Submitted by: Angela Watson

Grade Levels: K-3

In this lesson plan designed for grades K through 3, students use BrainPOP Jr. resources to learn about the five major body systems. Students will identify the main functions of the systems, and explain ways they can keep each system healthy.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:

  1. List 5 major body systems.
  2. Identify the main functions of each system.
  3. Explain ways they can keep each body system healthy.

Materials:

  • Access to the Internet and BrainPOP
  • Photocopied class set of notebook questions and Talk About It activities

Vocabulary:

body system; heart; bones; lungs; muscles; digestive system

Preparation:

Use this lesson plan to supplement your unit about body systems. You can use BrainPOP Jr. to either introduce each system and build background knowledge, or to conclude your teaching about the system and serve as a review/assessment. You can teach the systems in any order you want, or follow the order suggested below.

To prepare, create Body System Booklets for the class. Print the notebook questions for each of the five body systems movies: Heart, Lungs, Muscles, Bones, and Digestive System. This can be done by visiting each movie page and clicking the 'Print Notebook' icon. Also print the 'Talk About It' activity for each movie. Make a class set of photocopies of these pages, and staple them together into booklets. If you copy each movie's notebook questions and Talk About It back-to-back, this will be a total of 5 two-sided pages for each student. Add a blank page to the front and back if desired; students can decorate these as the cover of their booklet.

Lesson Procedure:

  1. Digestive System: Pass out the Body System Booklets to students and allow them to decorate the front and back covers, if desired.
  2. Review the Word Play vocabulary together.
  3. Show the movie on the Digestive System with the closed captioning displayed. Then play the movie through a second time, and pause for students to write their answers to each notebook question. You may want to model this for them.
  4. Next, play the Sequencing Game as a class and guide students through the Activity.
  5. Finish by having students complete the Talk About It that is part of their booklet. They may do this in class with a partner or independently, or complete it as homework.
  6. Cardiovascular System: Review the Word Play as a class.
  7. Play the Heart Movie twice, having students answer the notebook questions during the second viewing.
  8. Have students complete the Activity with a partner. You can make photocopies of this page for them, or have them use blank notebook paper to record their answers.
  9. Provide time for students to complete the Talk About It Activity in their booklets.
  10. Muscular System: Review the Word Play.
  11. Show the Puzzle Game and have students guess which involuntary muscle is always working.
  12. Play the Muscles Movie twice, having students answer the notebook questions during the second viewing.
  13. Discuss the Write About It prompt or the Activity questions as a class.
  14. Provide time for students to complete the Talk About It page in their booklets.
  15. Respiratory System: Review the Word Play vocabulary.
  16. Play the Lungs movie through twice, allowing students to answer the notebook questions during the second viewing.
  17. Display the Activity and type in the answers as student volunteers suggest them.
  18. Allow students to complete the Talk About It page of their booklets.
  19. Skeletal System: Review the Word Play terms.
  20. Play the Bones Movie, allowing time for students to answer the notebook questions during the second viewing.
  21. Take the Easy Quiz together as a class.
  22. Give students time to complete the Talk About It page in their booklets.

Extension Activities:

During center time or computer time, have students complete the hard quiz for the body system you are currently studying. You may want students to discuss their answers with a partner, and/or use their booklet notes to help. Afterward, they can explore the Draw About It, Belly Up, and Pop-A-Joke features for the current movie.


BrainPOP Jr. Movies:

Bones
Digestive System
Heart
Lungs
Muscles


BrainPOP Movies:

Digestive System
Heart (Activity Page Answer Key)
Muscles
Respiratory System
Skeleton