Scheme of Work Cambridge International as & a level

8: Transport in mammals

Syllabus ref. and Key Concepts (KC)	Learning outcomes	Suggested teaching activities
8.1 The circulatory system KC5 KC6	8.1.1 State that the mammalian circulatory system is a closed double circulation consisting of a heart, blood and blood vessels including arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules and veins. 8.1.2 Describe the functions of the main blood vessels of the pulmonary and systemic circulations, limited to pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, aorta and vena cava. 8.1.3 Recognise arteries, veins and capillaries from microscope slides, photomicrographs and electron micrographs and make plan diagrams showing the structure of arteries and veins in transverse section (TS) and longitudinal section (LS). 8.1.4 Explain how the structure of muscular arteries, elastic arteries, veins and capillaries are each related to their functions.	Learners work in pairs to brainstorm a list of terms they know about the circulatory system from their studies at Cambridge IGCSE (or equivalent), including what is meant by pulmonary and systemic circulations. After 2–3 minutes of discussion, the pairs join together into groups of four and then groups of eight to discuss this further and come up with an agreed list of points. One or two learners from each group then write the group’s ideas on the class board to form a ‘mind map.’ Useful videos, including memorable songs, can be found on YouTube, for example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqhvmUEdOYY&&&index=10&list=PL806169ECA3C97794 (F) Provide modelling clay of many colours. Learners build an artery, a vein and a capillary, paying attention to ensure that the relative widths of the three vessels are correct. The layers of tissue in the artery and vein must be made with different colours, but must be consistent between the two blood vessels. To extend the activity, provide butter knives to the learners and ask them to cut their models in half in a transverse section, to display the structures in the wall and the relative lumen diameters. Also prepare a longitudinal section to demonstrate how this would appear different, and use websites such as www.histology.leeds.ac.uk/circulatory/arteries.php to source images for learners to add further details. (I) Draw a table or Venn diagram to compare arteries, veins and capillaries. Learners could show the three circles of a Venn diagram as the transverse sections of these three blood vessels (not to scale), and they could label diagrams in the same activity, to make an interesting poster. They should emphasise in their work how the structure of muscular arteries, elastic arteries, veins and capillaries are each related to their functions. (F) Prepare a crossword containing clues for words related to the content of the lesson. Include the names of the layers of the tissues in the walls of arteries and veins. Learners undertake the activity in pairs and with a competition format, with the pair that finishes the crossword first as the winning team. (F)