Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes	Part A. Activating Prior Knowledge
10 minutes	Part B. What is Your Respiratory System?
40 minutes	Part C. Comparing the Respiratory Systems of Sharks and Turtles
50 minutes	Part D. Applying Scientific Knowledge to Help Protect Species
10 minutes	Reflection

Preparation

Before beginning this lesson, invite students to watch the following clip and answer the associated questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Respiratory System, part 1: Crash Course (https://youtu.be/bHZsvBdUC2I)

What is the respiratory system?
What are some of the parts of the respiratory system?
What does bulk flow describe?
What does diffusion describe?
Describe three things that you found interesting about this video.
What questions does this video leave you with?

Part A. Activating Prior Knowledge

Step 1.

Invite students to share the answers to the questions completed as part of the Preparation activity. In addition, invite students to brainstorm answers to the following questions:

Why do we breathe?
Do all organisms breathe?
How do you think a turtle's respiratory system might be different from that of a shark?
How do you think a shark's respiratory system might be different from that of a human?
What is the difference between respiration and breathing?

Through your discussion, ensure that students understand the following points:

Breathing is the physical process where you inhale and exhale air in and out of your lungs.
Inhaling air brings oxygen into your lungs, which is then absorbed and exchanged for carbon dioxide.
You will then breath out the carbon dioxide when you exhale.
The oxygen you inhaled is carried in your blood to the cells around your body where respiration takes place.
Respiration is a chemical reaction where oxygen is used to breakdown glucose in order to generate energy which is then used by the cell to function.

Part B. What is Your Respiratory System?

Step 1.

Explain to students that later in this lesson, they will be comparing the respiratory systems of two marine animals. First, however, they will look at the respiratory system inside themselves.

Invite students to team up with a classmate. Distribute a copy of the Human Respiratory System Diagram, and invite students to label and annotate their diagrams using the following labels (also available on the diagram)

SINUS/NASAL CAVITY
This is the area around your nose and eyes that cleans the air that you breathe in.

PHARYNX
This is behind the nose and mouth.

LARYNX
This is in the neck and contains your vocal chords.

TRACHEA
This connects the pharynx and larynx to the lungs. The trachea is responsible for the passage of air.

BRONCHI
These are small tubes that bring air to and from the lungs.

LUNG
This is the main part of the respiratory system. The lungs transfer oxygen to your bloodstream.

DIAPHRAGM
This is a muscle that moves up and down to expand your lungs. The diaphragm helps you breathe!

Step 2.

Ask pairs to swap their diagram with another pair. Distribute or display the following image to the class and ask each pair to correct the diagram belonging to the pair they swapped with.

Before moving onto the next step, invite students to share any questions they have about this activity. Can anyone answer these questions? Can you use these questions to guide further inquiry now or later?

Part C. Comparing the Respiratory Systems of Sharks and Turtles

Step 1.

Now explain to students that they will be looking at the respiratory systems of sharks and turtles.

Break the class into small groups or pairs. Each group needs to:

Undertake the research necessary to describe the respiratory systems of both sharks and turtles
Describe the similarities and differences between the two respiratory systems
Create a communicate piece that presents this information as either a poster, infographic (e.g. Piktochart), video, animation or other form of communication
Provide a glossary of key terms and organs relevant to both respiratory systems
One or two interesting facts about each animal that complements their presentation
Present the information to the class

Provide each group with a copy of the Communication Piece Assessment Rubric before they begin so they have an understanding of what is expected of them.

Step 2.

Invite each group to present their work to the class. Students can use copies of the Communication Piece Assessment Rubric to assess the works of other groups (or you can be responsible for assessment). If students are assessing, remind them to provide feedback that is helpful, kind and specific (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Tips for providing feedback

Be kind - It can be hard to share your ideas with others, so remain kind and supportive.
Be specific - Be clear about what you think and why. Rather than saying, ‘I like the colours, ’ say something like ‘, I like the ways those colours help create a mood that supports your message.
Be helpful - Try not to say what is strong or weak, but also make suggestions about how things could be improved.

Part D. Applying Scientific Knowledge to Help Protect Species

Step 1.

Now that students understand how one part of an animal's body can work, invite them to think about what they can do with this information; how might this information be used?

Working as a class, invite students to suggest answers to the following question:

Why is it important that we study and
understand the animals around us?

Write suggested answers on the board.

Step 2.

Now, explain to students that they will be watching two short clips. One of these clips talks about marine turtles and the other talks about sharks. As they watch, invite students to record notes on the following:

Anything that explains why it is important to study these animals
Anything interesting or surprising

Importance of marine turtles (https://vimeo.com/1056609220/37e6d8c08f)

For the love of sharks (https://vimeo.com/1056609005/fd59bf4c92)

Once complete, invite students to share their thoughts in response to the clips and add any further points related to the discussion question (Why is it important that we study and understand the animals around us?) to the board.

Step 3.

Explain to students that apart from being interesting, studying the physiology of organisms can also help us to protect them. Understanding how their bodies function can help us understand how they might react to environmental changes.

Working independently or in pairs, invite students to brainstorm answers to the following scenario:

Imagine you were a scientist studying one of the animals whose respiratory system you investigated. Like the scientists in the clips you watched, you are most interested in preserving this species and ensuring its survival. How would you use your knowledge of your animal to protect it? For example, could you use your knowledge to improve habitats, improve breeding sites, reduce threats, or increase food sources? How?

Once students have spent some time brainstorming ideas, each student should independently answer the following question in their workbooks or in the space provided on the Student Worksheet:

How can we apply our scientific
knowledge to protect animals?

Give students a set time to answer the question.

Once complete, students can either submit their answers or swap their answer with another student for assessment. Consider the following points in assessment:

Spelling/grammar
Has the question been answered?
Has the author used examples and do these examples help to answer the question?
What other information would be useful?

Reflection

Finally, invite students to work independently to answer the following Reflection Questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

How were the ideas presented in this lesson connected to what I already knew?
What ideas presented were new to me or extended my thinking?

Take It Further

Invite students to apply their learning in a real world context by participating in the Social Action lesson.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn’t work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Blue - Comparing Respiratory Systems

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions:

Students can...

Success criteria:

Students will...

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Info

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson