Introduction
Welcome, Heart Explorers! 🫀
Your body has a busy delivery system that moves oxygen and nutrients everywhere you need them. This system includes your heart, blood, and blood vessels. In this WebQuest, you’ll feel your pulse, read friendly diagrams, and answer short questions to see how the system works-especially when you exercise.
Big Questions
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What jobs do the heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries do?
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What is a pulse, and how can we measure it safely?
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How does exercise change our heartbeat and help keep us healthy?
Task
As you go through each step, look at the pictures, read the short notes, and answer the questions in your notebook or the boxes your teacher gives you. At the end, you’ll write a 4–5 sentence mini-summary explaining how the cardiovascular system delivers oxygen.
Process
Step 1 – Meet the Heart (3–4 min)
Image 1: Heart Diagram
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The heart is a strong muscle that pumps blood.
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It has 4 rooms called chambers.
Questions:
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Name the four chambers (two atria, two ventricles).
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Which side pumps blood to the lungs?
Step 2 – The Blood Highway (4–5 min)
Image 2: Arteries vs. Veins
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Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
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Veins carry blood back to the heart.
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Capillaries are tiny roads where oxygen moves into the body’s cells.
Questions:
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Circle which vessels are thick and stretchy (arteries or veins?).
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Where does oxygen leave the blood and go into the body?
Step 3 – Around We Go (4–5 min)
Image 3: Pulmonary Circulation
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Pulmonary means lungs. Blood goes heart → lungs (to pick up oxygen) → heart again.
Questions:
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Why does blood visit the lungs?
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After picking up oxygen, where does the blood go next?
Step 4 – Feel Your Pulse (safe & simple) (5–6 min)
Image 4: Wrist Pulse
Start here! Watch this short video to meet your heart, learn what it does, and practice finding your pulse safely. As you watch, think about these questions:
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Why does your heart beat faster when you move?
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Where can you gently feel your pulse?
Press this link to check the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF9-jLZNM10
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Sit still. Use two fingers (not your thumb) on the inside of your wrist.
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Count beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 to get beats per minute (BPM).
Questions:
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What is your resting pulse? _____ BPM
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How does your pulse change after 10 slow jumping jacks? (ask teacher first) _____ BPM
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Why did it change?
Step 5 – Exercise & a Healthy Heart (3–4 min)
Image 5: Exercise Icon
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Moving your body helps your heart become stronger and more efficient.
Questions:
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Write two activities that raise your heart rate in a healthy way.
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Why is it good to be active most days of the week?
Step 6 – Mini-Summary (2–3 min)
Write 4–5 sentences that explain how the heart, blood, and vessels deliver oxygen to your body and what happens to your pulse when you exercise.
Evaluation
| Criterion | 3 – Great | 2 – Getting There | 1 – Keep Working |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding | Answers are correct and clear | A few mistakes | Many mistakes |
| Vocabulary | Uses terms (heart, artery, vein, capillary, pulse) correctly | Some correct | Few correct |
| Observation/Math | Pulse measured & calculated correctly | Minor math slip | Missing or incorrect |
| Neatness | Work is organized and easy to read | Somewhat neat | Hard to read |
Conclusion
Nice work, Heart Explorers! You learned that the heart pumps, arteries carry blood away, veins carry it back, and capillaries trade oxygen with the body’s cells. When you move, your pulse rises because your muscles need more oxygen. Staying active helps your heart stay strong and healthy.
Credits
Text
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OpenStax. (2022). 20.1 Structure and function of blood vessels. In Anatomy & Physiology 2e. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/20-1-structure-and-function-of-blood-vessels
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OpenStax. (2022). 19.4 Cardiac physiology (Cardiac output: CO = HR × SV). In Anatomy & Physiology 2e. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/19-4-cardiac-physiology
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Nemours KidsHealth. (n.d.). Your heart & circulatory system (for kids). https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/heart.html
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Nemours KidsHealth. (n.d.). What are arteries and veins? (for kids). https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/word-arteries.html
Images and Video
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Wikimedia contributors. (n.d.). Heart diagram [SVG]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heart_diagram-en.svg
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KDS4444. (2021). 202104 Arteries and veins [SVG]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:202104_Arteries_and_veins.svg
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Fischer, H. (2013). Pulmonary Blood Circulation [Image]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pulmonary_Blood_Circulation.png
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Pöllö. (2010). Measurement of radial pulse [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Measurement_of_radial_pulse.jpg
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U.S. National Park Service. (2010). Pictograms—exercise/fitness [SVG]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pictograms-nps-land-exercise-fitness.svg
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SciShow Kids. (2016). How to Feel Your Heart Beat [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF9-jLZNM10
WebQuest Website:
Create webquest: Create a WebQuest: Simple. quick. free. Create WebQuest | Create a WebQuest: Simple. Quick. Free. (n.d.)