KS3 Biology Investigating the Effect of Exercise on Breathing Rate: Complete Lesson

This PowerPoint resource provides a hands-on and interactive lesson that teaches students how to plan and carry out an investigation into the physiological effects of exercise on breathing rate. Designed for middle school science classes, this lesson emphasizes practical skills and data analysis in a real-world context.

Key learning objectives:

• Explaining why breathing rate increases during exercise, linking it to the body’s demand for oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide.
• Planning and conducting an investigation to measure how different activity levels (low, moderate, high) impact breathing rates.
• Recording and analyzing data to draw conclusions about the relationship between exercise intensity and breathing rate.

Resource features:
The lesson begins with a starter activity to activate prior knowledge, prompting students to answer questions about gas exchange, oxygen transport, and the word equation for aerobic respiration. This prepares students to understand why breathing rates change during exercise.

Key activities include:
Practical Investigation:
Students plan an experiment with three levels of activity: sitting still, walking, and jogging/star jumps. They use a stopwatch to measure their breathing rate over a set time, repeat measurements for reliability, and calculate averages.
Data Analysis:
Results are recorded in a table and plotted on a bar graph. Students analyze patterns and discuss why higher intensity activities result in higher breathing rates.
Critical Thinking:
Reflection questions encourage students to consider experimental limitations, such as human error or insufficient resting time, and propose improvements.

The lesson concludes with a review activity where students describe their findings, explain physiological changes during exercise (e.g., increased oxygen demand, carbon dioxide removal), and relate the results to aerobic respiration.

File details:
This editable ‘.pptx’ file aligns with middle school science curricula. It includes clear instructions, practical guidance, and interactive activities, making it an essential resource for teaching scientific investigation and the physiological effects of exercise.