TEACHING UNIT: THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

LEVEL: 3rd ESO

1. LEARNING OUTCOMES: the students must achieve the following
objetives:
the importance of the Circulatory System to transport nutrients,
gases and wastes to and from the cells in our body;
the importance of the Circulatory System to help fight diseases and
to control the body temperature
be aware of the importance of having healthy habits to prevent
cardiovascular diseases
overcome some firmed misconceptions students and many people
have relating to heart, blood circulation, etc.
2. SUBJECT CONTENTS:
anatomy and functions of the circulatory system
differences between the three kind of vessels: arteries, veins and
capillaries
heart anatomy (chambers and vessels that empty into and take the
blood from it)
double circulatory system in humans
3. LANGUAGE CONTENTS
3.1.

VOCABULARY

specific vocabulary: heart, vessel, artery, vein, capillary, blood,

chamber, ventricule, atrium (pl. atria), valve, plasma, red blood
cells, white blood cells, platelets, bone marrow, vena cava, aorta
measures and shape and comparative and superlative forms of
each: thin, thick, narrow, large, oxygenated, deoxygenated,
common verbs: flow, carry, pump, carry out, release, beat, bleed,
provide
3.2.

STRUCTURES

- comparing: i.e. what is the difference between...?; the most

abundant...; ...larger than...; the largest artery...;
- describing processes: i.e. ...consists of...; ...branch along...; ...run
through...; ...pump into...
- expressin amounts: i.e. about; only; etc.

- expressing purpose: i.e. blood is necessary to transport...

- expressing directions: i.e. into, along...
- expressing cause and results: due to; because of; as a result; etc.
3.3.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

- brainstorm
What is the main difference between arteries and veins? Its
very frecuent to hear: arteries carry oxygenated blood and veins
carry de-oxigenated blood
What happens when the blood flows through the lungs? They try
to explain that lungs clean away all carbon dioxide waste
Make the students draw the pathway a drop of blood takes as
it leaves the heart and travels through the body and lungs
These are very frecuent

- listenings like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruM4Xxhx32U

and
- songs with lyrics like http://www.sciencemusicvideos.com/pumpit-up-circulatory-system-rap/ and then a quiz about the song
after we watch the video http://braingenie.ck12.org/skills/107610
Project 1: The importance of being healthy
Read the following test about living a healthy life.

Is there anything that we can do to keep our cardiovasuclar system

healthy? If we forget certain rules about keeping healthy we are much
more likely to become ill.
Here you are some of these rules:
A healthy diet. If we eat a balanced diet our bodies receive the
correct supply of nutrients and energy in order to ensure that our
bodies can function correctly.
Physical exercise. It is extremely important to keep our motor
systems in good working order.
Avoid Dangerous Substances. Tobacco, alcohol and drugs are bad for
us.
PROCEDURE The class will divide into groups of 3 students; each one
will research one of the following issues.
1. A healthy diet.
2. Dangerous Substances.
3. Physical excesises.
Project 2: Lets make a heart
You need for this activity:
Red pencil (it represents oxygenated blood)
Blue pencil (it represents non-oxygenated blood)
Yellow pencil (for the valves)
Glue
Scissors
A photocopy of the next page
A sheet of paper of your notebook
Step 1
Colour the white spaces on the right side of the heart in blue and the white
spaces on the left side of the heart in red. Cut out the heart and add glue
all over the back and stick it in the middle of a page of your notebook.
Step 2
Colour parts 2 and 3 red. Cut out and glue only a small part of the back of
the ar-rowed ends and stick on top of the appropriate numbers. Part 2
brings oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart and part 3 is carrying
oxygenated blood from the heart to the body.
Step 3
Colour parts 4, 5 and 6 blue. Cut out and glue only a small part at the back
of the arrowed ends and stick over the appropriate numbers. Parts 4 and 5
are bringing the used blood to the lungs from the body and part 6 takes the

used blood to the lungs to be re-supplied with oxygen. Notice blood on the
left side of the heart does not mix with blood from the right side.
Step 4
Colour parts 7 and 8 yellow. Cut them out and then cut along the dotted
lines. Paste the arrowed edges and stick on to the cut along the line with
the appropriate number. Try to stick these valves so that they can open and
close.
Part 9
Cut around the shape of the heart and sticking tab and fix so that the heart
is com-pletely covered.
Finally, label the following in the diagram:
Right atrium Left atrium
Left ventricle Pulmonary vein
Right ventricle Vena cava
Aorta Tricuspid valve
Pulmonary artery Mitral valve

https://quizlet.com/21573227/heart-anatomy-set-1-flash-cards/
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/health-and-medicine/humananatomy-and-physiology/heart-introduction/p/heart-flash-cards-1
http://www.sciencemusicvideos.com/heart-anatomy-flashcards/
for quizzes and flashcards games