Topic: Epithelial and muscle tissues

Author: Elżbieta Szedzianis

Target group

7th‑grade student of elementary school.

Core curriculum

1. Hierarchical structure of the human body. Student:

1) presents the hierarchisation of the structure of the human body (cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organism).

2) observes and recognises (under a microscope, on a diagram, on a photograph or based on a description) animal tissues (epithelial, muscle, connective, nervous tissue).

Lesson objectives

Students describe the structure of the body as well as the structure and properties of epithelial and muscle tissue.

The criteria for success

• you will recognise muscle and epithelial tissue;

• on the example of muscle and epithelial tissue, you will specify the relationship between structure and function;

• you will explain the terms: “tissue”, “organ”, “organ system”.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue;

• communication in foreign languages;

• mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology; 

• digital competence;

• learning to learn;

• social and civic competences.

Methods/forms of work

Map of concepts, working with text, microscopic observation, indirect observation, talk.

Individual activity, activity in pairs and activity in groups.

Teaching aids:

• abstract;

• interactive whiteboard or traditional blackboard;

• tablets/computers;

• microscopic imaging equipment;

• ready‑made microscope slides of skeletal striated muscle and epithelium of a frog;

• plasticine/polymer modeling clay;

• sheets of brown paper;

• marker pens.

Lesson plan overview

Introduction

The teacher specifies the lesson topic and objective in a language the student understands, and the criteria for success.

Realization

1. The teacher divides the students into groups. Each group receives a sheet of brown paper and colourful marker pens. The teacher informs students that they will watch an illustration entitled „Budowa organizmu” (Structure of an organism) and asks that, after watching it, each group draws a diagram of the structure of a body and described its elements. After finishing the work, the groups exchange diagrams and evaluate their correctness.

2. Students define the terms: “cell”, “organ”, “organ system”. The teacher asks the students to show that the skeleton is an organ system.

3. Working in pairs, the students observe the skeletal striated muscle cells. They compare the image seen under the microscope with the illustration found in the abstract. The teacher asks the students to explain, using the abstract, what function the contractile proteins serve. The teacher asks why skeletal muscle cells:

• are long,

• contain actin and myosin,

• have a lot of mitochondria,

• are red as blood.

4. The teacher describes the tissue of myocardium and smooth muscle. The teacher emphasizes that their functioning does not depend on our will. The students look at different types of muscle tissue shown in the illustrations in the abstract.

5. Students observe the frog's epithelial tissue through a microscope („Observation 1”). They discuss the relationship between structure and function on its example. Then they make models of selected epithelial tissues from plasticine.

Summary

1.) Students observe the structure of an animal cell and think about what it is lacking to become a muscle cell.

2.) Students do interactive exercise no. 1. The teacher comments on and corrects their answers.

3.) The students finish the following sentence: “In today's lesson I have learned...”

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Epithelial tissue, muscle tissues

The human body is made up of about 2 trillion cells, among which there are 4 groups of tissues: epithelial, muscle, nervous and connective. Each type of tissue is made up of cell collections with similar features, but differing in function, structure and location.

The least diverse tissue in our body is epithelial tissue. Its mononuclear cells closely adhere to each other. Due to the shape of cells, epithelial tissue can be divided into: flat (flat cells like paving slabs), cubic (cells like paving stones), cylindrical (cylindrical cells, elongated). Epithelial tissues are also classified based on the number of cell layers (simple epithelium and stratified epithelium) and functions performed in the body, e.g. glandular, sensual, reproductive.

Due to the structure and location in the body, we distinguish three types of muscle tissue: striated skeletal muscle tissue cardiac muscle tissue and smooth muscle tissue. Muscle tissue is capable of performing contractions. Only the work of skeletal muscles is dependent on our will, thanks to which it is possible to perform intentional and conscious movements and to train the muscles themselves, taking care of their efficiency. The remaining muscles work constantly beyond our control at a rate appropriate to the level of metabolism. Smooth muscles are responsible, among others, for contractions of walls of the digestive tract during movement of the digestive tract contents and contractions of the walls of the blood vessels that cause changes in blood pressure. The muscles which the heart is made of shrink rhythmically, pumping blood into the arteries.

Muscle tissue cells are elongated. Their contractions are made possible by myofibrils, built from proteins actin and myosin. The actin and myosin fibres cooperating with each other are shifting in relation to each other, which causes shortening of the cells and, as a result, muscle contraction.

• The human body has got a hierarchical structure, which can be illustrated as follows: cell – tissue – organ – organ system – organism.

• Individual structures of the body cooperate with each other, performing vital functions.

• There are 4 types of tissues in the human body: epithelial, muscular, nervous, combined.

• The structure of the tissue shows adaptations to the function performed.

• Epithelial tissue performs many functions: protective, secretory, sensual, reproductive.

• Muscle tissue can contract, which is why it is responsible for the movement function.