LESSON PLAN Link to Video

HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS

GRADES 3-5
SUMMARY

Students identify the major body systems, which include the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, muscular, and nervous
system, and explore how each system is interconnected to help the body survive.

CORRELATION

MS-LS1-3 Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems.

Science & Engineering Practices Connections to Classroom Activity

Developing and Using Models

Constructing Explanations • Develop a model to explain how a human body
system functions.
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating
Information • Use evidence to explain how the human body
system works.
(MS-LSS1-3)
• Obtain information from media sources to explain
how human body systems function individually and
together.

Disciplinary Core Ideas Connections to Classroom Activity

LS1.A: Structure and Function

In multicellular organisms, the body is a system of
• Make comparisons of how each body system
functions and explain how these systems are
multiple interacting subsystems. interconnected.

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 Crosscutting Concepts Connections to Classroom Activity

Systems and System Models

(MS-LSS1-3) • Explain how multiple body systems interact with
each other to help keep the body functioning.

DURATION MATERIALS

One to two 45-minute classroom periods • Science notebooks

• Pencils
Station 1
PRE-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS • Two vegetable cans (or any canned food)
Station 2
• Two brown paper bags
Please see Discussion Questions. These can be • Two straws per person
discussed as a group or answered individually in • Tape
student science notebooks. • Marker
Station 3
• Image of human leg muscle
• Image of human heart and brain
ENGAGE

Show students a car. It can either be in the form of an image or an actual model toy car. Ask students to list the various
parts of the car, such as the wheels, engine, steering wheel, headlights, and trunk. Explain to students that each of these
parts has a specific function, but they must work together for the car to move. Ask students to pick two car parts and
describe how they might work together for the car to function properly. For example, the steering wheel turns the wheels
so that a person can drive.

EXPLORE

Explain to students that they will be exploring how several different body systems function in the body. They will discover
how these systems work together to help the body function properly. Students will also identify specific examples as
evidence of how the various body systems work together. Set up the following stations around the room:

STATION 1: LET’S MOVE

Place two vegetable cans on the table. First have students perform five bicep curl exercises with one vegetable can,
using only one hand. Then have students perform five bicep curl exercises with two vegetable cans, one in each hand.

STATION 2: MECHANICS OF BREATHING

Take a brown paper bag, place a straw inside of it, and twist the bag around the straw. Secure this twisted end with tape.
Repeat this for a second brown paper bag. Label one bag “right lung” and the other bag “left lung” so that the student
knows what bag they are blowing into. Make sure to replace the straw after each student has used it, to prevent germs
from spreading.

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STATION 3: NAME THAT SYSTEM
Place the images of muscles in the human leg, the human heart, and the human brain on a table. Have students write
down what they see and list what body system they belong to.

STATION 4: INTERCONNECTED SYSTEMS

Students at this station will lead a discussion about how systems work together. Students will then predict what would
happen if one or more systems failed, and the overall effect it would have on the body.

STATION 1 STATION 2
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR BODY WHEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THE LUNGS AS YOU
YOU USED TWO CANS INSTEAD OF ONE? BREATHE?

Practice curling your arm with just one canned food What happens to your stomach when you take deep
in your hand. Then curl both arms after placing breaths? Think about this as you model what the lungs
one canned food in each hand. Write down in your do while breathing. Write down in your notebook what
notebook anything you observe and what body happens when you blow into the paper bags.
systems are used during this type of exercise.

STATION 3 STATION 4
WHAT IS REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR THE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ENTIRE BODY IF
BODY TO FUNCTION PROPERLY? ONE BODY SYSTEM FAILS TO FUNCTION
PROPERLY?
What do you see in each image? Write your answer in
the notebook. As you look at the images think about How do our body systems work together? Give
how these individual body parts work together to help examples of multiple systems working together to
the body function. Allow students to sketch different perform a task. Imagine of one of those systems failed,
body systems working together. what would be the result on the body?

Divide students into four groups. Allow the groups to rotate through each station, using their science notebooks to
record their observations.

EXPLAIN

After students complete all stations, begin a classroom discussion about the way each individual body system works
and how this plays a role in their ability to work together to help the body function properly. Explain that there are
multiple body systems and three were modeled in the stations. Encourage students to list the body systems modeled
by each station. Explain that Station 1 focuses on the ability of the muscular system functioning to allow a person to
exercise or move, which is the hallmark function of this system. Station 2 focuses on the mechanics of breathing using
both lungs in the body. Station 3 shows that evidence such as images can be used when describing the human body
system. Station 4 shows how body systems function together, and the necessity of all the systems to live.

WATCH THE GENERATION GENIUS HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS VIDEO AS A CLASS

Then facilitate a class discussion using the Discussion Questions.

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 ELABORATE

In the video, students encounter many different examples of how multiple body systems interact to help the body
function. They also view the animations of the digestive system’s different stages. Now students will investigate this
process of digestion further. Students can use the DIY Activity to explain how the digestive system breaks down food
when it is consumed. They should describe what stages are being modeled during their activity. Encourage students to
think about what would happen if one of these stages of digestion failed to function properly.

EVALUATE

Have students think about one type of evidence they could use to support the idea that human body systems interact
together. Ask students to explain the type of evidence they would choose and why It would work the best for showing
the interaction between human body systems. Students have learned a lot about the different types of body systems.
They have also seen multiple examples in the video of how different body systems work together in a unique way to
help the body function. Encourage students to use what they have learned from these examples in the video as they
construct explanations about their chosen piece of evidence.

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Lesson plan written by Mountain Goat Instructional Design.
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