The Circulatory System

In this activity, students explore the interrelationship of structure and function in the circulatory system. They begin by naming the parts of the circulatory system and telling what each part does. Then they draw a picture of the heart and describe the pathway of blood through it. They discover how transplants are performed by playing the role of a surgeon in a Web activity. They research various artificial heart designs and compare them to the structure and function of the human heart. In the second part of the lesson, students play a Web game that simulates the job of the circulatory system and then discuss how it interacts with other human systems. They explore the role of red blood cells and how their function can be affected by a gene mutation that causes sickle cell anemia. Finally, students complete a word search puzzle about the circulatory system.