Exercise ( The Human Body)
This list provides further ideas and resources for teachers taking part in the BBC Terrific Scientific campaign. It offers activities linked to exercise and the human body.
The Circulation Game
A great way of demonstrating circulation is to carry out a whole class simulation with children. Children represent red blood cells as they move around a classroom-sized simulation of the human body simulating the dual circulation of blood. They may give oxygen to the organs then go back to the right side of the heart and flow to the lungs to get more oxygen. Then they flow to the left side of the heart to be pumped around the body.
This activity goes on to look at sickle cell anaemia and how this affects those with the inherited condition. There is also a diagram of the circulatory system to colour and label.
Heart Beaters (Ages 9-11)
The working of their heart muscles can be improved through exercise. Sports people who exercise regularly maintain a low resting heart rate and also have a fast recovery rate after exercise. One definition of a person’s ‘recovery rate’ is the difference between their heart rate when they have just stopped a strenuous activity (one where they are out of breath) and their heart rate 1 minute later. The healthier the heart, the more it will slow down in the first minute after exercise.
This resource contains 3 complete lessons and background knowledge to work scientifically investigating how and why our bodies change and recover after exercise.
What affects your heart rate?
This resource provides a set of videos and a practical investigation aimed at supporting working scientifically in the classroom and relating it to real world experiences. In the first video Professor Brian Cox joins a teacher to find out how to set up and run an investigation to find out how exercise affects heart rate. He then joins the class carrying out their experiment, who look at variation in heart rate across the class before and after exercise, as well as how long it takes their heart rate to return to normal. In the other videos Brian Cox visits a sports scientist, analysing the heart rate of athletes and scientists measuring how exercise affects climbers at high altitudes.
Animals, including humans: being human
A series of lessons all about the human body. They include activities in which children explore the structure of the heart and lungs and learn about the double circulation of blood through the lungs and the rest of the body. Lesson ideas also include investigating how exercise affects pulse rate and finding out why is exercise good for humans.
Mission X: train like an astronaut (training brochure)
Mission X is supported by the UK Space Agency, ESA and NASA. It is a free education programme developed by NASA scientists and fitness professional working with astronaut and space agencies across the world. Mission X uses the excitement of space exploration to inspire students to learn more about nutrition, exercise, science and space exploration. An international challenge activity takes place in January – March where additional special resources such as hook ups with astronauts and the international space station. Schools who register for the challenge will receive invitations to a range of additional space outreach activities.
The activities in this resource are designed for students aged 8 -14 but can be adapted to older and younger age groups. They can also be used for afterschool clubs and informal learning events.
The activities are organised into two main themes:
*Science Challenges relating to bone density, hydration and nutrition
*PE Challenges which look at the implications of living and working in a microgravity environment.
