New
New
Year 5

The cardiovascular system

I can explain the functions of the cardiovascular system and how aerobic exercise affects our bodies.

New
New
Year 5

The cardiovascular system

I can explain the functions of the cardiovascular system and how aerobic exercise affects our bodies.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: when moving, we work hard to maintain an effort that increases our heart rate.
  2. Think: when we move with increased effort, our heart beats faster to pump blood around the body.
  3. Feel: making sure we are working hard to increase our heart rate, when performing activities, shows integrity.
  4. Connect: when our body is working hard, we should be aware of others and encourage them to keep going.

Keywords

  • Heart - a strong, muscular organ inside your chest that pumps blood around your body

  • Exercise - physical activity that improves or maintains health and fitness by strengthening muscles, heart and lungs

  • Cardiovascular system - the body’s system that delivers blood, oxygen and nutrients through the blood vessels

Common misconception

Some pupils might think that only oxygenated blood is transported around the body.

The body's cardiovascular system includes a group of organs and muscles that manage oxgenated blood and deoxygenated blood.


To help you plan your year 5 physical education lesson on: The cardiovascular system, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Useing red or blue objects in the lesson will help to visually represent blood leaving the heart (e.g. red and oxygen-rich) and blood going back towards the heart (e.g blue and oxygen-poor). However, highlight to pupils that blood is not blue in our body or veins.
Teacher tip

Equipment

red and blue bean bags, 15 floor markers, three tall cones

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What area of fitness means you have power to push/pull/lift/carry?

stamina
flexibility
Correct answer: strength

Q2.
How do we measure heart rate?

beats per second
Correct answer: beats per minute
beats per hour

Q3.
Which of these activities would increase your heart rate?

Correct answer: running
lying down
balancing

Q4.
Which area of fitness is used when reaching down to touch your toes?

strength
Correct answer: flexibility
stamina

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What is your heart?

a bone
Correct answer: a muscle
a blood vessel

Q2.
What does blood collect from the lungs that will help the muscles to keep working?

Correct answer: oxygen
water
minerals

Q3.
Which of these systems help oxygenated and deoxygenated blood move around the body?

digestive system
central nervous system
Correct answer: cardiovascular system

Q4.
What happens to our heart rate when we exercise?

gets slower
stays the same
Correct answer: gets faster