Activity Introduction
Quick summary: The heart’s basic role of pumping blood around the body is widely known. But how does the heart muscle actually function, and what can interrupt its proper functioning? In this lesson, students gain a practical understanding of the heart, blood vessels and blood pressure through hands-on experimentation, before creating a campaign that helps others understand this biological system and take care of their hearts and health.
The Heart Foundation’s ready-made skipping program, Jump Rope for Heart, helps primary school students move more and have fun, while they raise funds for heart research, patient support and programs that help save lives.
Learning intentions:
- Students understand the purpose and function of the heart and blood vessels
- Students understand how blood pressure functions, and its impact on health.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Years 3 & 4 Health and Physical Education:
- Identify and practise strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing (ACPPS036)
- Discuss and interpret health information and messages in the media and internet (ACPPS039)
Year 3 Science:
- Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things (ACSSU044)
- Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE051)
Year 4 Science:
- Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships (ACSHE061)
- Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062)
Syllabus outcomes: PHS2.12, SLS2.13, PHS2.12, ST2-10LW, ST2-11LW, ST2-4WS
General capabilities: Personal and Social Capability
Relevant parts of Year 3 & 4 Health and Physical Education achievement standards: Students interpret health messages and discuss the influences on healthy and safe choices. They understand the benefits of being healthy and physically active.
Relevant parts of Year 3 Science achievement standards: Students describe how they can use science investigations to respond to questions. They use their experiences to identify questions and make predictions about scientific investigations.
Relevant parts of Year 4 Science achievement standards: Students identify when science is used to understand the effect of their actions.
Topic: Health & Wellbeing
This lesson is part of the wider unit of work Jump Rope For Heart: Jump Investigators – Years 3 & 4
Time required: 60 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – facilitate class discussions and support students in making models.
Resources required:
- Blood Pressure Fact Sheet
- Blu-Tack
- Device capable of creating audiovisual recordings, such as an iPad or camera
- Device capable of presenting a video to the class
- Handling Sensitive Topics and Issues – one digital copy
- Plastic bendy straw – two per group
- Student Worksheet – one per student
- Tape
- Toothpicks – one per group
- Water bottles – clear plastic – two per group.
Keywords: blood pressure, cholesterol, biology, model, practical, blood vessels, heart attack
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
