Framework Biology 11
An Inquiry Based Science Teaching and Learning Framework
Topic/Learning Activity
Breathing /Respiration.
OB9, OB10, OB11 OB16, OB17
Student Cohort
Student Level
Ordinary and Higher 2nd year.
B11
Bio
log
Prior Knowledge
They will know that breathing keeps us alive – characteristics of living things.
Stimulus to Engage
How do you get the students interested in the topic to start?
■■
Ask them to sit and listen to their breathing.
■■
Show a clip of some runners at the end of a marathon, see them gasp and bend over to try and
catch their breath.
■■
Lungs from a cow to show them what organs of the body they are connected to Bell jar model.
Science Questions
Initial questions leading to the questions students will
work on during the activity:
■■
What is breathing? What is respiration? Is there a difference?
■■
What is needed for us to breathe?
■■
What do we produce/exhale when breathing?
■■
Why do we breathe faster when we exercise?
■■
What does breathing faster gain for us during exercise?
■■
What is the average breathing rate for an adult, baby, different animals?
Learning Outcomes
Content Knowledge
■■
Breathing is aerobic and we need oxygen to breathe.
■■
The balanced equation for aerobic respiration.
■■
When we exercise we need to get more oxygen to our muscles and so we breath
deeper and faster.
■■
We breathe out carbon dioxide and water vapour.
■■
The air we breathe out contains more carbon dioxide than the air we breathe in.
■■
Understand links between respiration and breathing rates and heart rate.
y
Framework Biology 11
An Inquiry Based Science Teaching and Learning Framework
Process
To read/record their own heart/breathing rates.
■■
Using stop watch to record exercise and pulse rate for a certain time.
■■
To investigate if their heart rate/breathing rate goes up after exercise.
■■
Testing exhaled air for water vapour and carbon dioxide.
■■
Testing inhaled air for carbon dioxide and comparing the levels to
those in exhaled air.
Skills
■■
IT using heart rate sensor and datalogger.
■■
Working in groups.
■■
Communication.
Questions during Activity
Questions to drive student learning (directing them to the learning outcomes):
■■
Why was there more carbon dioxide in the exhaled air rather than the inhaled air?
■■
Where did the oxygen you inhaled go to?
■■
Where does the carbon dioxide you exhale originate from?
Questions to probe understanding:
■■
Why does your body need you to breathe more during exercise?
■■
What does your body get from increased breathing rate?
■■
Athletes and blood doping – why?
■■
Athletes training at high altitudes – why?
■■
Why do so many good long distance athletes come from Kenya and Ethiopia?
Questions to get students thinking about their own learning (metacognition):
■■
What is respiration? How does it differ from breathing?
■■
What is muscle cramp, investigate how it is caused?
■■
How can I become fitter?
■■
What effect does smoking have on breathing and respiration?
Developing the Activity
How do you stimulate students to ask even more questions/think further?
■■
Take them to the gym, do a very active exercise.
Possible supporting activities:
■■
Breathing flow apparatus to look at tidal volume.
■■
Peak flow meter.
■■
Oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors
Questions for supporting activities:
■■
B11
Bio
■■
Could we make a model of the breathing system?
2
log
y
Framework Biology 11
An Inquiry Based Science Teaching and Learning Framework
Reflecting back to Learning Outcomes
How many of your intended outcomes were achieved?
Use
■■
higher order questioning in class.
■■
assessment at the end of the topic.
■■
produce a poster on your learning.
B11
Do any of your intended outcomes need to be revised?
Additional Resources
Stimulus materials, websites, etc.:
■■
Lungs/heart from sheep/cow all intact to show exact positioning. They can then be inflated!
■■
Model of thorax.
■■
Bell jar model of the breathing system.
■■
Skeleton model.
How has the use of ICT enhanced the learning?
Evidence of enhancement:
Use of heart rate monitor with datalogger for reading pulse rate.
Research on internet for answers to questions on athletics, blood doping, etc.
Additional Comments
Students enjoy using heart rate sensors.
3
Bio
log
y