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Science Year 6
Biology Strand: Animals, including humans
Session A
Programme of study: Identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and
The heart
Working
scientifically
Report findings, including explanations, in oral form
Use scientific diagrams
describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood
Balloon pump, balloon, or child’s water pump, stethoscope if available, kitchen towel tubes (inners).
Access to internet.
The head is normally above the heart and so the heart must be able to pump blood up to the head
Discussion drawing against gravity. However the heart will have to work harder to pump the blood the greater distance to
the feet and the blood will not return as easily as normal from the head.
Whole class teaching: (links to Sessions 7 & 8, Body Bits Theme, Healthy Me Topic & Session 3a, Citius, Altius, Fortius
Theme, Olympics UKS2 Topic)
Ask children to use the concept map to show what they already know about the human circulatory (blood) system & the
gaseous exchange system including the heart & lungs. They should note anything that they would like to find out more about
during this Strand.
Show chn diagrams of the human heart (see resources), pointing out that it is divided into four chambers (note the singular &
plural of the top chambers – atrium & atria). It is composed of muscle tissue and as the muscles of the bottom chambers
(ventricles) contract they squeeze blood down the blood vessels to the lungs and to the rest of the body. As these muscles
relax blood from the top chambers (atria) enters. The blood returning from the lungs and the rest of the body fills the top
chambers as they relax and then those muscles contract to push the blood into the bottom chambers. Could use
http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/heart.html.
So blood is pumped to all parts of the human body – the lungs, brain, muscles, liver, kidneys, etc. It is a double or figure of
eight circulation as the blood passes through the heart twice in every full circulation, first it goes to the lungs and back to the
heart and then it goes to the rest of the body before returning to the heart again (see resources). The blood is pumped round
the body by the heart – show children a balloon pump blowing up a balloon or a child’s toy water pump, so they understand
the concept of pumping. Listen to heartbeat at http://www.smm.org/heart/heart/steth.htm - this is what the doctor hears
with a stethoscope. It is a lub-DUB sound and is the sound made by the heart valves as they open and close. Show children a
stethoscope if one is available & explain children can have a go with a simple ‘stethoscope’ themselves later. Show children
normal ECG (electrocardiogram) in resources and an animation of the heart working at
http://www.abpischools.org.uk/res/coResourceImport/resources04/heart/heartAnim3.cfm or at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/heart/heartmap.html.
Ask children to make a fist and hold it near their chest in the correct position, just to the left of centre – that is the size of their
heart.
Remind children that in Year 3 they found out that other animals have similar circulatory systems to humans for transporting
blood to all parts of the body. Note differences such as a fish have two heart chambers (with a single circulation), most
reptiles like frogs have three chambers and crocodiles (reptile exception), birds & mammals have four chambers. For more
details visit http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/AnimalHearts.html or
http://www.ideacenter.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/1113.
Resources needed
Group activities:
Adult-led: Discussion drawing: Which child if any is correct? Do children have any other suggestions? You could test the
effects with a suitable volunteer – the face may go red if the blood takes longer to leave the head and if the blood leaves the
feet more quickly than usual the feet will go pale. The pulse rate should go up if the heart has to work harder, but you may
not wish to introduce this concept yet, but return to this discussion drawing in Session D.
Independent: Listen to heart: Use kitchen towel tubes to listen to each other’s heart based on the fact that over 170 years
ago, a man named Laennec invented the first stethoscope. It was a wooden tube about 1 inch (2.5cm) in diameter and about
10 in (25cm) long (see resources).
Body labels: Locate the heart and lungs in the body. Emphasis the role of the ribs (skeleton) in protecting both the heart and
lungs (see resources). Extension: Make a thin card heart: Colour, cut out and make heart with flaps from thin card (see
resources).
Plenary:
Explain that the importance of the heart in our bodies is shown by the fact that the heart has always been considered the
centre of thought, feeling and emotion (particularly love) as can be seen from some of the many expressions in daily use that
include the heart, e.g. has no heart (doesn’t show emotion), lose heart (lack of courage or enthusiasm), have a heart (be
merciful), etc. Can children give any further examples (see resources)?
I can:
1. Explain that the heart acts like a pump.
2. Understand that the blood is pumped to all parts of the body.
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