Animals Including Humans

Science Year 5/6 The Human Species

You have been approached to create an exhibition about the human species. Can you research and collate information on growth, development, puberty and old age, and present it in a sensitive and logical way that is suited to your audience? Create sculptures and sketches that not only reflect the complexity of the human body but also act as an accurate and informative presentation of the complex systems that help make us human. You have 6 weeks until the exhibition open.

block outcomes Background Science

Session 1 Development: from foetus to child

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Are you ready for the first part of your exhibition content? Explore gestation periods, foetal development and growth patterns, and create a visual display of your findings.

Science Objectives
i) Describe the changes as humans develop to old age

Working Scientifically

  1. Recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs
  2. Reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including causal relationships, in written forms such as displays
  3. Identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments

Other Curriculum Areas
Computing: Use software to create content that accomplishes given goals, including analysing, and presenting data and information

Planning and Activities

Teaching

  • Explore and identify patterns in gestation periods (Yr5&6).
  • Learn about the stages of human foetal development and child development (Yr5&6).
  • Present gestation periods, foetal development and child growth visually in graphs, diagrams and tables (Yr5&6).

Activities

  1. Identify patterns, correlations and possible causal relationships in gestation data and create online graphs to present this data (Yr5&6)
  2. Present the key stages of human foetal development as a labelled diagram (Yr5&6)
  3. Research (Yr6) and create fact-file tables on growth in children (Yr5&6)


Investigation
Development and growth: from foetus to child. Explore gestation periods, foetal development and growth patterns, and create a visual display of your findings for an exhibition. ( Exploring, Analysing secondary sources, Pattern seeking)
Year 5 – Create fact file tables based on growth in children
Year 6 – Complete research on growth in children and create fact file tables
Years 5&6 - Create a labelled diagram showing the key stages of human foetal development
Years 5&6 - Look for patterns, correlations and possible causal relationships in gestation data
Years 5&6 - Draw online graphs to present gestation data


Vocabulary
Causal relationships, support/refute, gestation, life cycle, sperm, egg, foetus, development, child

Session 2 Growth: adolescence and puberty

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Changes during puberty can be a sensitive issue – you need to understand the facts fully and recognise the physical as well as emotional impact. Create a Q&A section for your exhibition that covers all the issues raised by puberty as well as a Venn diagram showing key changes in boys and girls.

Science Objectives
i) Describe the changes as humans develop to old age

Working Scientifically

  1. Record data using scientific diagrams and labels
  2. Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or argument

Other Curriculum Areas
Computing: Use software to create content that accomplishes given goals, including analysing, and presenting data and information

Planning and Activities

Teaching

  • To identify and understand the changes in the adolescent human body during puberty (Yr5&6)
  • To recognise and identify those changes during puberty that are gender specific (Yr5&6)


Activities

  1. Identify and present the key physical & emotional changes during male and female puberty in the form of a Venn diagram (Yr5&6)
  2. Create a Q&A exhibition section and glossary for puberty (Yr5&6)

Investigation
Growth and Changes: adolescence & puberty. Explore the physical and emotional changes during puberty. Create a Q&A section for your exhibition that covers all the issues raised by puberty as well as a Venn diagram showing key changes in boys and girls. (Exploring, Analysing secondary sources, Pattern seeking)
Years 5&6 - Create a Venn diagram that shows the key physical & emotional changes during male and female puberty
Years 5&6 - Create a Q&A exhibition section and glossary for puberty


Vocabulary
Adolescence, adolescent, puberty, teenager, reproduction (see also vocab list in resources)

Session 3 Growth: adults, old age and timelines

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

What happens to our bodies as we get old? Research and create a photographic section for your exhibition, and create a ‘humans timeline’ showing the key milestones in a human life and how they impact on the body.

Science Objectives
i) Describe the changes as humans develop to old age

Working Scientifically

  1. Record data using scientific diagrams and labels
  2. Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or argument

Planning and Activities

Teaching

  • To identify physical & mental changes that happen from adulthood to old age (Yr5&6)
  • To identify, order and explain the 6 key stages in a human life (Yr5&6)
  • To create a human timeline diagram (Yr5&6)


Activities

  1. Create a labelled photography display showing the physical & mental changes of an aging human (Yr5)
  2. Compose a poem that explores the physical and mental changes to the human body as it ages (Yr6)
  3. Create a visual timeline of key events in a human life (Yr5&6)

Investigation
Growth and Change: adults, old age and timelines. Research and explore what happens to our bodies as we get old. Create a photographic section for your exhibition, and create a ‘humans timeline’ showing the key milestones in a human life and how they impact on the body
Year 5 - Create a labelled photography display showing the physical & mental changes of an aging human
Year 6 - Compose a poem that explores the physical and mental changes to the human body as it ages
Years 5&6 - Create a visual timeline of key events in a human life


Vocabulary
Aging, old age, elderly, adult, causal relationship, growth, change, death, life cycle, timeline

Session 4 A healthy body

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Discover the true impact (both visible and hidden) of diet, exercise, lifestyle, drugs and alcohol on the human body. Explore the truths and myths and create your own TV public service ‘advert’ that explores this impact and how to keep our bodies healthy.

Science Objectives
i) Recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function

Working Scientifically

  1. Reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
  2. Identifying scientific evidence that’s been used to support or refute ideas or arguments

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • Challenges x3
  • Jigsaw activities x3
  • Poster guidelines and samples
  • Drug and alcohol montage photos
  • Homework guidance

Additional Resources

  • Paper
  • Glue
  • Scissors and pens
  • Food (see list)

Weblinks
Game about Heart Disease from www.centreofthecell.org

Planning and Activities

Teaching

  • Understand the impact of a heathy or unhealthy diet, and the effects of exercise and lifestyle choices on the human body (Yr5&6).
  • Explore the effects of drugs and alcohol on the human body (Yr5&6).
  • Create a poster that promotes healthy living (Yr5&6).


Activities

  1. Identify the impact of a heathy or unhealthy diet on the human body (Yr5&6)
  2. Identify the impact of exercise and lifestyle choices on the human body (Yr5&6)
  3. Identify the effects of drugs on the human body (Yr5&6)
  4. Create a poster promoting healthy bodies with a focus on diet, exercise & lifestyle, or drugs & alcohol (Yr5&6)


Investigation
A Healthy Body. Discover the true impact (both visible and hidden) of diet, exercise, lifestyle, drugs and alcohol on the human body. Explore the truths and myths and create your own TV public service ‘advert’ that explores this impact and how to keep our bodies healthy. (Analysing secondary sources, Pattern seeking)
Years 5&6 - Identify the impact of exercise and lifestyle choices, a heathy or unhealthy diet and drugs on the human body
Years 5&6 - Create a poster promoting healthy bodies with a focus on diet, exercise & lifestyle, or drugs & alcohol


Vocabulary
Diet, exercise, lifestyle, health, drugs, addiction, disease, medicine, alcohol, cigarettes, stimulant, depressant, analgesic, hallucinogen

Session 5 Blood and the heart

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Explore the composition of blood and the role it has to play in the human body. Explore the structure and function of the human heart before creating your own heart sculptures. Can you feel the rhythm of your heart beat? Discover how and why it changes across activity and compare human heartbeats with those of other animals.

Science Objectives
i) Identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood

Working Scientifically

  1. Planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary
  2. Taking measurements, with increasing accuracy & precision, taking repeat readings
  3. Reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
  4. Identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • Blood cards & blood facts
  • Heart images
  • Diagrams
  • Blood challenge (incl. ingredients & resources)
  • Heart sculpture images
  • Clay techniques
  • Heart rate sheet
  • Heart rate challenges


Additional Resources

  • Clay & tools
  • Stopwatches
  • Blood smoothie ingredients
  • Drums

Weblinks
What’s in your blood? from www.bbc.co.uk
How does a healthy heart work? from www.bhf.org.uk
The heart and how it works from www.bbc.co.uk
Animation and 3D echocardiogram of heartbeat from https://en.wikipedia.org
Heartbeat from www.smm.org

Planning and Activities

Teaching

  • Name the components of blood & the 3 types of blood vessel (Yr5&6)
  • Explore the structure and function of the human heart (Yr5&6)
  • Investigate, explain and recreate heart rates for different levels of exertion (Yr5&6)


Activities

  1. Identify, describe and note the functions of the main components of blood (Yr5&6)
  2. Create an anatomically correct sculpture of the heart from clay (Yr5&6)
  3. Investigate & recreate heart rates for varying levels of exertion, explaining observations (Yr5&6)

Investigation
Blood & the Heart. Explore the composition of blood and the role it has to play in the human body. Explore the structure and function of the human heart before creating your own heart sculptures. Discover how and why the rhythm of a heartbeat changes across activity and compare human heartbeats with those of other animals. (Exploring, Fair testing, Observing over time, Analysing secondary sources, Pattern seeking)
Years 5&6 - Identify, describe and note the functions of the main components of blood
Years 5&6 - Create an anatomically correct sculpture of the heart from clay
Years 5&6 - Investigate & recreate heart rates for varying levels of exertion


Vocabulary
Blood, blood vessels, arteries, veins, capillaries, heart, pump, oxygen, carbon dioxide, circulation

Session 6 Transport systems

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Have you even wondered what your blood gets up to inside your body? Here is your chance to join your platelets on their journey around your body. Share your discoveries in the form of a dramatic re-enactment. Explore how nutrients and water are transported throughout your body in your blood and the processes used to pass in and out of your blood through capillary walls.


Science Objectives
i) Identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood
ii) Describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals, including humans

Working Scientifically

  1. Planning scientific enquiries to answer questions, while recognising & controlling variables
  2. Taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy & precision
  3. Reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
  4. Identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments

Planning and Activities

Teaching

  • Explore how the circulatory system works and the role of blood within this (Yr5&6)
  • Learn how nutrients and water are transported through the body (Yr5&6)
  • Set up investigations that explore diffusion and osmosis (Yr5&6)

Activities

  1. Dramatise the circulatory system explaining how it works and the role blood has within this (Yr5&6)
  2. Investigate diffusion and osmosis (Yr5&6)
  3. Explain how nutrients and water are transported through the body (Yr5&6)


Investigation
Transport Systems. Have you even wondered what your blood gets up to inside your body? Here is your chance to join your platelets on their journey around your body. Share your discoveries in the form of a dramatic re-enactment. Explore how nutrients and water are transported throughout your body in your blood and the processes used to pass in and out of your blood through capillary walls. (Problem solving, Exploring, Fair testing, Observing over time, Analysing secondary sources, Pattern seeking)
Years 5&6 - Dramatise the circulatory system explaining how it works and the role blood has within this
Years 5&6 - Investigate diffusion and osmosis
Years 5&6 - Explain how nutrients and water are transported through the body


Vocabulary
Circulatory system, heart, blood, blood vessels, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, water, pump

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