table of contentsTABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .......................................................................................... I

Objectives .......................................................................................... VI

Teaching Suggestions and Additional Activities .......................... VII

Research and Standards .................................................................. XI

Circulatory System

Student Lesson ........................................................................... 1

Activity Sheets ............................................................................ 6

Respiratory System

Student Lesson ......................................................................... 11

Activity Sheets .......................................................................... 16

Health Issues

Student Lesson ......................................................................... 21

Activity Sheets .......................................................................... 27

Injuries and Illnesses

Student Lesson ......................................................................... 30

Activity Sheets .......................................................................... 39

Review

Review Sheets .......................................................................... 43

Assessments

Quizzes ..................................................................................... 47

Unit Test .................................................................................... 55

Answer Key ....................................................................................... 61

introductionINTRODUCTION

As growing and maturing individuals, adolescents must be prepared to

care for themselves independently after graduation from high school. A

basic understanding of their bodies and how they work is an important

step in the process of moving from dependence to independence.

Learning about the body systems, particularly how they interact and

affect each other, enables students to better care for themselves and

their health.

The five binders that comprise the revised Know Your Body series now

cover ten basic systems of the human body and include updated

information. Each binder is considered a unit in the series and completely

discusses two closely related systems. Students label, organize, categorize,

associate, and relate terms and functions of these systems through various

activities. A new section in each binder, Health Issues, addresses health

topics related to each system, such as how to treat common illnesses and

when to seek a doctor’s advice.

Originally conceived by LD specialist Ellen McPeek Glisan, Know Your

Body has been specifically written for struggling readers and students

with learning disabilities. It is also appropriate for English language

learners and adult learners. For this revision, contributing author Debra

J. Weltha has written material that meets the unique needs of struggling

and reluctant learners. A certified secondary science teacher and special

education teacher, she has combined solid science concepts in the

lessons with high-interest activities. While the reading level has been

kept low, the material is presented in an age-appropriate fashion.

Detailed illustrations help readers comprehend complex concepts.

Ultimately, the Know Your Body series provides learners with important

functional knowledge and helps them master concepts tested on

high-stakes assessments.

I

Student Lessons

The first four sections all begin with a

student lesson that discusses important

points and highlights interesting facts. The

two system lessons begin with a labeled

diagram of the system being studied. On

the first page, important vocabulary words

used in the lesson are presented with

simple definitions. Then, to increase the

students’ comprehension of the lesson,

two pre-reading activities are provided.

The first activity summarizes major points

students will learn in the lesson. The second activity asks students to

make personal connections to the content by posing several “Have You

Ever” questions.

Lessons are deliberately kept short and contain easy-to-understand

sentence constructions. In general, the reading level is 3.0–5.0. However,

key science vocabulary is retained. As various parts of the system are

discussed, appropriate drawings and diagrams are presented to illustrate

important facts and concepts. These visuals help students better

understand the text and increase the interest level.

III

Activity SheetsThree or more reproducible

activity sheets accompany

each lesson. Each of these

activities has been carefully

designed to reinforce student

learning of the objectives

while providing a variety of

formats. Many activities tap

into residual skills such as

organizing, categorizing,

reasoning, and analytical

thinking. Worksheets can be

used as individual assignments or as collaborative

activities for partners or small groups.

Review Sheets

Reproducible worksheets that

review key information about

the circulatory and respiratory

systems are also included.

These sheets help prepare

students for quizzes and

unit tests.

IV

Quizzes and Unit TestsTwo levels of assessment

are provided for measuring

mastery of the objectives.

Quizzes test key concepts

from each lesson. The unit

test covers all of the material

in the binder. Two different

types of quizzes are included:

fill-in-the-blank and multiple-

choice. Teachers can choose

the type of assessment that best

fits their students’ needs. Alternatively,

one type of quiz can be used as a

pretest and the other as a posttest.

Answer Key

An answer key for every activity sheet, review

sheet, and quiz, as well as the unit test, is

provided in the back of the binder.

V

There are two forms of the unit

test. Form A includes word banks

and fill-in-the-blank test items.

Form B asks students to choose

and circle the correct answer from

two possible choices. Teachers

should administer the form that

best fits their students’ abilities.

Form A

Form B

VI

objectivesOBJECTIVES

After completing this unit in the Know Your Body series, students will be

able to

• explain the purpose of the circulatory system.

• identify the parts of the heart.

• differentiate between the three types of blood vessels.

• name the largest blood vessels.

• identify the components of blood.

• explain the purpose of the respiratory system.

• describe how the circulatory and respiratory systems work together.

• differentiate between the gases used in respiration.

• explain the path of air through the body.

• explain how the diaphragm helps people breathe.

• explain why hand washing is important to good health.

• describe how to treat colds and coughs at home.

• compare and contrast allergies, colds, and influenza.

• list the symptoms of a life-threatening asthma attack.

• name five life-threatening situations.

• explain how and why to call 911.

• explain why children and teenagers should avoid aspirin.

• tell when not to move an injured person.

• explain the guidelines to use when deciding to call for medical care.

suggestions activitiesTEACHING SUGGESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Teaching Suggestions

• This binder is designed to be a complete unit with basic information on

the circulatory and respiratory systems.

• Science is best taught in an interactive manner. Please read and discuss

the material as a class whenever possible.

• While the text maintains a 3.0–5.0 reading level in general, critical

science terminology has been included and raises the technical

reading level of the text. Scientific terms are highlighted and defined

at the beginning of each lesson. When teaching and reviewing the

vocabulary, use a variety of interactive activities to help students

better comprehend the text. For example:

a. Divide the class into two teams. Give a definition to one team.

The team must correctly identify and spell the vocabulary word.

Continue to give definitions to that team until a word is incorrectly

identified or spelled. Then, give the second team a turn at

receiving definitions. Teams receive a point for each correct

answer. The game ends after all the vocabulary words have been

matched to definitions or after a predetermined number of points

has been reached by one team.

b. Create bingo cards using a 5 x 5 grid. Label the rows 1, 2, 3, 4,

and 5. Label the columns A, B, C, D, and E. Distribute one bingo

card to each student. Read a definition and a grid location.

Instruct students to write the correct vocabulary word in the

correct grid location. The first student who completes a row

or column wins the game.

c. Play a game of vocabulary charades. Assign each vocabulary

word to a different pair of students, and have the partners

illustrate the word’s meaning on an overhead transparency.

VII

Then, provide time for each pair to show its transparency to

the class. Ask the class to guess which vocabulary word is

being illustrated. The presenting pair may not speak or give

hints to the class.

• Do a variety of high-interest, hands-on activities so students will learn

that science can be fun.

• Use hand motions and “silly” things to help students remember

important facts.

• Watch for cartoons and articles in the newspaper that can be used to

show how the different systems of the human body do have an effect

on everyday life.

Additional Activities for Circulatory and Respiratory Systems

1. Use tennis balls to demonstrate how the heart works. Distribute a tennis

ball to each student. Tell the students to squeeze the balls, relax their

hold, squeeze again, relax, and so on, for a full minute. If students

squeeze the balls 70 times per minute, which is a normal pulse rate,

their hands will be tired at the end of a minute. Point out that this feeling

of fatigue gives a clear picture of how hard the heart works. The force

needed to squeeze the tennis ball is about the same force the heart

exerts to pump blood throughout the body.

2. Have students measure their respiration, or breathing, rates. As the

students sit quietly, ask them to count how many times they exhale,

or breathe out, in 15 seconds. (Use a wall clock or wristwatch with

a second hand to keep track of the 15 seconds.) Have the students

multiply the number of times they exhale by four to get their breathing

rates for a minute. For even more “scientific” results, do this activity

three times and find the average.

Next, ask the students to run in place for two minutes. Have them count

the number of times they exhale again. Multiply by four and record

the results. Ask the students what happens to their breathing rates as

VIII

they exercise. Explain that during exercise, a person’s body consumes

energy, so its cells need more oxygen than when it is resting. Therefore,

a person needs to breathe in more often to take in more oxygen.

This activity can be expanded in several ways. For example, add other

activities such as singing, jumping, running up and down the hall, and

laying down to relax. Have the students ask a parent to do the same

activities to compare a teenager’s respiration to an adult’s respiration.

Caution: Anyone with heart and/or respiratory problems like

asthma should be very cautious when doing this activity.

3. Modify the second activity by having students take their pulse rates

instead of their respiration rates. Teach the students how to take their

own pulses. Point out that some people find the carotid artery near the

“Adam’s apple” in the neck easier to use than the artery in the wrist.

Remind students not to use their thumbs because the thumb has its

own pulse and will probably double the actual pulse rate.

4. Explain that lung cancer currently kills more people per year than any

other cancer. The five-year survival rate for lung cancer victims is only

15% (compared to 68% of breast cancer victims). Emphasize that

most lung cancer can be traced directly to one cause—smoking. The

best advice on cigarette smoking is still given by the American Heart

Association—“Be Smart, Don’t Start.”

• Present research studies to the students about the tie between

smoking and lung cancer.

• Invite speakers, such as doctors, scientists, and even patients, to talk

about lung cancer.

• Place posters around the school that discuss the detrimental effects

of smoking, for example, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes,

and premature babies.

• Calculate the yearly cost of smoking even one pack of cigarettes per

day, adding that some heavy smokers will smoke two to four packs

a day.

IX

X

Suggested Resources

A visual dictionary/encyclopedia of the human body is a useful companion

to the Know Your Body series. Such a resource will help provide answers

to additional questions. It is also a good way for students to see the details

of the body that are not covered in this program. The following books

are recommended:

William, Francis. (1997). Human Body. NY: Dorling Kindersley Ltd.

(part of the Inside Guides series).

Parker, Steve. (1992). Human Body. NY: Dorling Kindersley Ltd.

(part of the Eyewitness Explorers series).

Walls, Byrn. (1991). The Visual Dictionary of the Human Body.

NY: Dorling Kindersley, Ltd. (part of the Eyewitness Visual

Dictionaries series).

research and standards

XI

RESEARCH AND STANDARDS

The amount of learning that takes place in content areas is directly related

to a student’s level of reading skills. In general, the better the reader is,

the higher the student achievement in the content area. Students with

below-grade-level reading skills often flounder when faced with complex

sentence structures. Vocabulary becomes a major deterrent to students’

mastery of the content when the words are presented with complicated

and lengthy definitions. As Sousa states, “The students’ lack of confidence

in reading can affect all their school work” (2001). In fact, scientific literacy

is now seen as a requirement for building scientific knowledge (Torres-

Velasquez and Rodriguez, 2005).

To meet the needs of these struggling secondary readers in science, PCI

has revised the Know Your Body series. Sentences have been written

using simple structures, and sentence length has been kept to a minimum.

Vocabulary words have been given clear and concise definitions. Most

importantly, lessons have been written so that reading comprehension

skills and science content intertwine. Explicit objectives for each lesson

are provided in “Things to Look For,” which helps students establish a

purpose for reading. Prior knowledge and predictions are elicited through

discussions of the “Terms to Know” and “Have You Ever” features on the

first page of each lesson (Dimino and Kolar, 1990). By combining these

metacognitive strategies, research has shown that reading comprehension,

both literal and inferential, can be significantly improved as shown by

scores on standardized assessments (Nolan, 1991).

In addition, the Know Your Body series meets the content standards for

middle school students set by the National Academy of Science. The

following are applicable points from Content Standard F:

“As a result of activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop [an]

understanding of personal health.”

“By middle school students begin to realize that illness can be caused by

various factors, such as . . . malfunctioning of organs and organ systems,

health habits, and environmental conditions. Students in grades 5–8

tend to focus on physical more than mental health. They associate health

with food and fitness more than with other factors such as safety and

substance abuse. One very important issue for teachers in grades 5–8 is

overcoming students’ perceptions that most factors related to health are

beyond their control.”

“Developing a scientific understanding of health is the focus of this

standard. Healthy behaviors and other aspects of health education are

introduced in other parts of school programs.”

Dimino, J. and C. Kolar (1990, November). Using Frames to Improve At-Risk Students’ Comprehension in the Content Areas. http://searcheric.org/ericdb/ED331015.htm

The National Academy of Science. “National Science Education Standards: An Overview.” The National Academics Press, 2004. http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/overview.html#content

Nolan, Thomas E. (1991, October). Self-Questioning and Prediction: Combining Metacognitive Strategies. Journal of Reading, 35, 132–138.

Sousa, D. A. (2001). How the Special Needs Brain Learns. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Torres-Velasquez, D. and D. Rodriguez (2005). Mathematics & Science Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Paper delivered, CEC Convention, Baltimore, MD.

XII

P C I R E P R O D U C I B L E Know Your Body2

Material Transport The purpose of the circulatory system is to carry materials throughout your

body. This group of organs carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells. The

circulatory system also removes waste from the cells. Blood is the fluid

used by the circulatory system to carry materials to every part of your body.

The path that blood takes around your body is like a circle that goes

around and around, with no beginning and no end. This circular movement

▲

▲

▲ ▲

blood with carbon dioxide

oxygen-richblood

oxygen-richblood

blood with carbon dioxide

body

heart

lungs

Have You Ever …

• felt your heartbeat?

• noticed that the veins in your

wrist are blue?

• had a cut that formed a scab?

P C I R E P R O D U C I B L E Know Your Body

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

circulatory

6

Directions: Use words from the word bank to label the major parts of the

heart on the diagram. Write your answers in the blanks.

Word Bank

aorta left atrium left ventricle

right atrium right ventricle vena cava

THE BEATING HEART

Circulatory and Respiratory Systems

1

2

3

4

5

6

P C I R E P R O D U C I B L E Know Your Body

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

circulatory

7

MAGIC NUMBER

Circulatory and Respiratory Systems

Directions: Match each word in List A with its description in List B. Write

the number in the box of the matching letter.

List A

______ A. plasma

______ B. platelets

______ C. atriums

______ D. circulatory

______ E. ventricles

______ F. artery

______ G. vein

______ H. capillaries

______ I. white blood cells

List B

2. form blood clots and scabs

3. fight infection and kill bacteria

4. system that carries materials

throughout your body

5. carries blood back to the heart

6. bottom chambers of the heart

7. top chambers of the heart

8. carries blood away from the heart

9. colorless fluid in the blood

10. the smallest blood vessels

To discover the magic number,

add a row, column, or diagonal.

The answer should always be

the same.

Magic Number ___________

A B C

D E F

G H I