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Teach Cardiovascular and Human Circulatory System Parts and Functions
The circulatory system is not just about the rhythmic ‘lub-dub’ of our hearts. It’s a complex orchestration of organs, vessels and blood, working diligently to keep us alive. In my 15-year tenure as a middle school science teacher, I’ve come to appreciate the delicate balance between in-depth academic content and interactive approaches that help in better delivery of the concept while having students’ involvement at all times. In this blog I share how I teach circulatory system to bring the wonders (heart, blood, etc.) of this human body system to life for my middle school students. I hope this helps you in your journey of teaching the human circulatory system parts and functions.
Human Circulatory System Parts
1. The Human Heart: The Epicenter of Circulation
I love to ignite curiosity amongst my students with this simple human heart activity which they try on themselves and their fellow classmates.
The Heartbeat Listening Station: The journey of circulatory system for students begins with them discovering the palpable rhythm of their heart using stethoscopes.
Reading Notes and Power Point Slides: We then dive into ‘academic’ specifics. I love to show an elaborate and neat diagram of the heart with clear details of its basic parts. Using detailed PowerPoint Slides having reading notes / stations with colorful and apt diagrams of heart, students explore the heart’s four chambers (the two atria and ventricles), the significance of the septum, and the roles of the various valves, including the tricuspid, bicuspid (or mitral), pulmonary, and aortic valves. Here is one of the products I created and which has reading notes on circulatory system – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Circulatory-System-Notes-Task-Cards-Assessment-Sheets-More-Editable-Pack-5980657
I love for them to do a hands-on heart and circulatory system activity to help reinforce the basic parts of a heart like the one below:
Construct a Clay Heart: Bringing theory to life, students mold clay models, representing the heart’s detailed anatomy. This reinforces their understanding of pathways and flow directions of oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood.
2. Vessels: Arteries, Veins, and Capillaries
Of course, diving further into the heart and circulatory system brings us to the vessels that transport blood to and from the heart. A clear understanding and differentiation in sizes, roles etc. of different kinds of blood vessels like the arteries, veins and capillaries will help in better understanding of the role of the entire cardiovascular system. The importance of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood and the exchange of substances like gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide), nutrients and waste products are what needs to be discussed at this stage of teaching cardiovascular system.
Try this circulatory system and heart activity in your classroom to reinforce the sub-unit of blood vessels:
Straw & Play-Dough Activity: Using different-sized or colored straws, students model arteries, veins, and capillaries, understanding the size and function differentiation of each.
Worksheets: Post activity, we delve into the ‘academic’ specifics. While hands on activities are always a great way to grasp the content knowledge, I feel circulatory system worksheets (digital or printable) with questions that help in better understanding, application etc., of the subunit – for example, questions on how arteries carry oxygenated blood (except for pulmonary arteries), veins carry deoxygenated blood (except for pulmonary veins), and capillaries play a vital role in nutrient and gas exchange etc. — are a great way to gauge their understanding of the cardiovascular and circulatory system unit so far.
3. Blood: The Lifeline of Our Bodies
This day can start and continue with a discussion on different circulatory system parts and focus on blood cells including erythrocytes, leucocytes and thrombocytes as well as plasma and their functions. Follow it up with a fun circulatory system activity that students enjoy. Try this hand on activity to teach about blood:
Journey of a Red Blood Cell: The classroom transforms into a giant circulatory system model for students to role-play. With these role-plays, they come to appreciate the life cycle of an erythrocyte, from its birth in the bone marrow to its eventual removal in the spleen.
Another activity for teachers teaching cardiovascular and circulatory system to try is:
Blood Composition in a Jar: Using layered visuals, we discuss plasma (which makes up about 55% of our blood), red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes), emphasizing their individual roles and importance.
Color by Number Activity Sheets: These fun sheets serve dual purposes – they allow for relaxation as kids match and color different parts while reinforcing the concepts of the circulatory system / heart. They have been very useful for my students for many topics that I have taught of Biology.
4. Deep Dive: Circulatory System Functions, Processes, and Interconnections
A fun round of revision and discussion on the interconnection of all the sub units of circulatory system can be followed by yet another simple activity or task cards.
Task Cards: Task cards help reinforce all concepts. With apt and colorful diagrams and a variety of questions, students can engage in peer discussions of circulatory system task cards, fostering a deeper understanding. This is a fun way of using task cards for your classroom.
5. Merging Technology with Biology
Videos to further Explore the human circulatory system: A fun video showing a journey takes students through arteries, inside the heart, and even into capillaries, offering an unmatched immersive insight into the circulatory dynamics.
Doodles / Graphic Organizers: After a video session, doodling sessions allow students to creatively express their interpretations and solidify their observations. They are a fantastic way to apply the knowledge as they explore different parts of the graphic organizer, understand it and fill the gaps and may be have fun coloring it too! In my circulatory system doodles, you get two types of graphic organizers: Blank doodles and Fill in the blank type doodles to suit the needs of different kind of learners in a class.
Worksheets / Test Sheets: I distribute printable worksheets challenging students to test their content understanding of the human circulatory system.
7. Integrating Knowledge: Systems Working in Tandem
Body System Project: The circulatory system project is a file folder type activity presenting beautiful diagrams to help them, identify, label the part and do more. It is a fun activity to end this unit with. Students can work individually or in groups to complete this file folder activity on circulatory system. This can be a part of their interactive notebooks as well.
Concluding The Classes to Teach Circulatory System
Teaching human circulatory system in middle school is a lot about intertwining academic rigor with hands-on exploration and fun worksheets in an easy-to-understand manner for the students. My approach aims to ensure that every student leaves with not only a clear understanding of the topic, but also an enduring curiosity about the wonders of human body systems. Teaching human biology is one of my favorite sections of the curriculum to go through across the academic year – what is yours?
The Circulatory System Academic Information for Middle School
The circulatory system, also known as the cardiovascular system, is a complex network that functions to deliver nutrients, oxygen, and hormones to cells throughout the body. It also removes waste products like carbon dioxide and metabolic byproducts.
Human Circulatory System Infographic
Human Circulatory System Parts: Major Components
- Heart: An organ that pumps blood throughout the body.
- Blood Vessels: Tubes that carry blood. Three main types of blood vessels are:
- Arteries: Carry blood away from the heart.
- Veins: Return blood to the heart.
- Capillaries: Tiny blood vessels where oxygen and nutrients are exchanged with tissues.
- Blood: The red liquid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels. It carries oxygen, nutrients, and waste products.
Basics of The Human Heart:
- The human heart is divided into four chambers: two atria (top chambers) and two ventricles (bottom chambers).
- The heart beats or contracts to pump blood. The beat is called a pulse.
- The average heart rate for middle school kids is about 70 to 100 beats per minute when at rest.
All About “Blood“:
- Blood in the human body is composed of following:
- Red Blood Cells: Carry oxygen.
- White Blood Cells: Fight infections.
- Platelets: Help blood clot.
- Plasma: The liquid part of blood, made mostly of water and dissolved substances.
Circulatory Circulation Process:
- Blood travels in a cycle – heart > to > body > to > heart > to > lungs and back to the heart.
- Systemic Circulation: Carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the body and returns deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
- Pulmonary Circulation: Carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs (to pick up oxygen) and returns oxygenated blood back to the heart.
Basics of Blood Vessels:
- Arteries: Thick-walled vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to all parts of the body. The largest artery is the aorta.
- Veins: Vessels that carry oxygen-poor blood back to the heart. They have valves that prevent blood from flowing backward.
- Capillaries: The smallest blood vessels, where the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and waste products occurs with body cells.
Role of Circulatory System and its Parts in the Human Body:
- Delivers oxygen and nutrients to cells.
- Removes waste products for elimination.
- Distributes hormones and other substances.
- Helps regulate body temperature.
- Protects the body (through white blood cells and the clotting process).
Common Circulatory System Related Disorders:
- Hypertension: Also known as high blood pressure, it increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Atherosclerosis: Hardening and narrowing of arteries due to plaque build-up.
- Heart Attack: Damage to the heart muscle due to lack of blood supply.
- Stroke: Occurs when a part of the brain doesn’t get enough blood.
Explore a complete bundle of teaching resources on circulatory system that helps you cover the important units and sub-units of this human body system throughout your classes: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Circulatory-System-Bundle-Activities-Doodles-Color-by-Number-Heart-Diagrams-9254528