Journey Through The Human Circulatory System

Journey Through The Human Circulatory System

Learning Objective

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify and describe the main components of the human circulatory system and explain their functions.

Introduce the lesson objective and what students will be able to do by the end of the lesson.

What do you already know about the human circulatory system?

Engage: The Heart

The heart is a powerful muscle that is essential to the circulatory system. It pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to our cells.

Show an image of the heart and ask students to share what they know about the heart and its function in the body.

Explore: Blood Vessels

Blood vessels are the tubes that carry blood throughout the body. There are three types of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries.

Show an image of the different types of blood vessels and ask students to describe their differences and functions.

Explore: Arteries

Arteries are thick-walled blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. They have a muscular layer that helps regulate blood flow.

Ask students to identify the function of arteries and provide examples of where they can be found in the body.

Explore: Veins

Veins are thin-walled blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart. They have one-way valves that prevent blood from flowing backwards.

Ask students to identify the function of veins and provide examples of where they can be found in the body.

Explore: Capillaries

Capillaries are the smallest and thinnest blood vessels in the body. They connect arteries and veins and allow for the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste products.

Ask students to identify the function of capillaries and provide examples of where they can be found in the body.

Explain: Blood

Blood is a vital fluid that carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells of the body and removes waste products. It is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets.

Ask students to describe the components of blood and their functions.

Elaborate: Blood Flow

Blood flows through the circulatory system in a continuous loop. The heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body through arteries, which branch into smaller arterioles and then capillaries. The capillaries exchange oxygen and nutrients with the cells of the body, and then the blood travels back to the heart through veins.

Show a diagram of the circulatory system and ask students to describe the path of blood flow through the body.

Elaborate: Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the blood vessels. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and is represented by two numbers: the systolic pressure (top number) and the diastolic pressure (bottom number).

Ask students to explain what blood pressure is and how it is measured.

Evaluate: Knowledge Check

Which type of blood vessel carries blood away from the heart?

Create a multiple-choice question or short answer question to assess students' understanding of the content covered so far.

Evaluate: Knowledge Check

What is the function of capillaries?

Create a multiple-choice question or short answer question to assess students' understanding of the content covered so far.

Evaluate: Knowledge Check

What is blood pressure?

Create a multiple-choice question or short answer question to assess students' understanding of the content covered so far.

Elaborate: The Heartbeat

The heartbeat is the sound of the heart contracting and relaxing as it pumps blood. It can be heard with a stethoscope and is measured in beats per minute (bpm).

Ask students to explain what the heartbeat is and how it can be measured.

Elaborate: The Pulse

The pulse is the rhythmic expansion and contraction of an artery as blood flows through it. It can be felt at various points on the body, such as the wrist and neck, and is also measured in bpm.

Ask students to explain what the pulse is and how it can be measured.

Elaborate: Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is a group of disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels. It includes conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary artery disease, and heart failure.

Ask students to describe what cardiovascular disease is and provide examples of different types of cardiovascular disorders.

Evaluate: Knowledge Check

What is the difference between the pulse and the heartbeat?

Create a multiple-choice question or short answer question to assess students' understanding of the content covered so far.

Evaluate: Knowledge Check

What is cardiovascular disease?

Create a multiple-choice question or short answer question to assess students' understanding of the content covered so far.

Plenary: Recap

In this lesson, we learned about the human circulatory system, including the main components of the system, the function of each component, and how blood flows through the body. We also discussed blood pressure, the heartbeat, the pulse, and cardiovascular disease.

Summarize the key points of the lesson and ask students to share something they learned or found interesting.

Plenary: Reflection

What was the most interesting thing you learned about the circulatory system today?

End the lesson with a reflection question and encourage students to share their thoughts and ideas with the class.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.