate, pulse, pulse rate, pump, valve,
circulate, artery, vein, circulation, oxygen, waste,
food, blood, exercise, air, lungs, chest, breathe
RESOURCES
 Heart, gloves, disinfectant,
bag for disposal
 Bicycle pump, syringe,
dropper, foot pump for air
bed, squeezy bottle,
balloon, fish tank pump.
 Plastic tubing
 Washing-up liquid bottles
 ‘Heart’ leaflets and health
information
 Simple circulation diagram
POINTS TO NOTE
 Detailed structure of the
heart is not required until
KS3.
 Details on double
circulation are not
required at Key Stage 2
 Many pupils will draw the
heart as a ‘Valentine’type heart.
 Some pupils might think
of the body as filled with
blood
 Details on the structure
of arteries and veins is
not needed.
Life Processes 2 Humans as Organisms 2.2 The Heart & Circulation
ACTIVITIES (cont)
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Write a story about blood’s journey round the body.
Talk about the effect of poor diet and lack of exercise on blood vessels.
Use Drama/PE to act out circulation.
Discuss and find out what pupils know about breathing. Introduce the idea that they breathe in
and out for a reason.
Feel rib-cage as they breathe, exercise and feel again. This could be counted.
Measure breathing rate with a tissue stuck on the end of the nose.
Find pulses in wrist and neck. Anywhere else?
What does exercise do to pulse rate; breathing rate? What other changes are there e.g. hotter,
red in face, sweaty.
Design a poster to promote a healthy lifestyle, exercise, heart etc
Count the pulse rate lying down, sitting up, walking, running etc and time how long it takes to
return to normal. Discuss how this will indicate fitness.
Use diagrams, and actual specimens, to look at location and structure of the lungs.
Compare breathed-in and breathed-out air in lime water for Carbon Dioxide; breathe on mirror
for water content; breathe on thermometer for temperature. Can burn candles in both breathed
in and breathed out air.
RESOURCES Cont)
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Health education
posters or leaflets
Tissues
Timers or stop clocks,
strip thermometers
Pulse counter
Limewater, mirror,
thermometer, cobalt
chloride paper
Candles, gas jars,
trough, rubber tubing,
timer
POINTS TO NOTE
(Cont)
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A simple
explanation of
why pulse rate
increases is all
that is needed
e.g. blood takes
food and oxygen
to the muscles to
do more work.
It is important that
pupils have
understood the
link between heart
beat and pulse
rate.
Be aware of
pupils with heart
defects
OWN ACTIVITIES
POSSIBLE INVESTIGATIONS
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Does everybody’s heart beat at the same rate? Resources: timers or stop clocks, stethoscopes
Use pieces of rubber tube to represent arteries and veins. (Thick walled tube=artery; thin walled tube=vein). Different tubing could be used for heart artery, leg
artery, heart vein, leg vein. Which is the strongest? Stretchiest? (SAFETY SYMBOL) Resources: rubber tubing, Newton meters, slotted masses or tubs +
masses.
What makes a difference to pulse rate, e.g. age, sex, fitness, type of exercise, length of exercise etc.
Are all lungs the same size? Pupils devise ways to measure this e.g. measure chest expansion, blowing up balloons, displacing water from a container, lung
bags. Resources: Tape measures, balloons to blow into, 5 litre plastic container, bowl and tube, disinfectant, lung bags.
Life Processes 2 Humans as Organisms 2.2 The Heart & Circulation
Name:
Date Record Began:
Outcomes: NC Level 1  NC Level 4
1
1+
2
2+
3
3+
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Uses appropriate vocabulary.
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Records in a table drawn by teacher e.g. to show heart rate in different situations.
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Can describe how they feel after exercise
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Know that the heart is a pump.
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Knows that the heart can beat faster.
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Knows that we use our lungs to breathe.
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Can approximately point out the location of the lungs on own body
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Knows that blood goes round the body in blood vessels.
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Can show two pulse points on the body.
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Can indicate simple circulation on a diagram.
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Knows that arteries take blood away from the heart and veins to the heart
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Knows that blood carries food and oxygen to all parts of the body and picks up waste.
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Can explain simple circulation linked to the heart.
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Can show you the correct position of the heart on a diagram.
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Can describe other changes to the body during exercise.
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Knows that pulse rate increases during exercise.
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Knows that pulse rate returns to normal after exercise and this is a measure of
fitness.
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Knows that the lungs transfer oxygen to the bloodstream
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Can count their own pulse with help
Life Processes 2 Humans as Organisms 2.2 The Heart & Circulation
4
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Knows simply why the pulse rate increases during exercise.
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Can describe circulation of the blood
Further Comments