Introduction

Year 6 began their Science companion project with a ‘show what you know’ activity. The 9 bodily systems were displayed around the room, with children using a carousel movement to add their prior knowledge to the picture cards.  
The children then watched a video, which explained each bodily system and how it works to support the body. The children learned that each bodily system fits one or more of the 7 life processes. 

Heart Dissection

This week’s science investigations began with looking at the heart, its structure and function. The children learned how the blood flows in one direction, moving through the different chambers on the right side of the heart, to head towards the lungs and collect oxygen. 
They used videos and diagrams to understand how the blood then collected oxygen, headed back to the heart, and was then pumped back through the body. 
Following this, the children then took part in a sheep heart dissection: to identify the different internal features. 

Measuring heart rate

The second activity of the week involved the task of measuring heart rate. After discussions focused on pulse points, the children tested whether they could feel their own heart rate; helping embed the scientific vocabulary of resting heart rate and beats per minute. After completing some physical activity, the children found 5 areas on the body that could be used to test their pulse and workout which one gave a stronger reading or offered a more accurate measurement. 

Heart rate investigation

This week’s activity required the children to use their knowledge of measuring heart rate and how the body pumps blood more quickly when the body is exercising. 
The investigation enquiry question asked ‘ would a child with a lower resting heart rate be able to sprint faster than those with a higher resting heart rate?’ A whole class investigation then took place with children using mathematical skills to work out their own BPM, sharing of data to ensure fairness, then a measured sprint to get the second variable needed. This was then all added to a scatter graph with great precision, with the children then finding the best fit line to see if there was a positive, negative or no correlation with the data. 
Within their conclusion the children agreed that more precision was needed when measuring heart rate to ensure the investigation could be completed more accurately. 

Healthy foods for a healthy body.

In this week’s session the children discussed how exercise can help the heart and body stay fit and healthy. In addition to this, they looked at nutrition and traffic light food labels to help understand and discuss the positive and negative impact that lifestyle choices can have on the body. 

The effects of smoking, alcohol and drugs on the body

Today’s session began with the children sharing all their prior knowledge about smoking, alcohol and drugs. They then composed questions with their partner to research the negative effects that these factors can have upon the body. Finally they shared their research and discussed their evidence.