Lesson 4: Pressure & Flow (Homeostasis)
Duration of Days: 4
Lesson Objective
Investigate how the body regulates blood pressure and heart rate in response to physical stress
Why does your heart beat faster when you're nervous or running? What exactly is a "120/80" blood pressure reading?
Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Baroreceptor, Cardiac Output, Stroke Volume, Peripheral Resistance.
HS-LS1-3 (Feedback Mechanisms).
Using mathematical formulas (Cardiac Output = Heart Rate x Stroke Volume) to solve physiological word problems.
Description: Students design an experiment to test the effect of various stimuli (posture, exercise, temperature) on blood pressure.
Purpose: To observe negative feedback loops in action.
DOK 4.
The "Silent Killer": Why hypertension often goes unnoticed but causes long-term organ damage.
High blood pressure is caused by having "too much blood." (Correction: It's often about vessel resistance and heart force).
Use automated BP cuffs for ease of data collection; provide scaffolded data tables for graphing.
Formal Lab Report: "The Cardiovascular Stress Test," analyzing how the system returns to a set point after exertion.
Sphygmomanometers (manual or digital), stethoscopes, timers.