Download gr5_lifesystems

Inventions to Improve our Insides
Overview:
In this inquiry activity, students will explore the various organ systems in the human body and how they
interact. Through student-created models and investigations on body systems, they will explore how
lifestyle choices can affect the health of the organ system and overall health of the human body.
Communication skills will be developed through a debate-style discussion on the most important organ
system and written tasks following investigations of the circulatory, respiratory, and musculoskeletal
systems. They will identify a system they wish to improve, and create and test an invention to improve
one component of the system. They will showcase learning with the creation of a media campaign for
their invention detailing how it will improve their overall health.
Grade Level: 5
Strand and Topic: Understanding Life Systems: Human Organ Systems
Inquiry Focus:
Using what you know about how lifestyle choices affect your organ systems and overall health, create a
marketing campaign for an invention which will help improve the health of one organ system.
The time required depends on students’ background knowledge, skills set, level of interest, and any
additional time required for completion of student work.
Big Ideas:
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Organ structure is linked to its function
Organ systems are part of a larger system, the human body, and the different systems interact
to meet our basic needs
Lifestyle choices affect organ systems and overall health
Overall Expectations:
Science and Technology
1. analyze the impact of human activities and technological innovations on human health;
2. investigate the structure and function of the major organs of various human body systems;
3. demonstrate an understanding of the structure and function of human body systems and
interactions within and between systems.
Health and Physical Education
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C2. demonstrate the ability to apply health knowledge and living skills to make reasoned
decisions and take appropriate actions relating to their personal health and well-being
C3. demonstrate the ability to make connections that relate to health and well-being,how their
choices and behaviours affect both themselves and others, and how factors in the world around
them affect their own and others’ health and well-being
Specific Expectations:
Science and Technology
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1.1 assess the effects of social and environmental factors on human health, and propose ways in
which individuals can reduce the harmful effects of these factors and take advantage of those
that are beneficial
1.2 evaluate the effects, both beneficial and harmful, of various technologies on human body
systems, taking different perspectives into account
2.1 follow established safety procedures for physical activities
2.2 use scientific inquiry/experimentation skills to investigate changes in body systems as a
result of physical activity
2.3 design and build a model to demonstrate how organs or components of body systems in the
human body work and interact with other components
2.4 use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including circulation, respiration,
digestion, organs, and nutrients, in oral and written communication
2.5 use a variety of forms to communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes
3.1 identify major systems in the human body (e.g., musculoskeletal system, digestive system,
nervous system, circulatory system) and describe their roles and interrelationships
3.2 describe the basic structure and function of major organs in the respiratory, circulatory, and
digestive systems
3.3 identify interrelationships between body systems (e.g., the respiratory system provides
oxygen and removes carbon dioxide for the circulatory system)
3.4 identify common diseases and the organs and/or body systems that they affect (e.g.,
epilepsy affects the brain [central nervous system]; appendicitis affects the appendix [digestive
system]; asthma and emphysema affect the lungs [respiratory system])
Mathematics
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demonstrate an understanding of simple multiplicative relationships involving whole-number
rates, through investigation using concrete materials and drawings
estimate, measure, and represent time intervals to the nearest second
collect data by conducting a survey or an experiment to do with themselves, their environment,
issues in their school or community, or content from another subject, and record observations
or measurements
collect and organize discrete or continuous primary data and secondary data and display the
data in charts, tables, and graphs that have appropriate titles, labels, and scales that suit the
range and distribution of the data using a variety of tools
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read, interpret, and draw conclusions from primary data and from secondary data presented in
charts, tables, and graphs
Language: Oral Communication
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1.4 demonstrate an understanding of the information and ideas in oral texts by summarizing
important ideas and citing a variety of supporting details
1.6 extend understanding of oral texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge,
experience, and insights; to other texts, including print and visual texts; and to the world around
them
2.3 communicate orally in a clear, coherent manner, presenting ideas, opinions, and information
in a readily understandable form
Language: Media Literacy
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3.2 identify an appropriate form to suit the specific purpose and audience for a media text they
plan to create and explain why it is an appropriate choice
3.3 identify conventions and techniques appropriate to the form chosen for a media text they
plan to create, and explain how they will use the conventions and techniques to help
communicate their message
3.4 produce a variety of media texts for specific purposes and audiences, using appropriate
forms, conventions, and techniques
Health and Physical Education
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A1.3 identify factors that can either motivate or make it difficult for people to be physically
active every day and describe ways of overcoming obstacles to staying active
A2.2 identify the components of health-related fitness and the benefits associated with
developing and maintaining each of them
A2.3 assess a specific component of their health-related fitness by noting physical responses
during various physical activities, and monitor changes over time
C2.1 explain how to use nutrition facts tables and ingredient lists on food labels to make
healthier personal food choices
C3.1 identify ways of promoting healthier food choices in a variety of settings and situations
The Arts: Drama and Dance
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3.2 rehearse and perform small-group drama and dance presentations drawn from novels,
poems, stories, plays, and other source materials
3.3 select words, visual images, and sounds from other subjects in the curriculum for
interpretation and dramatization
4.5 solve problems in drama and dance individually and in groups and evaluate the solutions
Social Studies
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A1.3 explain some of the ways in which interactions between and among First Nations and
Europeans in New France are connected to issues in present-day Canada
B2 use the social studies inquiry process to investigate Canadian social and/or environmental
issues from various perspectives, including the perspective of the level (or levels) of government
involved
B3.7 describe some different ways in which citizens can take action to address social and
environmental issues
Key Concepts:
Structure and function, energy and thermodynamics, system interactions and dependency,
communicating to persuade
Prior Skill Sets:
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design of experiments
use of inquiry tools: stopwatch/computer-based timer, ruler, sphygmomanometer (if used),
stethoscope (if used)
creation of graphs (using computer software or hand drawn)
safe use of hand tools: mini glue gun, scissors, mini hacksaws, hand drills
research skills - selecting the main idea from text, using non-text features of nonfiction material,
interpreting graphs, summarizing investigations
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Prior Knowledge:
Science
Grade 1
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2.2 investigate and compare the basic needs of humans and other living things, including the
need for air, water, food, warmth, and space, using a variety of methods and resources
2.5 investigate characteristics of parts of the human body, including the five sense organs, and
explain how those characteristics help humans meet their needs and explore the world around
them
3.3 identify the location and function of major parts of the human body, including sense organs
Grade 4
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3.3 identify factors (e.g., availability of water or food, amount of light, type of weather) that
affect the ability of plants and animals to survive in a specific habitat
Health and Physical Education
Grade 1
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A2.2 demonstrate an understanding of how being active helps them to be healthy
A2.3 identify the physical signs of exertion during a variety of physical activities
C1.1 explain why people need food to have healthy bodies
C2.1 describe how the food groups in Canada’s Food Guide (i.e., vegetables and fruit, grain
products, milk and alternatives, meat and alternatives) can be used to make healthy food
choices
C3.2 identify habits and behaviours (e.g., excessive screen time or video game usage, smoking)
that can be detrimental to health, and explain how people can be encouraged to adopt healthier
alternatives
C2.2 demonstrate an understanding of how to make healthy food choices for meals and snacks,
considering the factors they can and cannot control
C3.2 describe methods that may be used instead of or in combination with medication to
maintain good health and prevent or treat various health problems
C1.1 demonstrate an understanding of how the origins of food (e.g., where the food is grown,
how it is made) affect its nutritional value and environmental impact
Grade 4
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A2.3 assess their level of exertion during physical activity, using simple self-assessment
techniques
C1.1 identify the key nutrients (e.g., fat, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals) provided by
foods and beverages, and describe their importance for growth, health, learning, and physical
performance
Materials and Equipment:
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projector and internet access
Guiness World Record Books
Canada’s Food Guide (available online here: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guidealiment/index-eng.php )
stopwatches or computer-based timers
Model Making Equipment
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popsicles sticks
basswood (jinx wood)
dowels, brass fasteners
card stock
clay or plasticine
glue
Tools
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rulers
junior hacksaws
miter boxes
c-clamps
hand drills
string
safety glasses- Information on safe use of tools can be found on pages 64-68 of the STAO Safety
resource http://stao.ca/res2/unifElemSafety/
Safety:
Please consult the STAO Resource: Safety in Elementary Science and Technology
http://stao.ca/res2/unifElemSafety/
Instructional Planning and Delivery:
Engage -> Explore -> Explain -> Extend -> Evaluate
Type
Structured or
Directed
Guided
Coupled
Open or Full
Participant
Teacher Initiated and
Performed
Teacher Initiated,
Students Performed
Teacher Initiated
Student Initiated
Teacher Directed
Student Directed
Path to Inquiry
Engage (I SEE)
Activity 1
Ideas for a gathering interest:
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High technology: Play a short clip of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPbz5TDy6fs (Alone in
the Wild) which shows a man struggling to survive in the Canadian wilderness.
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Lower technology: Read the first chapter of the novel, Hatchet (Gary Paulson
http://scotland.k12.mo.us/view/637.pdf ) which talks about a pilot of a prop plane having a
heart attack while flying over Northern Ontario and crashing into a lake.
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Get outside: Take a walk to a woodlot or other naturalized space. For tips on outdoor learning,
please consult the STAO resource, “Connecting with the Natural World” http://stao.ca/cms/gr4-5-6-environmental-ed/1062-general-overview
Talk the students through a scenario in which they have arrived in this space and there are no buildings,
roads, stores, or other civilized structures. What needs would you have? Look and listen. What ways
might you have to meet these needs? What would you need to stay healthy?
As a class, begin a discussion on survival and the human body.
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What is needed to survive?
What does your body need you to give it?
What does your body use up?
What might happen if needs are not met?
Begin a brainstorm list on the whiteboard (or on the blacktop with chalk. )Take a picture of it and save it
for later.
In groups, have students decide on what is necessary for a healthy body. Once they have decided on
necessities, lead a discussion about the lists and guide it into healthy living choices: clean air, water,
food low in sugar, salt, and fats, exercise. They may remember from previous years the macronutrients,
carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Leave the lists up for the inquiry questions next
class.
Activity 2
Teacher Tip: the previous activity was to retrieve previous knowledge. Today’s work will be new to the
students. It may be helpful to have vocabulary words ready for the word wall which can be defined by
students and posted on the bulletin board as they are discussed.
Vocabulary: organ, organ system, heart, circulation, blood, lymph node, lymphatic system, spleen,
respiration, oxygen, carbon dioxide, glucose, lungs, trachea, alveoli, bronchi, stomach, liver, gallbladder,
small intestine, large intestine, pancreas, colon, spinal cord, neuron, dendrite, bladder, kidneys,
skeleton, bone marrow, endocrine system, enzyme
Teacher Tip: this unit works well if your school has “Science buddies”. The grade eight students also
have a human body systems unit which builds on the grade five concepts.
Movie hooks: Osmosis Jones (preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbKlcoss6LA)
Introduce the activity today by watching a video about organ systems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnjmrrQ6xOs is a nice one, but there is a longer, more academic
video here: http://accesslearning.com/videodetail.cfm?asset_guid=820B3E5A-9EA2-4738-8569DE406EDA2278
In a knowledge circle, ask the students to discuss what they know already. Use hand gestures to mine
some of the process as they go and have the students mirror you. As points are raised, ask the student
to write or draw what they know already with their initials on separate post-it notes (or use “good on
one side” (GOOS) paper split into quarters). Organize the post-its in organ system groupings for now.
One of the ways to do this would be to use a chart or to project a picture of yourself from the thighs up
and trace it with a marker onto chart paper or the white board (Sharpie brand pens can be removed
from the white board by drawing over it with a white board marker and then using a dry eraser).
Provide a space for students to write down questions they have over the next few days. Questions with
answers that would fit on the post-it note can be given to students who have finished work early.
Questions with longer, research, design, or experiment based answers can be added to the questions in
the next phase of the unit.
Visual aid: inner body http://www.innerbody.com/
Activity 3
Relate the organ systems together through group dramatization. Use your hands and arms to help
describe the process of respiration. Be overly dramatic with your voice and have the students mirror
hand gestures. For example:
“Oxygen is in the air all around us.” (Pretend to be grabbing invisible balls of oxygen around your head.)
“When your blood is LOW in oxygen..” (deep voice and slower. Position your hands in the shape of an
upside down “v” and move them downwards from shoulder level to diaphragm.)
“your diaphragm contracts,”(flatten the “v” your hands are making until both hands are horizontal),
“your lungs expand..”(stretch your arms wide)
“and air enters your lungs”(bring your arms to the centre of your body, interlace your fingers, and bend
your elbows so your fingers go towards your mouth)
“through your trachea” (separate your fingers and move both hands down your throat)
“and your bronchi.” (part your hands and move them across the top of your chest towards your
shoulders)
“The oxygen in the air….” (pretend to be grabbing oxygen molecules again)
“goes to your blood cells and all around your body.” (make wide circles with your hands)
“The oxygen is used to make carbon dioxide which comes back to your lungs,” (At the end of this
sentence, one of the wide circles you are making with your hands ends at the top of your chest. Flatten
your hands and push them to the diaphragm area again.)
“your diaphragm relaxes,”(turn the flattened hands into an upside down “v”)
“your lungs contract,”(push your hands together near the centre of your chest)
“and the air moves out of your lungs”(move hands upward)
“through your bronchi and trachea”(both hands move up your throat)
“and out your mouth or nose.” (blow on your hands)
Students may want to act this out a few times (in my experience, students tend to want to put a tune to
the words or march as well. The term “focused movement” (as opposed to “silly movement”) is what
you’re aiming for.
Working in groups and using text-based resources, text printed from the websites below, or videos,
students prepare a similar story for the circulatory or digestive system. Posting the summarized steps on
chart paper or adding it to the body outline on the whiteboard will help visual learners remember the
steps and provide anchor charts for later inquiry.
Digestive:
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/tracing-digestion-cookie-6170.html
https://prezi.com/qkccx9bd1ro8/the-digestive-system-a-graham-crackers-journey/
http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/health/digest.pdf (first two pages)
Circulatory:
http://www.storyjumper.com/book/index/10123642/The-Circulatory-System-#page/11
http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&ps=307&cat_id=20607&article_set=5403
6
http://discoverykids.com/articles/your-cardiovascular-system/
Respiratory/circulatory linked:
http://www.booksie.com/non-fiction/short_story/chrispai/life-as-an-oxygen-molecule
Circulatory/digestive linked:
https://prezi.com/b4ugwryllkyy/a-story-of-a-red-blood-cell/
Present the dramatizations and use big hand/arm gestures. Activating the motor cortex (the part of the
brain involved with movement) has been shown to help memory.
First Nations Link: Elder-directed, outside learning
If your school has a connection to a local Knowledge Keeper or Elder, consider inviting him/her to bring
the students on a walk through a woodlot to look at natural medicines which can control blood
pressure, skin health, arthritis, and other body ailments. As parts of the body are mentioned, have
students touch or gesture toward that part of the body. Be sure to give thanks to the elder or
Knowledge Keeper for their time.
First Nations Link: Teacher-directed, indoor learning
Use the story found on page ten of
http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/crystal/YukonResources/Human%20Body%20Systems%20for%20St
udents.pdf in which an elder discusses diseases which were not prevalent during her childhood. On
page 11 of the document, there is a human body outline for students to diagram which body systems or
organs are mentioned.
Community Link: Grocery store trip
The meat department or local butcher can be a catalyst for inquiry questions. Internal organs, such as
liver and heart, as well as skeletal elements, such as pigs’ feet, can help give a better impression of the
size and scale of the parts of the body.
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How heavy is a liver?
How many different parts of the animal are used?
How much bigger is a cow heart compared to a pig heart? Pig hearts, in particular, are valued
for a potential future use as human transplants and the valves in pig hearts, as well as the
insulin potential of pig pancreases, have already been used in medicine.
Note: keep the culture of the students in mind. You may need to select a Halal or Kosher grocery store
to respect the faith-based needs of the students.
Questioning (I WONDER)
The overall design task is to create a media campaign for an invention which would make an organ
system healthier. Before we tackle that, we need to know a bit more about a healthy organ system.
Using a placemat brainstorming sheet, ask students to think of questions to answer in this unit. The
focus is on rich questions. The definition of a “rich” question may change depending on the students’
experience with inquiry. As a start, we define rich questions as questions which will require combining
information from more than one source and which help us to understand the topic.
Teacher-led
Student-led
How is heart rate and respiration affected by
activity?
How does our body use the food we eat?
How do the heart and lungs work together?
What happens to our bodies when we eat a diet
high in fat and sugar?
What are the parts of Canada’s food guide?
How does Canada’s food guide support different
cultures and dietary restrictions?
How could we model organ systems and how
they relate to each other?
How does diabetes affect how the body works?
How does asthma affect how the body works?
How does cholesterol affect the body?
How are vitamins and minerals used by the body?
How does the brain control organ systems?
How does air pollution or smog affect
respiration?
How does fast food affect your body?
What is the effect of caffeine on your body?
How does my heart rate change during my daily
activities?
What are the effects of processed foods on our
bodies?
How could we make it easier to eat a healthy
diet?
How much exercise do we need to stay healthy?
What kinds of exercise do we need?
How big are the different organs?
How heavy are the different organs?
How long does it take before food is totally
digested?
Is a multivitamin needed?
Explore / Inquiry activity: (I DO)
Inquiry Design Activity, Part One - Modelling an Organ System
Hook: How long is the average digestive system? Using coloured string or yarn, have students contribute
to the body outline.
1. Mark off 7 cm of string to represent the mouth.
2. Add 25 cm for the esophagus.
3. Add 15 cm for the stomach.
4. Add 5.5 m for the small intestine. (Look on the label of a ball of wool...most are about 5 metres.)
5. Add 1.5 m more for the large intestine.
How long is your teacher’s digestive system?
(from http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/health/digest.pdf)
Option 1
Use large chart paper, mural paper, or permanent marker on the whiteboard to make an outline of a
classmate. Students use class resources and work in groups of three or four to create models of the
organs in a system and attach them to the model. Use coloured chips to show inputs, change, and
waste (outputs) in the system. An example of the circulatory system can be found here:
(http://www.msichicago.org/online-science/activities/activity-detail/activities/what-goes-aroundcomes-around-1/)
Option 2
Working in partners or small groups, students use card stock to create a popup story for one of these
scenarios:
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Outline the path a molecule in food, such as a sugar molecule in a carrot, will take through a
body and the organs it will encounter along the way. How long will the journey take? What
happens to the rest of the food?
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Why do we need to eat diets low in saturated fat? What happens to our body when we eat too
much saturated fat? Why is some fat good to eat? How is fat in food digested?
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What would a virus’ or bacteria’s story be like once it enters the body? What other bacteria are
normally residents of our body’s systems? How would our immune system find it, identify it,
and attack it? How would the other body systems, such as the lymphatic system and the
circulatory system, react?
Option 3
Students are asked to make a model of an organ system using plasticine, cardboard, or air-dry clay
inside a shoebox, basswood frame, or 2L soda bottle. The scale of the system will be challenging as
students will need to use a ratio to get all the organs to fit the container. Provide an example of the
math involved and calculators to help with the multiplication.
Students use the Technological Design Process (p.13-15, Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology
2007 document) to choose and draw in their lab book their first original design. As they create their
model, they should document any challenges and make adjustments to their design.
Once the model has been prepared, they are to add labels showing the major parts, discussing the
stages of the system as well as diseases that could affect the organs involved. To make the model
interactive, they could use pop-up tabs for the labels which make use of levers or electrical circuits
which light up sections along the path to highlight key sections.
Teacher Tip: have a display with pop-up book mechanisms mounted on coroplast for the students to
reference. Possibilities include using a tab to lift a flap, raise a sign (or lift the front off the stomach to
look inside), or rotate an arrow.
Experimental Inquiry Activity
Teacher Tip: This is also part of the Health and Physical Education Curriculum so use the gymnasium
space for added safety and a larger variety of equipment.
Use an experiment to test how the circulatory, musculoskeletal, respiratory, or nervous system react to
exercise or food.
Option 1
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Circulatory/nervous/respiratory systems Have students record their partner’s pulse, breaths per
minute, or reaction time before exercise and record it on the class chart. (For reaction time,
hold a ruler above a student’s hand with the 0 cm mark lined up with the top of the student’s
index finger. The student catches the ruler between the thumb and index finger when the ruler
is dropped. Record the number of centimetres showing above the index finger. Take the lowest
measurement after three trials.) Complete a standard exercise such as one minute of jumping
jacks, and repeat the measurement. Record values on a class chart. Rest until the heart rate
has slowed down to resting rate. Complete five minutes of a standard exercise and repeat the
measurement. Record the value on a class chart.
Muscular/skeletal: Set up stations exploring different muscle groups. Instructions can be found
on pages 42-44 of
http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/crystal/YukonResources/Human%20Body%20Systems%20f
or%20Students.pdf
Option 2
Teacher asks the questions and the class designs the experiments together based on their interest.
Guiding questions:
 Which system would you like to test?
 What activities are possible and safe to do in this space?
 How could we measure the system quantitatively?
 How could we measure the system qualitatively?
 What do you anticipate will happen?
 How can we make the test fair?
Examples of Experiments
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How does activity affect pulse?
How does activity affect rate of respiration?
How does food intake affect endurance?
How does stretching affect endurance/pulse?
How does general activity level (involvement in sport teams, daily exercises programs) affect
pulse/respiration rate?
Option 3
Student-led. The students are given the question, “How could you test the effect of exercise or food
intake on your circulatory, respiratory, or nervous system?“, plus a list of available supplies, location,
and time limit. Students use scrap paper to note which research topic they would like to join and a
general outline of the procedure they wish to undertake. They submit their papers to the teacher. The
teacher, acting as research coordinator, approves experiments and places students into teams.
Each research team meets to determine the procedure and which variables will be controlled.
Experiment procedures are written on chart paper and posted. The teacher then approves the
experiment design and data recording chart so that the experiment can begin. Provide an open area for
those students choosing the exercise option. Those students choosing the food intake option may need
to conduct their experiment during or following a nutrition break and can act as test subjects for the
other experiments. Students then conduct the research and present their findings.
Note: Of the two choices, exercise is the easiest to measure when observing the effects on the system.
As you would expect, cardiovascular exercise increases pulse and respiration rate and occasionally
increases reaction time depending on the number of repetitions of an event. The increase in rate is less
marked in those students who are generally more fit.
Eating generally increases heart rate as digestion increases the energy needed by the system. The
increase in rate can depend on the type of food consumed, the size of the meal, and the time since
eating. As circulation is linked to digestion, some students may also experience a need to breathe
deeper or refrain from exercise following a meal. A layman explanation can be found here:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/504064-will-your-pulse-go-up-after-eating/ After some time, unless
the student has eaten a large meal, the nervous system will take over and the breathing and pulse rate
will return to normal.
Inquiry Design Activity, Part Two - An Invention to Improve our Insides
Option 1: Teacher-Directed, Low Technology
Students are given either diabetes or heart disease and research risk factors, and current treatment
options. Using the body models already created, they create an infomercial aimed at educating 8-10
year olds on how the disease works and how to prevent it using lifestyle choices.
Option 2: Teacher-Directed, Medium Technology
Students choose from a list of inquiry questions and create a product which would aid in prevention of
the disease or in treatment of the symptoms. The invention could be a product, such as the bungeecord desk exerciser, Bouncy Bands (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEK7Sj0IoRc), or a program
such as “Chew or Die” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euDtDPGpH2o#t=45). They will then create
a commercial showing the benefits of the product they designed.
Possible questions:
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How can Type 2 diabetes be prevented?
What are the causes of heart disease?
How does the allergic response work for students allergic to grass pollen?
How can we promote a healthier diet for low income families?
What affect does daily activity have on our organ systems?
How do cultural diets match Canada’s Food Guide?
Option 3: Student-Directed, Medium/High Technology
Students create inquiry questions around the topic of “Inventions to improve our insides” to inquire
about inventions which already exist or design an invention of their own. As with any open-ended
inquiry, the procedure will depend on the skill level of the student and the question explored. Revisit
the overall expectation: create a media campaign for an invention which would make an organ system
healthier.
Students will select a disease, disability, or healthy living objective to focus the inquiry. Following a
period of research, students use the Technological Design Process (p.13-15, Curriculum document) to
choose and draw in their lab books their first original design or to replicate a model of an existing
design. They may create a physical model or computerized simulation using a program such as
www.tinkercad.com. Provide time for model construction and testing. As part of the design process,
students document the progress in their lab notebooks, blogs, or video diaries including a reflection on
how the design could be improved.
Note: This would be a good option to use a Pecha Kucha presentation style. Presentations in this style
use a picture-based slide series which automatically advances every twenty seconds. Information on
this type of presentation can be found here: http://www.pechakucha.org/faq .
Explain
From their experiences, students explain their observations about organ systems.
The knowledge can be collaboratively built using a knowledge circle, or an online forum, class-wiki,
collaborative website, or on chart paper in the classroom. Special attention can be given to different
learning styles, as different concepts can be recorded orally and uploaded to a site, video recorded for
kinesthetic demonstrations, or drawn by students.
Student Support Resources:
Scholastic Scavenger Hunt: Go to each website, read about a different organ system, and use
information on the website to solve a math question about the human body:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/mathhunt/PlayGame.asp#
Skype in the classroom lesson: Skype is a free program which allows students to communicate with
other classrooms and with experts for free. The link below is to a High School Biology classroom with
students who wish to teach organ systems to junior level students.
https://education.skype.com/projects/4112-over-the-back-fenceweekly-health-and-safety-lessonstaught-by-high-school-students-skyped-to-your-classroom
Game for creating organ systems which work together:
https://www.brainpop.com/games/gutsandbolts/
Code Fred: survival mode (body system game): http://www.msichicago.org/online-science/games-andapps/code-fred/activities/code-fred-survival-mode/
Video on human organ systems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnjmrrQ6xOs
Animated gif of different respiratory systems: http://tabletopwhale.com/img/posts/10-24-14.gif
X-rays of moving joints: http://weissortho.com/content/x-ray-gifs/
MRI of a beating heart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4dFVeP9Vdo&app=desktop
Viral attack: comic about the immune system:
https://askabiologist.asu.edu/sites/default/files/resources/activities/body_depot/viral_attack/viral_atta
ck.pdf
Circulatory system photos and facts:
http://www.myscience8.com/human_biology/circulatory_system_lab.pdf
Computer simulation of the heart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LPboySOSvo
What happens during a heart attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_VsHmoRQKk
Daily Planet in the classroom: video showing answers to body questions such as “Why are yawns
contagious?” http://accesslearning.com/videodetail.cfm?asset_guid=F663E26F-F3DD-419F-BED513A585DA2BA8 and http://accesslearning.com/videodetail.cfm?asset_guid=BEDB7DA2-1F8B-40918C72-41D5A9CF6412
Brain Pop – Health < Body Systems Video: http://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/
Brain Pop – Heath < Fitness: http://www.brainpop.com/health/personalhealth/fitness/preview.weml
Brain Pop – Health < Nutrition: http://www.brainpop.com/health/nutrition/nutrition/
Kids Health: http://kidshealth.org/kid/
Freezeray.com: http://www.freezeray.com/biology.htm
Get Body Smart: http://www.getbodysmart.com/
National Geographic video on the digestive system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QYwscALNng
Health Canada: Make Your Own Food Guide: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guidealiment/myguide-monguide/index-eng.php
Nutrition Café: http://exhibits.pacsci.org/nutrition/nutrition_cafe.html
World Book On-line: http://www.worldbookonline.com/wbdiscover/home?subacct=CD27621
Body Break: http://www.bodybreak.com/
Body Break Video Index: http://www.bodybreak.com/News_BookHal_Video_Index.php
Diabetes made simple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGL6km1NBWE
Preventing prediabetes in children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTmJ0hGohBQ
All Systems are Go!: http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/systems.html
Prezi about the respiratory system (and a song about respiration): https://prezi.com/9uqpc_zz4x1l/oxythe-oxygen-molecules-journey-through-the-respiratory-system/
Would you eat that? (a game about additives in processed food): http://www.msichicago.org/whatshere/exhibits/you/the-exhibit/your-appetite/would-you-eat-that/game/
Keeping Healthy (mainly food, but also oral health and exercise):
http://www.theschoolrun.com/homework-help/keeping-healthy
NASA experiments on the human body in space:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/humanresearch/areas_study/physiology/#.VZxWG1dgJ8E
Canadian Space Agency: living in space: http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/living.asp
Related Background Resources and/or Links:
OPHEA for teachers as resources for health aspects: http://ophea.net
Growing Healthier & Stronger Together: http://www.ophea.net/article/growing-healthier-strongertogether#.Vav5_PnN5kk
OPHEA’s Provincial Healthy Schools Initiative: https://www.ophea.net/healthy-schoolscommunities/ophea%E2%80%99s-provincial-healthy-schools-initiative
Extend / Redesign
Option 1: Native Perspective
Explore the challenges facing First Nations, Inuit, and Metis populations as they relate to maintaining a
healthy lifestyle with high food prices, hunting restrictions, and native foods and medicines. The
students have a real interest in learning about this important sector of the population, and pictures of
high food prices in Nunavut or the prevalence of diabetes in native populations can make a link to the
Social Studies curriculum as well.
http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/crystal/YukonResources/Human%20Body%20Systems%20for%20St
udents.pdf (Narratives given by representative Elders begin on page ten.)
Diabetes in native populations: http://guidelines.diabetes.ca/browse/chapter38
First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Food Guide: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/fnimpnim/index-eng.php
First Nations Health Authority: http://www.fnha.ca/wellness
Option 2: Healthy Living and Ecology
Explore the amount of garbage created by a diet which contains a large amount of processed food. How
does the choice to play a game of soccer at recess rather than play a video game show both
environmental stewardship and healthy living? How does choosing natural remedies, such as fresh air,
exercise, or rest, instead of medicines, such as pain relievers, help both your body systems and the
environment? As a class, explore the link to environmental stewardship by promoting lunches
containing natural, fresh foods and activities which get them outside rather than behind a screen.
Challenge the class to a few days without power and have them design healthy ways to spend leisure
time.
Community perspectives to extend or support learning:

Doctors or nurses to demonstrate the use of medical measuring devices such as sphygmometers

Dentists or dental hygienists to talk about how gum/teeth health can be an indication of other
diseases

Public health departments often have resources for classroom use

Skype in education has many experts who will virtually visit your classroom for free to answer
questions. Experts change seasonally. In winter 2015, there was an arctic explorer talking about
nutritional needs and cardiovascular training for the high arctic as well as a biometric lab talking
to students about 3D organs. Check out https://education.skype.com to search.

The Canadian Space Agency will book Skype calls to classrooms during which astronauts will
discuss how the human body reacts to space travel http://www.asccsa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/speaker.asp
Evaluate (I REMEMBER)
Students present their personal inquiries and media productions promoting healthy living.
Things to look for in assessment pieces:
 can the student use the vocabulary appropriately?
 does the technological-design process show signs that new knowledge was used to improve on
the design?
 can the student explain how the design will improve the health of the user?
 can the student identify the parts of the organ system and how they relate to the overall health
of the body?
Possibilities for Assessment As/For/Of Learning:
Assessment As Learning:
Use anecdotals during knowledge circle to find common misconceptions and frame inquiries during the
“I Explore” phase to dispel the misconceptions and build new understandings. Common misconceptions
include: exercise makes energy, sugar is the only way to eat “calories”, only older people get diabetes or
cancer, and one has to eat meat at every meal. Young people generally have a feeling of immortality,
yet grade five is often the time when grandparents become frailer with health complications. The
discussions around health issues need to be flexible to the understandings and anxieties of the students
as many have family health issues which can get uncovered during conversations.
Take the time to review tool safety and proper measurement before the inquiry part of the process. A
quick safety assessment at the beginning is a good review and often a confidence builder for junior
scientists.
Assessment For Learning:
Exit passes, lab notes, graffiti wall, and daily physical quizzes
Examples of daily physical quizzes:
 True/False run: have one side of the class be “true”, the other be “false”. Call out statements;
students walk quickly to the correct side.
 Quick spell: ask a question with a one-word answer. Students mime jumping rope as they spell
the answer.
 I have/who has Matchup: have students create a set of flashcards with vocabulary words and a
definition of a different vocabulary word on each, similar to dominoes in that (when matched up
correctly) the definitions and vocabulary will make a continuous chain. Give each student a
card. Start with “start” and ask the student holding that card to stand up and read the card (for
example, “ I have start. Who has the organ which pumps blood?”). The student who has the
next card in the chain stands up and reads their card (“ I have “heart”. Who has the organ which
absorbs water from digested food?”) and so on.
Assessment Of Learning:
Use Co-created success criteria to assess student projects.
Consider inviting community members, parents, or other grades to see the final projects. A mailbox for
each student will provide a way for the students to get supportive feedback on their learning.
Sample assessment tool: expectation-based feedback form. The expectations would be selected by the
class, with the exception of the last row which is completed by the student to reflect his/her personal
inquiry. Once the student has selected the expectation and filled in the mastery criteria, the teacher
initials the box to state it has been approved (and hasn’t already been mastered on a previous
assignment.)
Once the final inquiry project has been showcased, the teacher writes positive feedback in the “working
at it” or “mastered” columns for each expectation. The student and/or the teacher add comments to
the extensions/next steps. This last column allows for reflection on learning, connecting science
concepts to other subjects, and an overall expectation that learning is continuous.
Expectation
Working at It
Mastered
I can identify major
systems in the human
body (highlight the
systems explained)
musculoskeletal
system, digestive
system, nervous
system, circulatory
system
Parts are correctly
communicated
Size, shape, location,
and function are
accurately discussed
I can describe the tasks
the body systems
perform and how the
systems are related to
each other
Connection between
different organ systems
are correctly discussed
The function of all
organs/parts are
described in order from
input through output
There is a clear link
shown between the
main body system
explored and other
minor body systems
I can identify common
diseases and the organs
and/or body systems
that they affect (list the
disease(s) below)
Organs affected by at
least one short term
and one long term
disease are discussed
Symptoms and
treatment (if available)
Extensions/Next Steps
are explored
Tips to avoid and/or
manage the long term
disease are listed
Inquiry specific
expectation
How will you show
mastery?
Teacher initials: ______
Technology Possibilities






use of traditional woodworking equipment, e.g., handsaws, drills, screws, wood glue
3D modelling software, e.g., 123D Design for iPad, www.tinkercad.com for PC
creation of an online game with software such as flowlab.io
use of pneumatics to create moving models
3D printing
PowerPoint and other presentation tools