Year 8 Science · Unit 1 · Lesson 1
Foundation Worksheet
Learning Goals
Fill the gap
Choose the correct word from the word bank. Two words will not be used.
The basic unit of every living thing is the . Many similar cells working together make a . Different tissues working together make one structure called an , such as the heart. A group of organs working together to do a major job is an .
Put the levels in order
Number the levels from 1 (smallest) to 4 (largest). Then write one real example of each level from the lesson.
| Order (1–4) | Level | One real example |
|---|---|---|
| Organ system | ||
| Tissue | ||
| Cell | ||
| Organ |
Sort it
Write each example in the correct box. Each box gets exactly two examples: one from a plant and one from an animal.
Cell
Tissue
Organ
Organ system
True or false? Fix the false ones
Circle T or F. If a statement is false, correct it on the line.
1. An organ contains more than one type of tissue.
Correct it:
2. Plants have no organ systems, because they do not have a heart.
Correct it:
3. Muscle tissue is one very large muscle cell.
Correct it:
4. The heart is an organ, and it is one part of the circulatory system.
Correct it:
Read the data
A class quiz
A Year 8 class of 28 students named the level of organisation of five examples. The table shows how many chose the correct level.
| Example | Correct level | Students correct |
|---|---|---|
| One red blood cell | Cell | 26 |
| Muscle tissue | Tissue | 17 |
| The heart | Organ | 12 |
| The circulatory system | Organ system | 25 |
| A leaf | Organ | 14 |
Source: sample class results.
1. Which example did the fewest students get right? How many students got it wrong?
2. Many students called the heart an organ system “because it pumps blood”. Suggest why this mistake is common, and state what the heart really is.
Follow the damage up the levels
Scenario: a heart attack
During a heart attack, a blood vessel that feeds the heart muscle gets blocked. Part of the heart muscle stops getting oxygen.
Complete the table. Say what goes wrong at each level. The first row is done for you.
| Level | What goes wrong |
|---|---|
| Cell | Heart muscle cells run out of oxygen and some of them die. |
| Tissue | |
| Organ | |
| Organ system |
3. A student writes: “Cells, tissues and organs are just different names for the same body parts.” Explain why the student is wrong. Use a muscle cell, muscle tissue and the heart as your examples, and say how each level is built from the one before it.
Fill the gap
cell; tissue; organ; organ system. Not used: atom, molecule.
Put the levels in order
Reading down the table as printed: 4, 2, 1, 3. Examples: organ system, the circulatory system (or root system); tissue, muscle tissue; cell, one muscle cell; organ, the heart (or a leaf).
Sort it
Cell: one muscle cell, one leaf cell. Tissue: muscle tissue, photosynthetic tissue in a leaf. Organ: the heart, a leaf. Organ system: the circulatory system, the root system.
True or false
1. True. 2. False: plants do have organ systems, the root system and the shoot system. 3. False: muscle tissue is many similar muscle cells working together. 4. True.
Read the data
1. The heart (12 of 28 correct), so 16 students got it wrong. [2 marks: 1 example, 1 number]
2. The heart does a big, whole-body job (pumping blood), so students think it must be a whole system. It is one organ, made of different tissues, and it is only one part of the circulatory system with the blood and blood vessels. [2 marks: 1 reason, 1 correct level]
Follow the damage up the levels
Tissue: a patch of heart muscle tissue is damaged or dies and cannot contract. Organ: the heart pumps less strongly. Organ system: the circulatory system moves less blood, so the body gets less oxygen.
Show What You Know
3. Marking guide: 1 for saying the words name different levels; 1 each for a correct definition with example for cell, tissue and organ (up to 3), capped at 4. Model answer: The student is wrong because each word names a different level. A muscle cell is one cell, the basic unit. Muscle tissue is made of many similar muscle cells working together. The heart is an organ made of different tissues, including muscle tissue, working together to pump blood. [4 marks]
Common error to watch for: calling the heart an organ system because its job is important. Size or importance does not decide the level; what it is made of does.