Health Education Lesson Plan
Descriptive Information:
Grade Level: 7th
Content Area of Health: Body Systems/ Muscular System
Content Descriptor & Sub-Descriptor(s):
1. Healthful Physical Activity
1.6 How to assess personal physical activity levels
1.7 How to develop plans that include types and amounts of activity and focus on
health-related physical fitness
Title of Lesson: Muscle Madness
PA Standard (Health & PE):
10.1.6. B. Identify and describe the structure and function of the major body systems.
 nervous
 muscular
 integumentary
 urinary
 endocrine
 reproductive
 immune
Curricular Connections: Physical education, extra-circular sports/activities, biology
Adolescent Risk Behavior (if applicable): Sedentary Lifestyle
Behavioral Objective(s)
Cognitive: After the lesson, students will be able to describe the difference between the three
types of muscles found in the human body.
Cognitive: After participating in the “muscle dance” activity, students will be able to identify
numerous movements that different muscles in the human body can express.
Affective: During the “muscle dance” activity, students will respect and value their peer’s
opinions with what dance move they should do for their specific muscles.
Brief Outline of Today’s Lesson
1. Bell Ringer- “Muscle Posters”
2. Introduction to the Lesson
3. Content & Instructional Strategies
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- What Are These Things We Call Muscles?
- 3 Types of Muscles
- Muscles and Movements
- How the Body Works
- Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
4. in-Class Learning Activity: “Muscle Dance”
5. in-Class Learning Activity Assessment
6. Final Thoughts/Conclusion to the Lesson
7. Classroom Management & Materials
Expanded Outline of Today’s Lesson:
1. Introduction to the Lesson (Set Induction): Today we are going to learn about the muscular
system. Can anyone guess how many muscles there are in the body? Have student raise their
hands to answer the question. 600! Who do you think has more muscles your teacher, or you?
Trick question! It doesn’t matter how big or how small you are, everyone has the same number
of muscles.
2. Bell Ringer (Muscle Posters): There will be 6 posters scattered throughout the classroom.
Each poster will have 1 skeletal muscle pictured on the poster. Students will be broken up into
groups of 3 or 4. The groups will have 30 seconds to 1 minute at each poster. They will write 1
exercise/activity that they know that muscle can do/aids in. After students have rotated and
gone to all the posters we will freeze. The instructor will explain that the students will rotate
one last time. This time each group has to pick one activity on that poster and lead the rest of
the class in that exercise.
3.Content & Instructional Strategies: ( Lecture, Q &A, Activities)
1. What are these things called muscles?
A. Bones don’t work alone
- Muscles and joints:
o Muscles pull on joints to make us move
o 600 muscles in the body
o Help us grow and make us strong
o Muscles are connected to bone by tendons
 Have students wiggle their fingers to see the muscles working
together on the back of their hand.
B. 3 Types of Muscle Tissues :
 Skeletal Muscles-attached to bone, mostly in the legs, arms,
abdomen, chest, neck, and face.
o Called striated because they are made up of small fibers,
and are voluntary because we can control them
o Can anyone name a muscle that is voluntary in your body?
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
Smooth (involuntary) - these muscles are smooth not striated. We
can’t control these. Most of them are controlled by our nervous
system.
o Examples: lining in our stomach, intestines, in blood
vessels.
 Cardiac Muscles –
o Where do you think the cardiac muscles are found?
o Inside the heart: make up the chambers, are involuntary.
C. Muscles and Movements:
 While sitting in your chair, do you think any of your muscles are
working? (MANY) (Breathing, heart pumping, help us talk, smile.)
 Controlled by the brain and the nervous systems.
 Muscles can pull or push bones, work in pairs
 Flexors -contracts to bend a limb. (Decreasing the angle between
two parts.)
 Extensors- contracts to extend or straighten the limb
- Hold out your arm, Bicep (in front) and triceps (in
back) bicep is flexor and triceps is extensor
 Abduction- Lateral movement away from midline of trunk in
lateral plane
 Adduction- Movement medially toward midline of trunk in lateral
plane
D. How the Body Works:
 Go into more detail with specific muscles for the “muscle dance
activity.” and demonstrate each movement for each muscle. In
addition, students will receive a “muscle man” fill in the blank
worksheet. (As instructors go over each muscle and their action,
the students will fill in the worksheet.)
 1. Brachioradials
o Flexes the forearm, “thumbs up”
 2. Rectus abdominus
o Flexes the spine
 3. Sartorius
o Flexes the knee. “Checking the bottom of your shoe for
gum.”
 4. Gastrocnemius
o Flexes the leg at the knee, plantar flexion
 5. Pectorals
o Flexes the arm at the shoulder
 6. Deltoids
o Abduct the arm at the shoulder
 7. Triceps
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


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o Extends the elbow
8. Biceps
o Flexes the elbow
9. External Oblique
o Rotation of the spine
10. Quadriceps
o Extends the knee
11. Hamstrings
o Flexion of the knee
E. Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
o Eat a Healthy Diet- Bones need a healthy amount of calcium, and muscles
need carbohydrates for energy and proteins to grow strong
o Exercise Regularly- Good for your bones and muscles, although it is
important to always warm-up and cool down.
o Keep Straight Posture- “Keeps joints in place, and muscles in shape.”
o Rest Between Exercise- Allow your muscles to recover, rebuild, and reenergize.
4. In-Class Learning Activity(ies): Muscle Dance:
Students will be broken up into groups of 3 or 4. Each group will get a
note card with three muscles listed on it. Students will have 5-10 minutes
to come up with a 30second/ 1 minute dance using the muscles listed on
their note card. Students will perform their dance in front of the class. At
the end of their dance the class will raise their hands to try to guess
which muscles they had to focus on.
 Students may reference their muscle slide handout
 All group members must be involved in the dance
 Dances must be appropriate, keep them G-rated.
5. Final Thoughts/Conclusion to the Lesson:
Exit slip: Name 2 of the three types of muscles. Go over answers.
- Skeletal- attached to bone, are striated, found in legs, arms, face ect, and are voluntary.
(We can control them.)
- Smooth: controlled by nervous system (involuntary). Examples: Line the stomach, and
found in intestines
- Cardiac: makes up the heart
Wrap up with reminding the students that there are 600 muscles in the body and it’s
important to keep them healthy with exercising, eating healthy, having straight posture,
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and resting in between physical activities. Remember, no matter how big or small you are,
everyone has the same amount of muscles and you should take care of them.
6. Classroom Management & Materials
 Classroom Materials
o Handouts/Worksheets: fill in the blank muscle man worksheet, exit slips
o Other Materials: Posters with muscles pictures, note cards, pencils,
music (“Sexy and I know It” instrumental)
 Classroom Management
o For Content Delivery:
- Traditional assigned seating
o For In-Class Learning Activity:
- Bell Ringer: Students will rotate around the classroom
from poster to poster in their small groups
- Muscle Dance Activity: Students can find open space
around the room to brainstorm, and practice their dance
Content References
Muscular System: Interrelation Between Muscular System and Skeletal System. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://www.health-lesson-plans-teacher.com/muscularsystem.html
Teens Health (n.d.). Bones, Muscles, and Joints. Retrieved from
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_basics/bones_muscles_joints.html
Get Body Smart (2014). Muscles of the Human Body: The Functional Anatomy of the
Skeletal Muscles. Retrieved from
http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/muscularsystem/menu/menu.html
Activity Reference(s)
Cauley, D. (Director) Phayre, A (Director) (2014, April 22). Muscle Dance Activity. Kinesiology
468. Lecture conducted from Pennsylvania State University, State College.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9GZFMFzeY8
Appendices
Exit Slip:
Name:____________________
Date: _______________
1) Name two out of the three types of muscles.
2) Name one of the muscles we went over today in class today and an
action for that muscle.
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Note Cards for Muscle Dance Activity:
1. Brachioradials, hamstrings, and external obliques
2. Rectus abdominus, biceps, and sartorius
3. Pectorals, triceps, and quadriceps
4. Deltoids, sartorius, and external obliques
5. Brachioradials, pectorals, and hamstrings
6. Rectus abdominus, gastrocnemius, and deltoids
Picture for “Muscle Posters”: Each poster will have one muscle highlighted.
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How the Body Works: Muscle Man Worksheet
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Actions:
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