Subject: Science

Grade: 5^th

Time needed: 90 minutes

1. Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1. Successfully find their own pulse rate from their carotid or radial artery.
2. Graph their pulse rates from different exercise activities.

• Pulse transparency
• Stop watches or clock with second hand
• The Racing Heart handout
• Colored pencils
• Computers with graphing program (Microsoft Excel)

Introduction:

Discuss with students briefly what they learned from the previous lesson, The Journey of a Red Blood Cell. Be sure to discuss why the red blood cells had to move faster through the body at the end of the lesson. Students should respond that the person was exercising and that when they exercise the heart has to work harder to transport oxygen faster to the body’s cells.

Motivation:

1. Place the pulse transparency on the overhead.
2. Explain to the students that they will have to be able to find their pulse for today’s lesson.
3. Have each student find their radial pulse on their wrist and count their heart beats for 10 seconds. Have students multiply this number by six to get their pulse rate for one minute.
4. Have students find their carotid pulse from their neck and count their heartbeats for 10 seconds. Have students multiply this number by six to get their pulse rate for one minute.
5. Ask students, should your pulse taken from the carotid and the radial arteries be the same? Why or why not?
6. After students are comfortable finding their pulses, pass out the handouts for the activity.

Content to be covered:

During this activity students will learn to find their pulse rate while at rest and after physical activity.

Student Activities:

1. Have students record their resting pulse rate on their handout before they forget.
2. Go over the handout with the whole class. Discuss what they students are to do and answer any questions they may have.
3. Have students make their hypothesis and write it on their handouts.
4. Explain to the students that they are going to be split into groups and that in their groups they are going to work together to complete the experiment. Explain that one group member is going to keep time for the other group member while they are performing the activity, but that each member will perform each activity.
5. Split the class into groups of two and distribute one stopwatch to each group.
6. Allow students to begin and state that they have only about 20 minutes to complete the experiment.
7. Move around the classroom to aid any groups that may need extra help.

Independent Practice:

After each group has completed the experiment, have students return to their own desks. Have each student complete the conclusion section on his or her handout.

Have the students look on the back of their handout and explain to them that they are to graph their results from their experiment on the paper provided. Revisit how to graph data with the students. Discuss what the title of their graph should be, what the y and x-axis’ should be labeled, and how to create a bar graph.

After students have completed their graphs, go to the computer lab. Have the students use Microsoft Excel to graph their data in a pie graph. This can be done the next day if class time does not allow it the same day.

In the computer lab, model how to use Excel for the students before having them begin. This can be done using the teacher’s computer and having the students follow on their screens or by using the program Altiris Vision if your computer lab is equipped with the program.

After students have completed their pie graphs with Excel and printed them, have them compare their two graphs. Discuss as an entire class the differences between the two graphs. Do they both show the same information? Which is easier to read and why? Etc.

After the discussion, have students turn in their work to be assessed.

Working in groups to complete an activity can be difficult for some students because it can turn into social time. Remind students that they are to work together and help each other, but that they are only going to be given 20 minutes to complete their experiment in class. What does not get done in class will have to be done for homework. This brief reminder will motivate students to work efficiently to get their work done in the allowed time because most hate to have homework.

1. After giving instruction and walking around the class to help struggling groups, it as evident which student could find their pulse from either their carotid or radial artery. Most students found it easier to find their pulse from the carotid artery.

2. After collecting students work, it was evident who was comfortable with graphing data. Graphing is a very important skill and will be revisited many more times in other lessons.

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