Download Year 6 Science Animals incl. Humans – Block 6AH – The Art of

Year 6
Science
Animals incl. Humans – Block 6AH – The Art of being Human
Session 3: Nutrient Detective
i. describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals, including humans
Science curriculum area:
Animals incl. Humans
i. planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and
Working Scientifically
controlling variables where necessary
(UKS2)
Teaching Objectives
Other Curriculum areas
Teaching Objectives
ii. identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments
 To know that nutrients and water are transported around the body in the blood
 To know that diffusion and osmosis are processes that move nutrient & water in the body
 To investigate diffusion and osmosis
Art
 Improve mastery of art and design techniques
 Create prints using paints and gelatine and link with diffusion
 Create abstract photo montage and link with osmosis
Key Vocabulary: circulatory system, heart, blood, blood vessels, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, water
Resources
Weblinks
Investigation instructions, http://www.majordifferences.com/2013/11/difference-between-diffusion-andinvestigation equipment
osmosis.html#.WBNI0vorI2w - Differences between diffusion and osmosis;
(see links); Skittles™; Jelly
http://kitchenpantryscientist.com/diffusion-and-osmosis-experiments/ - Gelatine investigation (scroll
worms.
down);http://www.schoolingamonkey.com/osmosis-for-kids-blood-cell/ - Egg investigation.
Whole Class: You will need to set up the jelly worm experiment the day before your science session, prep the egg experiment 48
hrs before the session (see instructions), and have the gelatine petri dishes ready. As chn come in get them to sit in teams with a
plate of multi-coloured Skittles and to add ~100ml of water to the plate. On another plate have their jelly worm experiment from
yesterday (see instructions). Ask chn as a team to observe what happens to the Skittles, then to look at and measure the jelly snake
(the snakes should have grown). Establish that nutrients come from food and that we also need water to function and explain that
in their experiments, the colour from the Skittles represents their nutrients, and the water in the snake experiment represents the
water in our bodies. Now ask chn in groups to make suggestions as to what happened in each experiment and how this relates to
the movement of nutrients and water within our bodies to help transport it to all our body parts. Give chn a few minutes to come
up with some theories then get them to feed back their ideas. Note groups that use the term absorption and also that refer to
blood. Recap on learning from Y4 and ensure chn can describe how the digestive system works. Explain that once broken down, the
nutrients are absorbed through the walls of our intestines into the blood in a process called diffusion (like in the Skittles experiment)
and that water doesn’t need breaking down and moves between membranes in the body to arrive in the correct place, again via our
blood through a diffusion process called osmosis (chn don’t need to know the scientific details of diffusion & osmosis, just that they
are processes used to transport nutrients and water). Ensure that chn realise this is true of all animals, not just humans. Explain that
osmosis only applies to water (or a solution) and is dependent on a semi-permeable membrane to move from higher concentration
to lower concentration, while diffusion is the general movement of molecules or particles from an area of higher concentration to
an area of concentration lower (see link for your own reference). Ask chn what else they think is transported around the body using
the process of diffusion (O2, CO2, toxins, hormones, etc.). Explain that today chn are going to create a piece of art that reflects the
processes involved in the journey of our food and water into the blood stream and to the various parts of our body through
diffusion and osmosis.
Activities: Diffusion prints: set up petri dishes with gelatine (available in supermarkets) and explain that chn are going to further
investigate the process of diffusion. Note that Dr Oetker’s Vege-gel is an acceptable substitute for this experiement. Based on their
Skittles experiment, what do they think will happen to ink if drops are added to the gelatine? Get them to write down their
predictions and then to add a few drops. Get them to observe take ‘prints’ using circles of paper placed onto the surface at regular
intervals. Give chn the freedom to create a piece of abstract art using the prints. Their art work will need a statement about how the
art links to the absorption of nutrients. Osmosis art: get chn to look at their egg experiment, set up over the past two days and note
what has happened. Crack an ‘extra’ egg open and note that although the outer membrane (note that the vinegar dissolved the
shell!) and white have been dyed, while the yolk hasn’t. Why do chn think this is? Through questioning encourage chn to conclude
that the outer membrane is a semi-permeable membrane, while the yolk is impermeable. Note that you suggested earlier that
osmosis needs a semi-permeable membrane. Get the chn to photograph the eggs up close and to create an abstract photomontage
with an accompanying statement explaining how their ‘art’ links to the absorption of water in the body.
Talk to the chn about what they think the blood helps to remove from the body? They know that it transports
Plenary
oxygen, nutrients, water and certain chemicals, but what do we get rid of? CO 2 out through the lungs and waste
expelled through urine and faeces. Explain that the process of diffusion removes these unwanted things from cells
and that they ultimately become urine and faeces once processed through the kidneys and colon.
Outcomes
Children will



Explain how nutrients and water are transported through the body
Investigate diffusion and osmosis
Create abstract diffusion art work with accompanying science link explanation
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.