Eight mixed-up cards and a loop diagram give 5th grade students two ways to follow blood around the body in this 3-page science sheet. On page 1 they number the cards 1 to 8, starting with oxygen-poor blood returning through the veins and ending with the aorta. Page 2 shows the lungs, heart and body joined by four numbered arrows. Students color each arrow red or blue, then write the color in a quick check. The answer key lists the card order and the four colors.
4-LS1-1
“Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.”
Students follow blood through the atria, ventricles, lungs and aorta, and color the loop by whether the blood is carrying oxygen.
Eight cards lettered A to H, such as it enters the right atrium and it is pumped to the lungs. Students write a step number from 1 to 8 on each.
Four numbered arrows join the right and left sides of the heart to the lungs and body. Students color arrows blue for oxygen-poor blood and red for oxygen-rich blood.
Four boxes name each arrow, for example Arrow 4, Body to Right Side of Heart. Students write Red or Blue in each.
The eight cards in order, a list of letters with their step numbers, and the color for each arrow.
Cut and order
Cut the cards apart and let pairs arrange them before they number anything. Arguments about steps 5 and 6 show who needs the lungs revisited.
Trace with a finger
Ask students to trace the loop on page 2 with a finger while they say each step. It links the card order to the colors.
Quick assessment
Use the Quick Check boxes on their own as a three-minute check. Wrong colors on arrows 2 and 3 usually mean a student still thinks the aorta carries oxygen-poor blood.
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