An Interactive Introduction to the Heart, Blood, and Blood Vessels
This digital biology lesson introduces students to the circulatory system by connecting structure to function through visual models and guided practice. Students learn how the heart, blood, and blood vessels work together to transport oxygen and maintain internal balance.
The lesson is designed for students who need clear explanations, strong visual support, and structured opportunities to practice core ideas about circulation and homeostasis.
Students work through scaffolded tasks that require them to:
• identify the major parts of the heart and describe their functions
• distinguish among arteries, veins, and capillaries
• trace the pathway of blood through the heart and body
• model the movement of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood
• examine the role of hemoglobin in oxygen transport
• connect circulation to homeostasis and disease
Interactive drag-and-drop activities and short practice tasks are embedded throughout the lesson to reinforce understanding as students progress.
• Function of the circulatory system
• Heart structure and blood flow
• Types of blood vessels
• Blood components and hemoglobin
• Oxygen transport
• Homeostasis and system interactions
• Cardiovascular vocabulary
• Makes complex systems easier to visualize
• Builds understanding step-by-step
• Supports diverse learners with visual models
• Includes interactive practice
• Works for guided instruction or independent work
• Easy to assign digitally or use in class
This resource is a digital interactive lesson (Google Slides compatible) with built-in student tasks.
Includes:
✔ Student lesson slides
✔ Teacher key
✔ Exit ticket
✔ Interactive practice activities
• Middle school life science
• Remedial or inclusion biology
• Introductory high school biology
• Human body systems units
• Lessons on circulation and homeostasis
• Sub plans or digital learning days
To preview this lesson, click here
Best fit:
Grades 6–9
Life Science / Biology / Anatomy & Physiology
Works well in general ed, inclusion, and intro biology settings.
Justification:
The lesson is visually scaffolded and interactive (drag-and-drop, color coding), which is excellent for middle school.
The final disease/homeostasis section and hemoglobin explanation (page 7) allow extension into early high school biology but does not require advanced detail.
The vocabulary and navigation (e.g., labeling oxygenated vs. deoxygenated regions) are accessible to Grade 6–7.
ELA:
Students describe disease impacts on homeostasis (page 16), practicing explanatory writing aligned with CCSS writing standards.
Health / Health Science:
Cardiovascular diseases (stroke, hypertension, atherosclerosis) connect directly to public health literacy.
Math:
Potential extension: measuring heart rate changes, graphing pulse over time, or computing percent differences before/after activity.
Technology:
Students use online review games (pages 15 & 17), supporting digital literacy skills.
MS-LS1-3
Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems.
Supported by: notes on heart, blood, vessels, and interaction of components throughout slides.
MS-LS1-2
Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell in an organism.
Connection: hemoglobin and red blood cell structure/function (page 7).
MS-LS1-1
Body structures and their function (arteries vs. veins vs. capillaries).
HS-LS1-2
Develop and use a model to illustrate hierarchical organization of interacting body systems.
Connection: circulation and gas exchange in lungs.
HS-LS1-3
Homeostasis and feedback mechanisms.
Connection: disease & homeostasis analysis on page 16.
Systems & System Models – circulatory system components operate together.
Structure & Function – clear in vessel structure diagrams (page 9).
Stability & Change – disruptions via disease (page 16).
Developing and Using Models – heart pathway diagrams (pages 10–14).
Analyzing and Interpreting Data – disease/homeostasis evaluation (page 16).
Constructing Explanations – student writing tasks throughout.
Reading Informational Text:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3 / RST.9-10.3
Following multistep procedures in scientific explanations (blood flow patterns).
Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 / WHST.9-10.2
Writing informative/explanatory text (disease/homeostasis analysis page 16).
Speaking & Listening:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-10
If used in class discussion or partner review games.
An Interactive Introduction to the Heart, Blood, and Blood Vessels
This digital biology lesson introduces students to the circulatory system by connecting structure to function through visual models and guided practice. Students learn how the heart, blood, and blood vessels work together to transport oxygen and maintain internal balance.
The lesson is designed for students who need clear explanations, strong visual support, and structured opportunities to practice core ideas about circulation and homeostasis.
Students work through scaffolded tasks that require them to:
• identify the major parts of the heart and describe their functions
• distinguish among arteries, veins, and capillaries
• trace the pathway of blood through the heart and body
• model the movement of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood
• examine the role of hemoglobin in oxygen transport
• connect circulation to homeostasis and disease
Interactive drag-and-drop activities and short practice tasks are embedded throughout the lesson to reinforce understanding as students progress.
• Function of the circulatory system
• Heart structure and blood flow
• Types of blood vessels
• Blood components and hemoglobin
• Oxygen transport
• Homeostasis and system interactions
• Cardiovascular vocabulary
• Makes complex systems easier to visualize
• Builds understanding step-by-step
• Supports diverse learners with visual models
• Includes interactive practice
• Works for guided instruction or independent work
• Easy to assign digitally or use in class
This resource is a digital interactive lesson (Google Slides compatible) with built-in student tasks.
Includes:
✔ Student lesson slides
✔ Teacher key
✔ Exit ticket
✔ Interactive practice activities
• Middle school life science
• Remedial or inclusion biology
• Introductory high school biology
• Human body systems units
• Lessons on circulation and homeostasis
• Sub plans or digital learning days
To preview this lesson, click here
Best fit:
Grades 6–9
Life Science / Biology / Anatomy & Physiology
Works well in general ed, inclusion, and intro biology settings.
Justification:
The lesson is visually scaffolded and interactive (drag-and-drop, color coding), which is excellent for middle school.
The final disease/homeostasis section and hemoglobin explanation (page 7) allow extension into early high school biology but does not require advanced detail.
The vocabulary and navigation (e.g., labeling oxygenated vs. deoxygenated regions) are accessible to Grade 6–7.
ELA:
Students describe disease impacts on homeostasis (page 16), practicing explanatory writing aligned with CCSS writing standards.
Health / Health Science:
Cardiovascular diseases (stroke, hypertension, atherosclerosis) connect directly to public health literacy.
Math:
Potential extension: measuring heart rate changes, graphing pulse over time, or computing percent differences before/after activity.
Technology:
Students use online review games (pages 15 & 17), supporting digital literacy skills.
MS-LS1-3
Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems.
Supported by: notes on heart, blood, vessels, and interaction of components throughout slides.
MS-LS1-2
Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell in an organism.
Connection: hemoglobin and red blood cell structure/function (page 7).
MS-LS1-1
Body structures and their function (arteries vs. veins vs. capillaries).
HS-LS1-2
Develop and use a model to illustrate hierarchical organization of interacting body systems.
Connection: circulation and gas exchange in lungs.
HS-LS1-3
Homeostasis and feedback mechanisms.
Connection: disease & homeostasis analysis on page 16.
Systems & System Models – circulatory system components operate together.
Structure & Function – clear in vessel structure diagrams (page 9).
Stability & Change – disruptions via disease (page 16).
Developing and Using Models – heart pathway diagrams (pages 10–14).
Analyzing and Interpreting Data – disease/homeostasis evaluation (page 16).
Constructing Explanations – student writing tasks throughout.
Reading Informational Text:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3 / RST.9-10.3
Following multistep procedures in scientific explanations (blood flow patterns).
Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 / WHST.9-10.2
Writing informative/explanatory text (disease/homeostasis analysis page 16).
Speaking & Listening:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-10
If used in class discussion or partner review games.
