Teachers' notes
How does the heart work?
Aims: Make notes on and use evidence from across a text to explain events or ideas
Adapt non-narrative form and style to write a factual text.
Understand how the heart works.
Age group: 9–11: (Year 5 & 6, England / Year 6 & 7, NI / Year P5 & P6, Scotland)
Literacy skills: Record key points by making notes and then use these to construct sentences.
Curriculum links: Science – England and Wales
Science and technology – Northern Ireland
Environmental studies – Scotland
Content:
- Whiteboard: Teacher reads an explanation of how the heart works whilst children note the key points. Hide the written text and look at a series of muddled statements and a diagram. Children refer to their notes to help them to make six sentences and label the diagram.
- Activity sheet: Children are given a diagram and a list of key words and phrases. They write a simple explanation of how the heart works using the words and diagram to help them.
- Extension: To make the link between pulse rate and the function of the heart. To write a set of instructions about how to measure pulse rate.
Suggestions for questions:
- Activate prior knowledge: Can you feel your heart beating? Can you feel a pulse on your wrist? What do you know about the job that the heart does?
- Reflect on learning: Can you explain why the heart is described as being like a pump?
- Stimulate further research: Can we set up a practical demonstration to show how a pump works? What equipment will we need?