Heart as a Pump

Circulate this news: the heart is a pump containing one-way valves! Following the previous lesson on the external structure of the heart, learners now take a look at the inside. They use a three-color diagram to label a black-and-white...

Students design a pumping device that will effectively pump fluid through a model "cardiovascular system." They explore the effects of too much and too little pressure on a circulatory system.

Hands-on experience with valves and water flow supports young researchers' understanding of valve operation. Attached resources for learners are text-dense; I'd break up the text into smaller pieces for groups to read and present...

In this How Does the Heart Work instructional activity, students write a short explanation of how the heart works based on 7 phrases given. Students also participate in 2 extension activities.

Put your heart into it. Scholars design and build replacements for mitral heart valves. Obviously, they can't test their creations on a real heart, so a box with marbles (to represent blood cells) will suffice.

After reading an excellent description of the human heart, fifth graders look at a drawing of a human body, and choose the circle they think represents where the human heart is found. There are four circles inside the character's chest....

Interpret data and learn about the human heart in one activity! After learning about the way blood flows in the body, fifth graders answer two questions about a graph displaying pulse rate. They then take their own pulses to find the...

Where is the heart? What does it do? What other organs help it carry out its function? Here is a hearty little video that answers such questions! With a casual tone and colorful animation, elementary and middle schoolers will fall in...

Young scholars name the main parts of the heart and what events occur there. They write a reaction that contains complete sentences, and uses proper spelling and grammar, after viewing a video. Students define the following terms:...

If you're looking for copious background information to support study of the human heart, here it is! You can find photos of hearts, and text about the development, structure, systems, and monitoring that support heart function. Also...