Elementary School Science

Input:
What is the most important content in this lesson?
To reach this lesson’s objective, students need to understand:

• The functions of the urinary system.

• The structures of the urinary system.

• The role of the kidneys.

• The process of urination.

• How a person can survive without kidneys with the help of dialysis.

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How will the learning of this content be facilitated?

• The teacher should begin the lesson by showing the students the two kidney beans. Even though they are small, it will give the students an idea of what their real kidneys look like. The teacher should explain to the students that their kidneys are very important in keeping the body healthy and filtering out waste. The teacher should next show the video, “Urinary System Overview” (source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp00-pvgW0U). The video is about a minute long and provides a brief description of the urinary system and its features. After the video, the teacher should begin a discussion about what the students observed.

**It is important that the students understand the medical name for “pee” which is “urine”. It is important that the students use this term throughout the lesson.**

 

• The teacher should hand out the “Our Urinary System” worksheet packet. The packet contains the following worksheets: “Diagram of the Kidneys”, “All About the Urinary System”, “The Process of Urination” and “The Process of Dialysis. The teacher should begin with the “Diagram of the Kidneys” worksheet. If it is possible, project the “Diagram of the Kidneys” worksheet onto the board using a projector or put into a PowerPoint document and project so that the teacher can point while they explain. As the teacher explains, the students should write the name of each part of the diagram on the line. From this activity, the students will learn about the structures of the urinary system as well as the functions of each structure. The teacher should explain that the students would first be learning about the structures of the urinary system and then the functions of the urinary system as a whole.

  • Kidneys: 2 of each; about 5 inches long and 3 inches wide; filters blood to remove waste products and excess water, which is then excreted as urine. Urine is 95% water and 5% waste products.

  • Ureter: 2 of each; narrow tubes that are about 10-12 inches long; transport urine from the kidney to the bladder.

  • Bladder: hollow, muscular organ; where your urine stays before it is excreted; stores one pint of urine.

Pour the water into the measuring cup, add the yellow food coloring. Show the students the cup and explain that the amount of water that is in the cup is the same amount that the bladder can store (the maximum amount of urine the bladder can store). Pour the water into the jar. Allow for student observation/ discussion.

• Urethra: extends from the bladder to outside of the body; where you urinate from.

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Information Source:

http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/kidneys.html

Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professionals by Ann Ehrlich and Carol L. Schroeder. © 2012.

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• Next, the teacher should review the  “All About Our Urinary System” worksheet. If it is possible, project the “Our Urinary System” worksheet onto the board using a projector or put into a PowerPoint document and project so that the teacher can point while they explain. As the teacher explains, the students should fill in the blanks on their worksheet. From this activity, the students will learn about the functions of the urinary system.

**The student worksheet does not contain all of this information. Use this as a guide to help explain the urinary system more in depth to the students**

• The urinary system plays a very important role in keeping our body healthy.

• The functions of the urinary system include:

• Maintaining a proper balance of water, salts, and acids in the body.

• Filtering blood as it flows through the kidneys.

• Filtering out waste products.

• Converting waste products to urine.

• The kidneys help to filter waste out of the blood. “Renal” is the word used by medical professionals to describe anything that deals with the kidneys.

• If your kidneys did not work properly, toxins would build up in the body.

• Chemical reactions occur in the cells and the nutrients are broken down. The waste from the nutrients goes into the kidneys.

• Blood goes into the kidneys via the renal artery.

• Nephrons, tiny filters in the kidneys, help to remove the waste. There are over 1 million nephrons in the kidneys.

• Everyone needs one functioning kidney.

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• Next, the teacher should review the “Process of Urination” worksheet. If it is possible, project the “Process of Urination” worksheet onto the board using a projector or put into a PowerPoint document and project so that the teacher can point while they explain. As the teacher explains, the students should sill in the blanks on their worksheet. From this activity, the students will learn about the components of urine and the process of urination.

**The student worksheet does not contain all of this information. Use this as a guide to help explain the urinary system more in depth to the students**

• Urination is the process of excreting urine.

• Urochrome is the pigment that gives urine its yellow-amber, straw color.

• Urine is the waste that the body does not need.

• Urine is made up of:

• Water

• Urea (waste products from proteins)

• Urochrome

• Salts

• Creatinine (waste that forms with muscle breakdown)

• Byproducts of liver bile

• Ammonia

• Urine travels from the kidneys to the bladder via the ureters.

• The bladder stores the urine until it is filled. As the bladder is filled, it expands. Nerve endings send messages to the brain when the bladder is filled that you need to urinate.

• When you are ready to urinate, your bladder walls contract, the sphincter (a muscle, which is located at the exit of the bladder) relaxes.

• Urine flows from the bladder through the urethra.

 

Information Sources:

http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/pee.html#

http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/kidneys.html#

Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professionals by Ann Ehrlich and Carol L. Schroeder. © 2012.

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• Next, the teacher should review the “Dialysis” information sheet. If it is possible, project the “Dialysis” information sheet onto the board using a projector or put into a PowerPoint document and project so that the teacher can point while they explain. As the teacher explains, the students should follow along. From this activity, the students will learn how a person survives if their kidneys shut down.

**Refer to the teacher’s copy of the worksheet**

 

Information Source:

Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professionals by Ann Ehrlich and Carol L. Schroeder. © 2012.

 

• Once the worksheet and information sheet explained, the students will begin the activity. Each student will be given construction paper, a body template, kidneys template, and diagram parts cards. The teacher should instruct the students to color the templates and the cards. Once the templates are colored, the students will cut out the body template and glue it onto construction paper. They will then cut out the kidneys and glue them onto the body template. The students will then cut out the diagram parts cards and glue them onto the correct part of the diagram. Allow the students about 15 minutes to work together. Reconvene when 15 minutes is over and review the activity.

 

• The final assessment will be for the students to answer the question:

Think about what you learned about today in class. What are the functions of the urinary system? What organs filter blood and waste so that our body does not fill with toxins? What is the medical term for “pee”? What is our pee made up of? How much urine can the bladder hold? What is dialysis? Why would someone need dialysis?