NATURAL SCIENCE UNIT 5

INDEX
1. The circulatory system
2. Circulation
a. Pulmonary circulation
b. Systemic circulation
3. Excretion
a. The excretory system
b. Sweat glands

by
Rafael
Rodríguez
Pérez
NUTRITION II. Circulation and excretion 31
 NATURAL SCIENCE UNIT 5

1. THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

 Numbered heads together strategy. What function do these parts of the circulatory
system have?
The circulatory system consists of…
- BLOOD
- BLOOD VESSELS
- THE HEART

 1-2-group strategy. Match the parts of the circulatory system

and their definitions.
- It is a liquid substance in our body that gives nutrients
and oxygen to all the body cells. It also transports waste
products and CO2.
- They are tubes that transport blood throughout the
body.
- It is a special type of muscle and acts as a pump to send
blood around the body.

 Cooperative reading. Look, read and answer.

- Plasma. It is a clear fluid which
transports nutrients and waste around
the body.
- Red blood cells. These carry oxygen
from the lungs to all body cells.
- White blood cells. These protect the
body from germs and disease.
- Platelets. These are fragments of old
cells. They help to stop bleeding from
wounds.
a) What are the three types of blood cells?
b) What do they do?
c) Why do you think blood is red?

 Look and think. What blood vessel do nutrients, oxygen and carbon dioxide
(CO2) exchanges take part?

Capillaries have very thin walls. This

allows for nutrients and oxygen to pass
into the body cells, and for carbon dioxide
(CO2) and other waste products to leave
the cells.

NUTRITION II. Circulation and excretion 32

 NATURAL SCIENCE UNIT 5

 Work in pairs. Watch these two videos and draw a diagram of a heart and its
movements in your notebook. Then, check your partner’s diagram.

Heart song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=JFSF9n0zu18

How a normal heart pumps blood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=JA0Wb3gc4mE
 Reading twins strategy. Take a quick look at the text (15 seconds), write a
hypothesis about the text in your notebook. Later, tell it to your reading twin and
read cooperatively the text to check your hypotheses.
BLOOD SAVES LIVES
In Spain, a blood transfusion is needed every
two minutes! Blood transfusions are required after
traffic accidents, in a lot of operations and in the
treatment of some illnesses.
a) Where can you donate blood?
b) Should everyone donate?
c) Why is it important to volunteer? EXTRA CREDIT
Research what the different blood
types are and tell me what is yours.

2. CIRCULATION

 Team work. Watch this video about pulmonary and systemic circulation. Then,
contribute to make up a P.E. circuit to explain circulation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=NDk8fmIl9V8
Pulmonary and systemic
circulations
NUTRITION II. Circulation and excretion 33
 NATURAL SCIENCE UNIT 5

 Individual activity. Read and design a mini poster for your town.
CIRCULATION AND HEALTH
In order to look after our circulatory system...
- We should eat a healthy diet. Consume vegetable fats,
like olive oil, and foods that are high in iron, like pulses.
- We shouldn’t eat too many carbohydrates and fats.
- We should use salt in moderation.
- We should exercise regularly.
- We shouldn’t smoke.
- We shouldn’t consume excessive alcohol.

3. EXCRETION

 Read, look and discuss: How is each system related to excretion?

Excretion is the elimination of waste products from the blood. These substances
are toxic and need to be eliminated.

 Pencils in the centre strategy. Place your pencils in the centre of the table, talk about
the answer for each question and, when you think everyone has the answer, take
your pencil and write it in your notebook.
a) What do you think your kidneys do?
b) What would happen if your kidneys did not work well?
c) Could you live without kidneys?
d) What can you find in your bladder?

NUTRITION II. Circulation and excretion 34

 NATURAL SCIENCE UNIT 5

 Work in pairs. Watch this video and draw a diagram about the functioning of
the excretory system. Then, explain it to your partner.

Excretory system parts and functions Excretion in human

https://www.youtube.com/watch? https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=TZMJeZL-BVg v=EhnRhfFLyOg

 1-2-group strategy. Read and match organs and functions.

1. BLADDER a. They carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

2. URETHRA b. It stores urine until it leaves the body.

3. KIDNEYS c. It is a tube that releases urine out of the body.

4. URETERS d. They filter the blood, retain waste products and use them
to produce urine. They also reabsorb good nutrients and
water and return them to the blood.

 TPR. Let’s sweat! Stand up, listen and do.

- Take a walk around the classroom.
- March in place.
- Do 20 push-ups.
- Hop on your right foot.
- Hop on your left foot.
- Squat 15 times.

 Think in groups. What components does your

sweat contain? Write a list.
Sweat consists of:
- _____________________.
- _____________________.
- _____________________.

 Mini teaching activity. Look at the picture and

explain to your partner what a sweat gland is
and what it looks like.
Sweat glands are long, coiled tubes that are
inside the skin. They are connected to a pore
on the surface of the skin.

NUTRITION II. Circulation and excretion 35

 NATURAL SCIENCE UNIT 5

 Read and write TRUE or FALSE. Correct false sentences.

a. Sweat is formed in sweat glands.
b. Sweat has very little water.
c. Sweat cools our body when we are hot.
d. Waste products are not eliminated by sweating.
e. Sweat glands are not considered part of the excretory system.

 1-2 strategy. Copy this introduction and these two columns, listen and complete the
table. Then, check your answers in pairs.
It is very important to look after our excretory system, so we...

 Work in pairs. Complete the unit diagram.

NUTRITION II. Circulation and excretion 36