OCR GCSE (9-1) Biology - The heart and blood

This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology ‘Scaling up’ scheme of work.

The lesson begins by introducing the heart as an organ and it’s function in the body, pupils will have a few minutes to read through the information on the slide as a ‘memory test’. Then move the slide forward where pupils have to copy and complete the information about the heart, using key words to help them. Pupils can then self-assess their work.

For the next activity pupils are given an information sheet providing information about the structure of the heart and the job of the blood vessels supplying/taking blood away from the hear. Pupils will also be given a worksheet which they will need to complete using this information.

Pupils will then be introduced to the idea of valves, they can watch a short video an have a look at the position of the valves within the heart. They will need to Think > Pair > Share ideas about the function of the valves in the heart. After a short class discussion the answer can be provided for them.

The next activity will require pupils to sort information into a flow diagram to demonstrate the route the blood flows through from the right atrium onwards. The words they need to fill in the boxes will be provided, they can self-assess their work once it has been completed.

Next, pupils will be given a place mat worksheet which has questions about each of the four components of the blood. Each student will then be given a slip of information about these four components, the students will need to share information to complete their place mat. Once complete, the answers which will be provided on the PowerPoint slide can be used for pupils to either self-assess or peer-assess their work.

Pupils will now look at how red blood cells transport of oxygen around the body, once this has been explained using diagrams on the PowerPoint slide pupils will then need to arrange sentences into an order to show how this process occurs. Once completed pupils will self-assess their work using the answers provided.

The next activity is a True or False activity about what the students have learnt so far, this could be extended by asking students to re-writing the incorrect sentences so that they make sense.

The final activity is a past-paper question on the components of blood, which pupils can then peer or self-assess.