The Heart (including Dissection lesson) - GCSE or KS3 Biology - Full Slides, Animation and Worksheet

Contains: structure of the heart, name of major vessels and chambers, oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, animations showing path of blood flow on both sides of the heart

Image warning: Contains photographs of a lamb’s heart (from real classroom demonstration) for comparison with diagrams of the heart, making this resource ideal for remote learning during Covid-19 or a lesson where you are unable to do the actual demonstration.

Suitable as a stretch and challenge lesson for Year 8 / KS3 (this is who I originally created the resource for) but also ideal for Year 10/11 GCSE Biology students as a first or second lesson on the Heart.

Lesson plan

• Starter - recap activity on Gas Exchange/Respiration (5 minutes)
• Lab safety activity on board with answers on next slide (10 minutes)
• Heart Dissection Demonstration - ask a student to play the animation back and forth to show direction of blood flow while you demo the heart (15 - 20 minutes). Interesting things to show: the heart strings (students will enjoy pulling on this/trying to break them), the inside of the aorta (turn this inside out with your finger and ask students why it is mostly white/yellow in colour - fat).
• Fill-the-gap worksheet to summarise the names of each vessel, valves and sides of the heart (10 minutes). Answers are on the PowerPoint for self assessment at the end (2-3 minutes).