1. LESSON TITLE: THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM, PART I (OVERVIEW)
Hiep Nguyen
GETTING YOURSELF READY
Materials:
- 22 worksheets
- 22 homeworks
- Marker bucket
- Butcher paper (in room)
- 2-3 pairs of Scissors
- Blue and Red Colored
Pencils (for
diagramming blood
flow) Red for blood
flowing away from
heart, Blue for blood
flowing towards heart.
- Blue and Red Expo
Markers (for use on
board).
Your Preparation:
- Prepare worksheets and
homeworks ahead of time.
- Write “Do Now” on the
board.
Agenda (w/times):
- Do Now (2 minutes)
- Step 1 (7 minutes)
- Step 2 (10 minutes)
Step 3 (15 minutes)
- Step 4 (5 minutes)
- Structured Practice (10
minutes, to be continued
in next class period)
- Closure (1 minute, to be
continued in next class
period)
GETTING YOUR STUDENTS READY
Do Now: What gas comes into your body, and what gas is released? Think back to photosynthesis and
think of the same reaction happening, but in reverse.
Purpose: We are doing this because…
- Knowing blood flow demonstrates good visualizing skills needed for future classes
- Blood flow is how our body exchanges critical gases like O2 and CO2 needed for cell respiration,
and body function
Objective: Today you will be able to…
- Know what arteries, veins, capillaries are
- Know what two gases are exchanged in
circulatory system
- Understand the overall pathway of blood
through the circulatory system
- Know the two primary organs (lung and
heart) responsible for operating the
circulatory system
- Know the two kinds of blood cells
- Difference between pulmonary and body
(systemic) arteries and veins
Proving behavior: by…
- Visualizing instead of memorizing blood
flow pathway through heart, lungs and body
- Diagramming blood flow on butcher paper

2. BUILDING THE SKILL
Note: The steps are based on your task analysis. Say is your verbal explanation. See and Do are what the
students will see and do during the step. Remember that the “Do” should apply the principles of Active
Participation (PSCMRK!).
Step 1:
7 minutes
Say: The cardiovascular system pumps blood, heats and protects your body against
diseases.
- It helps move oxygen and carbon dioxide around in our body.
- Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. They have thick
walls that can sustain high amounts of pressure. Use Red on board.
- Veins are blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart. They have thinner
walls that sustain less pressure. Use blue on board.
- Capillaries in the lungs connect arteries and veins together. They send oxygen
out and collect carbon dioxide dissolved within blood.
See: Students take guided notes and draw pictures of arteries, veins and capillaries on
their handouts along with the teacher.
Do: On your whiteboards: Partner A: Draw a picture of veins and write down their
definition. Partner B: Draw a picture of arteries and write down their definition. Share
once you finish.
Step 2:
10 minutes
Say: There are two main types of blood cells.
- Red Blood Cells carry oxygen. Oxygen-rich blood is bright red and oxygen-poor
blood is dark red.
- White Blood Cells Fight against infection and disease.
- (Fill out Diagram with Teacher)
- Oxygen-poor blood will flow through the vena cava, into the right atrium and
to the right ventricle, and out to the lung through the pulmonary artery.
- In the lung, the blood flows from the pulmonary artery to the capillary. Oxygen
diffuses into the blood.
See: Students take guided notes, and draw the beginning of a blood flow diagram that
the teacher will also draw on the board. Use red for blood flowing away from heart.
Use blue for blood flowing towards heart.
Do (May work with partner): On your whiteboards: Please draw blood flow from the heart
to the lung, labeling the vena cava, the right atrium, right ventricle, lung, pulmonary
artery and capillary. Students will share with partners for 1 minute, and then will
come up to board. Use red for blood flowing away from heart. Use blue for blood
flowing towards heart.
Step 3:
15 minutes
Say: The blood then flows from the lung back to the heart through the pulmonary vein.
- Blood re-enters the heart through the pulmonary vein.
- It enters the left atrium, and then the left ventricle.
- The heart then pumps the blood back out to the body through the aorta and into
the systemic arteries.
See: Students take guided notes, and fill in the blood flow diagram that the teacher will
also draw on the board. Use red for blood flowing away from heart. Use blue for blood
flowing towards heart.
Do: (May work with partner) On your whiteboards, please draw blood flow on your
whiteboards from the moment it leaves the lung to the moment blood flows into the
arteries. Label the pulmonary vein, left atrium, left ventricle, aorta and systemic
arteries. Use red for blood flowing away from heart. Use blue for blood flowing
towards heart.

3. Step 4:
5 minutes
Say: The blood travels all throughout the body. As the blood travels, the blood moves
from the systemic arteries to the systemic veins.
- The systemic arteries become systemic veins and move blood back to the
heart, where the blood enters the vena cava. The cycle starts over again as the
blood is pumped from the heart to the pulmonary arteries to the lung. Use red
for blood flowing away from heart. Use blue for blood flowing towards heart.
See: Students take guided notes, and finish the blood flow diagram the teacher has
drawn on the board in the space provided in their notes.
Do: Partner A: Where does blood go after it leaves the systemic arteries? The systemic
veins.
Partner B: Where does blood re-enter the heart? The vena cava.
PRACTICING THE SKILL
Structured Practice is teacher-led and moves towards increasing student responsibility by changing time,
materials / resources or grouping. Guided Practice is student-centered while teacher monitors. Both are
aligned to objective!
Structured Practice
Add / delete number of practice tasks as necessary. You may refer to question numbers on a handout
(instead of re-writing), but be sure to include the handout as a clearly-labeled document in your folder.
Practice Task 1
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: Marker
bucket, Butcher
paper, scissors
Group Size: 2
Description / Example:
Students will now complete a diagram of blood flow printed on sheets of butcher
paper with markers. They will label the aorta, lung, vena cava, capillaries,
pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, systemic arteries, and systemic veins.
Use red for blood flowing away from heart. Use blue for blood flowing towards
heart.
Independent Practice / Homework:
Students will have homework questions on blood flow and the circulatory system.
Closure:
On your whiteboards, write why pulmonary veins and arteries differ from systemic veins and systemic
arteries. This will be the same question posed for the “Do Now” tomorrow, so you will have today and
tomorrow to finish.