Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Circulatory System
Vocabulary: artery, atrium, blood vessel, capillary, circulatory system, heart, heart valves,
platelet, pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, red blood cell, urea, ventricle, vein, white blood cell
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. Why do you need blood?
A. You need blood because it transports fuel and oxygen to all of the cells in your
body. People would not be able to live without it. Blood carries nourishment
around the body.
2. What organ pushes blood through your body?
A. The heart. The heart pumps the blood through the
arteries and veins.
Gizmo Warm-up
The Circulatory System Gizmo shows the heart and blood vessels
that make up the circulatory system. Look at the heart.
1. How many chambers does the heart have?
A. The heart has 4 chambers.
2. Turn on Show labels. What are the names of the chambers?
A. Left Atrium
B. Right Atrium
C. Left Ventricle
D. Right Ventricle
3. Do you see tiny “doors” that open and close as blood is pumped through the heart? Yes
These are heart valves. Heart valves control the flow of blood through the heart.
4. Click Heartbeat sound and listen for the two parts of the heartbeat, nicknamed “lub” and
“dub.” Observe the heart. (Note: The recording is not in sync with the heart animation.)
What do you think causes heartbeat sounds? I think the heartbeat sounds come from the
closings of the atria to the ventricles and the ventricles to the blood vessels closing.
In fact, the “lub” sound is caused by valves from the atria to the ventricles closing, and the
“dub” sound is caused by the valves from the ventricles to the blood vessels closing.
2018
, 5. Challenge: Why do you think the left atrium and left ventricle are shown on the right side of
the diagram? Because we are looking at it opposite of how it would be in the human body.
2018
Student Exploration: Circulatory System
Vocabulary: artery, atrium, blood vessel, capillary, circulatory system, heart, heart valves,
platelet, pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, red blood cell, urea, ventricle, vein, white blood cell
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. Why do you need blood?
A. You need blood because it transports fuel and oxygen to all of the cells in your
body. People would not be able to live without it. Blood carries nourishment
around the body.
2. What organ pushes blood through your body?
A. The heart. The heart pumps the blood through the
arteries and veins.
Gizmo Warm-up
The Circulatory System Gizmo shows the heart and blood vessels
that make up the circulatory system. Look at the heart.
1. How many chambers does the heart have?
A. The heart has 4 chambers.
2. Turn on Show labels. What are the names of the chambers?
A. Left Atrium
B. Right Atrium
C. Left Ventricle
D. Right Ventricle
3. Do you see tiny “doors” that open and close as blood is pumped through the heart? Yes
These are heart valves. Heart valves control the flow of blood through the heart.
4. Click Heartbeat sound and listen for the two parts of the heartbeat, nicknamed “lub” and
“dub.” Observe the heart. (Note: The recording is not in sync with the heart animation.)
What do you think causes heartbeat sounds? I think the heartbeat sounds come from the
closings of the atria to the ventricles and the ventricles to the blood vessels closing.
In fact, the “lub” sound is caused by valves from the atria to the ventricles closing, and the
“dub” sound is caused by the valves from the ventricles to the blood vessels closing.
2018
, 5. Challenge: Why do you think the left atrium and left ventricle are shown on the right side of
the diagram? Because we are looking at it opposite of how it would be in the human body.
2018
