Feel the Beat Embedded Task TDP 12-07

Curriculum Embedded Performance Task

Middle School Science

Content Standard 7.2

Feel The Beat

Student Materials

Connecticut State Department of Education

Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction

Name: ______

Date:______

Feel The Beat

A Guided Exploration of the Factors That Affect Pulse Rate

You have probably noticed that when you walk or run up the stairs at school to get to a class upstairs, you get “out of breath” and your heart beats faster. Why does this happen? Are there other conditions that cause your heart to beat faster or slower?

Your Task

In this activity you and your partners will design and conduct experiments to explore how hearts beat under different conditions.

Question to be tested ______

______

Experiment #1: Effect of Movement on Pulse Rate

In this investigation, you will explore how different movements (e.g., walking, climbing steps, lifting weights, or hand-clapping) affect pulse rate.

You can find your pulse by placing your fingers on the side of your neck or on your wrist. Find the number of beats in 10 seconds.

Let’s practice! How many beat did you count in 10 seconds? ______

Multiply this number by 6 to get the number of beat per minute.

______X 6 = ______beats per minute.

This is your heart rate! The higher the number the more blood your heart is pumping to the rest of your body.

Choose an activity like jumping in place or clapping your hands to see how . This is the variable for this experiment.

My partner and I choose ______activity.

Do the activity for one minute and then measure your heart beats. How many beats did you count in 10 seconds? ______

Multiply this number by 6 to get the number of beat per minute.

______X 6 = ______beats per minute.

Data

Name / Beat/10 sec. Resting / Beat/10 sec. Active
Average

Analyze your data:

What is the beats per minute for your resting pulse? ______

(Hint: multiply by six)

What is the beats per minute for your active pulse? ______

(Hint: multiply by six)

Graph your results:

______(Title)

How does the resting pulse compare with the active pulse?

______

Conclusion:

Answer the question from the first page using your data. Be specific.

______

______

______

______

2