Download Biology The Human Body Key Ideas/Takeaways: 1. Major systems of

Biology
The Human Body
Key Ideas/Takeaways:
1. Major systems of the body and their associated organs
2. Importance of the skeletal/muscular system
3. How the circulatory system is associated with exercise
Duration of Lesson: 60 minutes
Supplies:
-Cut outs of organs according to the accompanying worksheet
-Egg soaked in vinegar (not necessary but makes a good demo)
-Stopwatches for groups or pairs of students if a clock is a second hand is not available
-Large butcher paper
Introduction: (25 minutes)
Ask the students to help list the major systems of the body up on the board. If the students are
having trouble listing them, then write out the systems but have students explain what each system is
responsible for. Then, have each group trace out a student on the butcher paper so that they have an
outline of a human. Now, pass out one or two organs per group associated with a certain body system and
have them place the organs on their body. Students should also identify what each organ is. They can also
draw other things on their person – give him hair, eyes, etc. Once they have been properly placed an
identified the organs, have each group come up before the class with their poster and explain their system
to the class along with the organs that they have.
Circulatory System Introduction/Experiment: (15 minutes)
After the introduction, the students will know what the circulatory system is. So, this explanation
will focus on how blood is pumped through the heart and how the circulatory system relates to exercise.
Explain that the heart is like a pump – it is responsible for pushing blood through the body to deliver
oxygen and nutrients to all of the different muscles and organs. It is also responsible for taking away
waste like CO2 that people breathe out. Show/draw a large image of the heart on the board and explain
that the heart is made up of four chambers. The right side receives blood from the body and pumps it to
the lungs where it gets oxygenated. Then, the blood is pumped back to the heart and onto the rest of the
body by the left side.
Ask students what they know about pulses. Some students may know where to find them, but
others will need help. Pulses measure how quickly arteries bulge as blood is forced through them during
each heart contraction of a heartbeat. Pulses can be felt as throbbing because the heart cannot constantly
contract. Some places the pulse can be found include the wrist (radial pulse), the neck (carotid pulse),
and the backside of the elbow (brachial). Show students how to take a pulse – by placing their index and
middle finger firmly down on a vein and shifting until they find it. Then, have them try the different areas
on themselves. Have students time their pulse by counting the beats for 10 seconds then multiplying by
six. This is their resting pulse. Next, have students run in place for two minutes then take their pulse
again. Have the students write both numbers down and compare them as a class at the end. Fun fact: the
normal resting rate of adults is 60 to 100 beats per minutes whereas well-trained athletes is closer to 40
bmp. This is because the heart of athletes is much more efficient at pumping blood so it does not need to
do it as often. In comparison, newborns have a resting rate of 100-160 bmp and kids from 6-12 years old
have a pulse of 70-120.
If time permits, students can color in the attached circulatory system diagram – using red to color
in the oxygenated blood moving away from the heart and blue for deoxygenated blood coming back to the
heart.
Musculoskeletal System Introduction/Experiment: (15 minutes)
Remind students that the skeletal system is responsible for providing support for the body. Ask
students what makes bones so strong. They should correctly answer that calcium is responsible. Then,
pass around the egg soaked in vinegar for students to feel. The egg should feel squishy when touching.
This is because the vinegar ate away the calcium so the shell isn’t very strong or rigid anymore. When
bones are developing, it is especially important to get enough calcium so that bones are strong and
resistant to breaks.
Ask the students what muscles are responsible for. Muscles are responsible for movement of the
body – especially during exercise. Exercise/physical activity can be broken into three categories:
-Strength – the ability to lift, pull, or push something
-Endurance – the ability to perform an activity for long periods of time
-Flexibility – the ability to stretch or bend
To test these three categories, start by having students do as many push-ups as they can in 30
seconds. Then, have students run in place until they’re tired, and finally, have students attempt a V-sit
where they spread their legs out in a V on the floor and reach as far forward as possible while keeping
their back straight.
Ask the students to reflect on what exercise they were best at, and which exercise they were not.
Some people are naturally stronger than others, while some do certain activities that help them improve
these categories, such as gymnasts and dancers who work on their flexibility.
Conclusion: (5 minutes)
Come back together as a class to review the different body systems and what they are responsible
for. Remind students that even though we have many different systems, they are all interconnected and
affect one another. To be healthy, we cannot ignore any of the systems because of this.
Major Body System Organs
Brain – control center of the body, receives and relays the information via nerves to and from the rest of
the body. Allows you to act and react to your surroundings.
Stomach – continues the digestion of food started in the mouth. Also mashes and mixes food using
muscle contractions, breaks it down using enzymes, and helps to kill any bacteria that may be in it.
Liver – decides whether substances that come into the human body are waste or nutrients after digestion.
Filters the blood and breaks down toxins and other harmful substances. Processes nutrients to send to
tissue.
Lungs – contains the oxygen we breathe so that it can be passed onto our blood. Holds the CO2 that we
expel when we exhale. One of the largest organs in the human body.
Heart – sends blood out through the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients and to take away waste.
Bones – provides the body with structure and protection for internal organs.
Skin – protects the body from outside, harmful substances like bacteria. Helps maintain body temperature
through sweating and shivering, and provides the sense of touch.
Major Body Systems
Body System
Digestive
Circulatory
Respiratory
Skeletal
Muscular
Nervous
Integumentary
Major Organs
Esophagus
Stomach
Intestines
Heart
Arteries
Veins
Lungs
Mouth
Nose
Bones
Cartilage
Muscles
Eyes
Nerves
Brain
Skin