Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

Rotational Symmetry is a shape’s property when it looks the same after rotation as it did at its starting point.

It is also called Radial Symmetry.

An object’s degree of rotational symmetry is determined by the number of orientations in which it looks the same as before rotation.

Examples

This shape has rotational symmetry of 2, as it only looks identical twice when rotated around a fixed point. Therefore, it turns 180° to form each order of rotational symmetry.

This shape has rotational symmetry of 5, as it only looks identical twice when rotated around a fixed point. It turns 72° to form each order of rotational symmetry.

This shape has rotational symmetry of 3, as it only looks identical twice when rotated around a fixed point. It turns 120° to form each order of rotational symmetry.

This shape has rotational symmetry of 6, as it only looks identical twice when rotated around a fixed point. It turns 60° to form each order of rotational symmetry.

Vibration is the rapid back-and-forth movement of physical particles as a reaction to different forces.

Vibration involves the disruption of something from its equilibrium point. This is a balanced state between opposing forces.

Vibration is usually discussed in the creation of sound.

Vibration can encompass free vibration or forced vibration.

Free Vibration

This is a type of vibration in which a force is applied to an object once and is allowed to vibrate at its frequency.

An example of free vibration is a guitar string being played.

Forced Vibration

Forced vibration is a type of vibration in which a force is repeatedly applied to an object to maintain the vibration.

The vibration of a moving vehicle is forced vibration caused by the forces from the road, springs, and engine.

How to subtract a percentage from a number

First of all, before we look at how to calculate a percentage decrease, it’s important that we also understand how to subtract a percentage from a number. Therefore, when learners are introduced

When subtracting a percentage from a number, all you need to do is calculate the rate of the original value before removing it.

Let’s take a look at the example below, using a bar model to help us:

1. As you can see, we will subtract 50% from 146.
2. We will work out 50% of 146, which is exactly half of it. We can illustrate this with our bar model by splitting it into two equal parts.
3. We’ve worked out that half of 146 is 73.
4. To get our answer, we need to calculate 146 – 73, which gives us 73.

Next, we’re going to try another example, this time without the support of a bar model:

1. Let’s decrease 250 by 40%.
2. First, we need to determine what 40% of 250 is. The easiest way to do this will be to work out 10% and then multiply it by four.
3. 10% of 250 is 25, so 40% is the equivalent to 25 × 4 = 100.
4. Hence, we need to work out 250 – 100, giving us 150 as our final answer.

How to calculate a percentage decrease

Now that we’ve worked out how to find a percentage of an amount and subtract it, we can look at how to calculate a percentage decrease. Essentially, we’re doing the reverse of what we’ve done above. We already know the final value, but we’d like to know how we got there. Children in year six are introduced to this concept, but it’s covered in more detail in KS3.

The formula for how to calculate a percentage decrease is the same as if you’re looking for how to find a percentage increase:

Let’s take a look at an example of calculating a percentage decrease:

1. First, we must determine the difference between 670kg and 435.5kg.
2. We do this by subtracting the two values, so 670 – 435.5 gives us 234.5.
3. To find the percentage change, we need to calculate (234.5 ÷ 670) × 100. Make sure you’ve got a calculator to hand in for this part!
4. 234.5 ÷ 670 gives us 0.35, so we work out 0.35 × 100.
5. This gives us our final answer: the number of potatoes purchased has decreased by 35%.

You’re getting there! It seems daunting at first, but you’ll soon be able to answer questions like these easily. First, let’s have a go at one more example of how to calculate a percentage decrease.

1. It’s time to work out the loss that Asha has made on their camera. But, first, we need to subtract the two values from each other again, giving us 145 – 100 = 45.
2. To find the percentage change, we need to calculate (45 ÷ 145) × 100. So, again, make sure you have a calculator nearby!
3. 45 ÷ 145 gives us 0.3103448 and so on), but we’re going to simplify it to 0.31.
4. 0.31 × 100 gives us 31%, which is our final answer.

What is the Scientific Method?

The Scientific Method is a simple and effective way for scientists (and pupils!) to study and learn about the world.

What are the five parts of a science experiment?

There are more than five parts of a science experiment, but for younger children, it’s best to stick to the first five! Once they understand and remember these, it’ll be much easier to teach them the next steps. Here are the five main stages of the Scientific Method:

1. Observation – Observe something happening in the world.
2. Question – Ask a question based on the word.
3. Hypothesis – Formulate a theory of why this observed event happens.
4. Method – How are you going to find out the answer?
5. Results – What happened? Was your hypothesis correct? Or did something else happens?

1. Observation

The observations about the world can be open-ended; this part of the experiment is important for getting children curious about their surroundings! In this dissolving experiment, the word could be:

• Some solid materials dissolve in water.

2. Question

There can be no experiment without question! If observation makes children curious, questions make them interested and more curious. Questions make children analytical of their surroundings. It’s good to let children come up with their questions, so the more open-ended the observation is, the better! For our example, we could ask a simple question such as:

• Which solids dissolve in water?

3. Hypothesis

This is where you’d challenge your children to come up with an answer to the question. Ask them to finish the sentence: “I think…”. The hypothesis step of the scientific method nurtures the children’s rationale and problem-solving abilities. So what hypotheses can we come up with for our experiment? Maybe:

• I think Sand won’t dissolve.
• I believe Sugar will dissolve.
• I think Coffee will dissolve.

4. Method

How are you going to test out your hypotheses? This is when your children get hands-on and do the experiment! Maybe you could challenge your pupils to come up with their method. But, of course, there are tried and tested methods for most simple experiments. Twinkl’s downloadable science experiment resources include an effective way to conduct the investigation. So what could the dissolving experiment’s method be? You guessed it:

• Add some solid material to water (hot and cold) to see whether it dissolves.

5. Results

So what happened after you did your method? Did the experiment produce the results that your children thought would happen? Or were they surprised to observe something different happen? Not only can you verbally discuss the results with the class, but it’s a fantastic idea to record them in a book! You should record the results and every part of the experiment.

For our dissolving experiment, we could record results such as:

• My hypothesis was (correct/incorrect). As a result of the investigation, I learned that sugar dissolves in hot and cold water. But it dissolves more quickly in hot water.

What’s the history of the Scientific Method?

Francis Bacon (Philosopher) is thought to have recorded the scientific method sometime between 561–1626. That said, the method wasn’t invented and has been used since ancient civilizations. So even though the parts of a science experiment usually include the five we discussed earlier, the full scientific method is disputed. This is why you’ll hear different versions depending on who you ask! Other famous figures who contributed to today’s understanding of the method were René Descartes and Isaac Newton.

Common Errors in Science Experiments

• One of the most Common Errors in Science Experiments is human error. This means that the person experimenting does something wrong during the experiment or when they record the results. For example, registering a measurement wrongly.
• Another is when there is a flaw in the design of the experiment. For example, tools that provide incorrect results.
• Environmental conditions also lead to errors in science experiments, like the room’s temperature affecting the materials used.

It can be really handy to know how to do long multiplication, considering that it allows us to tackle multiplication problems involving very large numbers while only needing to understand our times’ tables up to 10. While it might appear daunting at first due to the number of steps involved, you’ll soon be a master of long multiplication. Let’s take a look at an example together:

1. As you can see, the problem we’re going to work out is 154 × 26. Working this out mentally would be quite challenging, but we’ve got the long multiplication method to help us!
2. First, we’re going to multiply the last digit of each number, otherwise known as the ones. We can solve this by working out four × 6 = 24. We place a 4 in the answer section and then regroup our two tens into the tens column.
3. Next, we will multiply the tens in the top number by the ones in the bottom. In this case, we need to find the answer to 50 × 6, which is 300 (30 tens). We also have the two tens we’ve regrouped previously, so that’s 32 total. Write 2 in the answer box and then regroup three into the hundreds column, seeing as 30 tens are the same as three hundred.
4. Finally, we must multiply the hundreds in the top number by the ones in the bottom. 100 × 6 = 600, and then we have three hundred regrouped from earlier. This gives us 900, so we write 9 in the hundreds in our answer box.
5. Now that we’ve regrouped the tens and hundreds from earlier, we can cross them out. Next, let’s focus on multiplying the ones in our top number by the tens in the bottom. We’re answering four × 20, so we already know the answer will end in zero. Place a zero under the right column of the answer box as a placeholder. Four × 20 = 80, so we can place an 8 in the next column.
6. The next step is multiplying the tens in the top number by the tens in the bottom. For example, 50 × 20 = 1000, so we can place a zero in the next column of the answer box and regroup our one into the thousands column for later.
7. We’re almost there! Our last round of multiplication involves multiplying the hundreds in the top number by the tens in the bottom. For example, 100 × 20 = 2000, so two thousand. We also have an extra thousand from earlier, so we have three thousand in total. Write 3 in the answer box.
8. Now we need to combine our two totals. You can use column addition if you’d like, but our ultimate answer is that 924 + 3080 = 4004, which is the answer to our multiplication problem.

How to add fractions with the same denominator

This part of how to add fractions is pretty straightforward, and it’s the first type of fraction addition that learners will be introduced to. If you want to explain this to your class easily, you can describe it as adding any other number. Let’s take a look at the example below:

What we’re doing here is adding 2/5 to 1/5.

1. If we pay attention only to the numerators (the numbers on the top of the fractions), we have a much simpler question to answer. All we want to know now is the answer to 1 + 2!
2. Once we know that 1 + 2 = 3, we can put the denominators back.
3. As you can see, we now know that the final answer is 3/5.

Let’s work through another example together:

1. We’re looking to answer 2/6 + 3/6.
2. Again, let’s ignore the denominators for a moment and focus on adding together the numerators.
3. By doing this, we have 2 + 3 = 5.
4. Now that we’re done, we can put the denominator back and come to the answer of 5/6.

Now that we’ve worked through two examples of how to add fractions together, it’s time to give your little learners some practice.

How to add fractions where the denominators are different

While things might get a bit trickier here, there’s only one more step involved, and it isn’t as scary as it sounds! Before we’re able to add the fractions together, we need to convert them so that they both have the same denominator. When we do this, it’s known as finding the smallest common denominator. Let’s work through an example together:

1. We want to add together 1/3 and 1/6. This time, we can’t just add the numerators together straight away as the denominators aren’t the same yet.
2. First, we need to turn the denominators into the smallest number that 3 and 6 will divide into, known as the smallest common denominator. In this instance, that’s 6.
3. As a result, we need to multiply the first numerator by 2 (as three × 2 = 6), and we don’t have to touch the second numerator at all.
4. We now have 2/6 + 3/6, which we can solve just like in the examples above.
5. Let’s ignore the denominators again and focus on solving 2 + 3.
6. Now that we know 2 + 3 = 5, we can return the denominators.
7. We’ve now reached our final answer of 5/6.

This isn’t the only way to add fractions where the denominator differs.

Alternatively, you can help your learners start practicing their skills in adding fractions with different denominators.

How to add fractions with whole numbers

Next, we’re going to take a look at how to add fractions that involve whole numbers. These are also known as mixed numbers and can also be represented as what we call ‘improper fractions’ While a mixed number is a real number with a fraction, an improper fraction involves having a numerator greater than the denominator. Let’s take a look at one of the methods that we could use below:

As you can see, we’re going to add 1 1/4 and 2 1/8. This might seem daunting initially, but a couple of extra steps are involved!

What we need to do first is convert these to improper fractions. For example, we know that one is equivalent to 4/4, so we need to add this to 1/4 to give us 5/4. We also know that two equals 16/8, so we add that to 1/8 to provide us with 17/8.

Now, you can see that we need to find the smallest common denominator, as we did when we looked at earlier examples of how to add fractions. The smallest common denominator is 8, so all we need to do is double the numerator of our first fraction. This gives us 10/8.

Now that we know this, we can add both fractions together to give us 27/8, or 3 3/8, which is our final answer.

There’s another way to look at how to add fractions involving whole numbers. Let’s take a look at that next:

1. Let’s say we want to add together 3 4/5 and 1 1/2.
2. This time, instead of converting both of these to improper fractions, we’re going to disregard the whole numbers and focus on solving 4/5 + 1/2.
3. We need to find the smallest common denominator, which is 10. So, we need to double the numerator of the first fraction and multiply the second one by five.
4. Hence, we end up with 8/10 + 5/10. As an improper fraction, this gives us;13/10, or 1 3/10 as a mixed number.
5. Now, we can go back to our whole numbers. We need to work out 3 + 1 + 1which gives us 5. Now, we add our remaining fraction to provide us with 5 3/10.

So what’s personification? Personification is a figurative device in which human attributes or feelings are given to an inanimate object or thing as if it were human. It’s a technique used a lot in speech and writing. An example would be ‘the snowflakes danced in the cold winter breeze.

What’s Personification in English? A simple definition

So, what’s personification all about? Personification is a figurative language where human characteristics, such as thoughts, feelings, or actions, are given to something non-human. The ‘non-human’ in this case encompasses everything from inanimate objects to plants and animals.

Personification is similar to another form of figurative language, metaphors. However, the difference is that metaphors can compare one thing to another. In contrast, personification is more to do with reaching the way an item or object behaves with our human behaviors.

Why do we use Personification?

Now that we know the answer to ‘what’s personification in English?’, we can explore why it’s important and why writers and poets use it.

Giving human characteristics to non-human objects or creatures brings those non-human things to life, especially if they’re normally inanimate in real life. It relies on the reader’s imagination to imagine the personification, as it’s typically something you wouldn’t see in the real world.

Personification is usually used for a specific purpose within texts. For example, the writer might use personification to inspire empathy in the reader.

If we describe a teddy bear as ‘mistreated’ by its owner, we can’t help but feel sorry for it, even though it’s an inanimate object.

Personification can also create strong visual images in the reader’s mind. For example, when we describe flowers as ‘swaying’ or trees as ‘waving,’ it gives the impression that they’re moving of their own accord when it’s the wind driving them. However, the image it evokes is familiar, beautiful, and meaningful to the reader.

How do you identify personification?

Although we’ve answered the question of ‘what’s personification?’, how do you spot it in a piece of text?

Unlike similes, which you can easily spot by looking for words like ‘like’ or ‘as,’ personification doesn’t use recurring words. However, it’s easy to spot when you remember that it compares a non-human thing to human emotions. So look for examples of something that’s not a person is given human emotions, such as ‘the wind roared’ or ‘the sun beamed down.’

What’s a personification example?

It’s easier to answer the question of ‘what’s personification?’ with the help of a few examples. The most common examples of this literary device are nursery rhymes and poetry. Explore these personification examples to see how well you and your learners understand the concept of personification.

The stars danced in the sky.

In this example, the stars are the subject of the sentence and are an object. Dancing, however, is a verb generally associated with people and gives an image of the movement of the stars.

In the jungle, the lion sings tonight.

Again, lions can’t sing. The lion is roaring, but the use of the verb sing adds an element of emotion and description to the action.

Those flowers are begging for water in this hot weather.

In this example, the flowers need water, but the dramatic verb ‘beg’ gives them a much more human character and creates an emotional response from the reader.

There’s also plenty of personification in English that we use daily, perhaps without realizing it.

• My hair stood on end.
• The sun-kissed my cheeks.
• My heart danced.
• The wind howled.
• The last piece of cake called my name.
• The door protested as it was opened.
• The sun is playing hide-and-seek today.
• The camera loves her.
• Thunder roared in the distance.
• Time flies when you’re having fun.
• The lights winked.

What’s Personification in Poems?

Personification is commonly used in poetry to create vivid images. Here are a few examples of personification from classic poems.

The Lady of Shalott By Lord Alfred Tennyson

In this poem, aspects of nature are given human qualities. It brings the natural world to life.

Here, the ‘fields of barley and rye’ are said to ‘clothe’ and ‘meet.’ In the real world, of course, fields of barley and rye wouldn’t be able to do either of these things. However, the poem creates an image in the reader’s mind – the fields cover the landscape from land to sky.

In the next stanza of the poem, there’s even more personification! Willows ‘whiten’, aspens ‘shiver,’ and sunbeams ‘break’ and ‘quiver.’ Again, these are human actions given to inanimate parts of nature. It creates the idea that spirit is alive all around us.

Windy Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson

Personification is also used in the poem ‘Windy Nights.’

Here, the trees are ‘crying aloud.’ Trees don’t normally make noise – this human attribute has been assigned through personification. It gives the trees not only a human action but emotion too. They appear to be crying out in pain.

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

This poem is all about personification. Shelley uses the technique to bring the statue, the main subject of the poem, to life.

Here, the speaker describes the statue lying in the desert. Though inanimate, it has a ‘sneer of cold command,’ as if there’s a life hidden within the stone. The personification gives king Ozymandias a presence throughout the poem.

What Are X and Y Coordinates?

Coordinates are a set of values that show the position of a certain point in a two-dimensional space. These positions are marked according to the numbers of the horizontal axis (x-axis) and the vertical axis (y-axis). The x and y coordinates of any given point have positive or negative values based on where the issue is in the different quadrants.

Coordinates can also be used to determine the specific position of more complex figures, including lines, circles, planes, or spheres.

A few key terms are important when working with x and y coordinates. These terms are:

Abscissa: The abscissa is the name given to the x value in the point. It is also the distance of this point along the x-axis from the origin.

The ordinate is the name given to the y value in the point. It is also the perpendicular distance of the end from the x-axis and the length of this same point along the y-axis from the origin.

X and Y Coordinates In Four Quadrants

Quadrant is the name given to the region enclosed by the intersection of the x-axis and the y-axis. When the x-axis and the y-axis intersect with one another at 90º, four areas are formed around it. These regions are called quadrants. Every plane has four quadrants, each of which is bounded by half of the axes. The quadrants are named Quadrant I, Quadrant II, Quadrant III, and Quadrant IV based on their position on the axes.

The four quadrants are as follows:

• The first quadrant is on the upper right-hand corner of the plane. In this quadrant, the x and y-coordinates are both positive.
• The second quadrant is on the upper left-hand corner of the plane. In this quadrant, the x-coordinate is negative, while the y-coordinate is positive.
• The third quadrant is on the lower left-hand corner of the plane. In this quadrant, the x and y-coordinates are both negative.
• The fourth quadrant is on the lower right-hand corner of the plane. In this quadrant, the x-coordinate is positive, while the y-coordinate is negative.

How To Work Out Coordinates

To read coordinates, we need to understand how to write them. A point on a grid contains two numbers to let us know a position. These numbers are the coordinates. They are provided by first giving the number of steps across (x-axis) followed by the steps up or down (y-axis).

So, to locate the treasure on the map below, we must know the coordinates, which are G,4. Therefore, if you are positioned in the same spot as the mermaid, you will need to move six steps along the x-axis to G,4.

If you are currently positioned on the pirate ship, you need to move two steps along the x-axis to G, then three up the y-Axis to 4. Then, bingo! You’ve found the treasure.

Uses of X and Y Coordinates

A question often arises in maths lessons: How is this information useful? Well, x and y coordinates are one of the many mathematics areas with many practical, real-life applications. For instance, the x and y coordinates of a point can be used to perform the following actions:

• The x and y coordinates can assist us in finding a point in the coordinate axes.
• The x and y coordinates for two points can be used to find the distance between the two points.
• The x and y coordinates for two points help find the slope of a line.
• The x and y coordinates for two points help find the equation of a line.

Who Invented Coordinates?

The coordinate system we use is the Cartesian System, also called the Plane System. It’s named after French mathematician René Descartes, who designed it in the 17th century. René Descartes published his ideas surrounding coordinates in 1637. A fellow mathematician called Pierre de Fermat, whose field of work was also in three dimensions, had made similar discoveries about coordinates. However, Fermat did not publish his discovery.

According to legend, Descartes discovered the Cartesian system after watching a fly from the ceiling of his bed and wondered how he could point out its location. He used the corner of the top as a reference point and created a link between algebra and geometry that changed how maths would be seen forever.

Various other coordinate systems have been developed since René Descartes’ original discoveries. These systems include the polar coordinates for the plane and the spherical and cylindrical coordinates for three-dimensional space.

Signs of spring for kids

After the winter months, it looks as if nature comes back to life or begins to wake up again. We start to see more animals and insects, and there’s more color around, thanks to blossoming trees and blooming flowers. So here are some signs of spring for kids to look out for once the days get longer and the weather gets warmer.

Flowers and trees

Most flowers bloom during spring, so there’s plenty to look at throughout the season. However, if you’re looking for early signs of spring for kids,  look out for these. They bring in the season of vibrant colors because they’re among the first to bloom. When you see these, you know that winter is coming to an end and that it’s time to enjoy everything spring offers.

Snowdrops

Snowdrops bloom as early as January or February, so if you’re not a fan of winter, then you’ll be eagerly looking out for these white flowers. Because of their association with the end of winter, they have also been called the flower of hope. These are a welcome sight if the winter has been particularly harsh for people and other living creatures. They pop up in woods and meadows, your garden, and your local park. It would help if you also kept an eye out along riverbanks because they prefer damp soil.

Crocuses

Crocuses can be white, yellow, or purple. They’re a great food source for bees and insects emerging for the first time because they pop up early. You can find them in gardens, woods, roadsides, and streamsides.

Daffodils

These bright, yellow flowers help bring in the new season, thanks to their vibrant color and the fact that you’ll often see whole clusters of them. You’ll find these in many places, like grasslands, woods, and river banks.

Trees

Similar to flowers and wild plants, some trees blossom earlier on in the spring. So look out for the small buds on their branches that will appear before the flowers do. It would help if you looked for ash, beech, oak, and rowan trees.

Animals

Spring is often associated with baby animals because so many are born during this season. This is because young animals are more likely to survive during the warmer weather that comes with spring compared to colder months in autumn and winter. It also gives these animals plenty of time to grow up and learn important things from their parents before they have to forage for food and prepare for winter. So see if you can spot any of these animals during spring. Just make sure not to disturb them or their nests if you do.

Lambs

During the spring, a ewe (a female sheep) will birth to between one and three lambs. Most lambs can stand up about an hour after they’re born. A mother sheep can recognize her young from their unique call, a ‘bleat.’ Lambs are usually kept with the mother sheep for about 2 to 4 months to feed on her milk and grow stronger.

Tadpoles

Tadpoles form the second part of the frog life cycle. Frogs lay a cluster of eggs called frogspawn, which hatches into tadpoles in early spring. At first, they don’t have any arms or legs, but these start to grow a bit later. First, they have a tail for swimming because frogs lay their eggs partially submerged in water, in a pond, for example.

Birds

Many birds start to build their nests in early spring so they’re ready for when it’s time to lay eggs. These include blackbirds and bluetits. You’ll also see birds that are returning to the UK from warmer countries; these are called migratory birds. Some of these include blackcap, chiffchaff, wheatear, and sand martin.

Insects

Not everyone loves insects, but they’re a key part of nature and are important signs of spring for kids. They pollinate plants, disperse seeds, keep the soil healthy, and are a food source for many different living things. Without them, nature would not function. So here are a couple of insects you can look out for when spending time outside:

• Bees. Once flowers bloom, you should see bees soon after, busy collecting nectar and pollinating plants.
• Beetles. Did you know that ladybirds belong to the beetle family? Look out for the 7-spot ladybird, the most common type in the UK.
• Spiders. The most common type of spider you’ll likely come across is the garden spider.
• Butterflies. Keep an eye out for the small white butterfly, which looks exactly as its name suggests. Another butterfly you might spot early on is the brimstone butterfly, which has yellowy, leaf-like wings.

Longer Days

People sometimes disagree about when exactly spring begins. But one of the dates people sometimes mark as the beginning of spring is the spring equinox date. This date can change each year slightly but is usually sometime around the 21st of March.

Equinox means that we get an almost equal amount of daytime and nighttime. There are two equinoxes each year, the spring equinox and the autumn equinox. After the spring equinox, the days become longer than the nights, so we all get more daylight hours. So another sign of spring for kids to know is what time the sun goes down. You could even keep track of this and see how it changes daily or weekly.

The Circulatory System

The circulatory system is a network within the body that consists of blood, blood vessels, and the heart. It supplies tissues with nutrients and oxygen, transports hormones, and removes waste products that the body doesn’t need.

Fun fact: You don’t have to think about keeping your circulatory system going because your brain does all the work for you.

Circulatory System Diagram for Kids

Here is a helpful diagram showing the different parts of the circulatory system for you to use when teaching your kids.

How does the Circulatory System Work?

The circulatory system plays a very important role in keeping the body healthy, and this is because the circulatory system is your body’s delivery system. The heart is an important part of this system because it pumps blood around your body and keeps the circulatory system flowing. Blood is used to transport oxygen around your body, which all your body’s cells need to survive.

It isn’t just oxygen that the circulatory system transports around the body. Still, it is also responsible for delivering nutrients and water to every cell in your body. It also carries away wastes like carbon dioxide that your body’s cells produce. So think of the circulatory system as a highway that connects every single cell in your body into one huge network.

This is why the heart is such an important organ in your body because the heart’s job is to pump blood and keep the blood moving throughout the body. Your heart never stops beating; the average heart beats around 3 billion times during a human lifetime. The heart is made of muscle and is connected to a complicated network of blood vessels that form part of the circulatory system.

What are the 4 Main Parts of the Circulatory System?

The four main circulatory system parts are the heart, arteries, veins, and blood. Let’s have a closer look at how they operate in the body.

• The heart is roughly the size of a large fist near the chest’s center. Its job is to pump persistently and to ensure the circulatory system is working all of the time.
• The arteries are blood vessels that transport oxygen-rich blood away from the heart and towards tissues in the body. Each route has three layers: the intima, the media, and the adventitia.
• Veins are blood vessels that carry blood to the heart. This blood comes from your tissues where it has been deoxygenated. Veins also carry blood toward the lungs to give them oxygen.
• Blood carries almost everything within the body, transporting hormones, nutrients, oxygen, and antibodies to keep the body healthy.

10 Facts About the Circulatory System for Kids

• The circulatory system is extremely long. If you were to lay out all the arteries, capillaries, and veins end-to-end, they would be able to stretch over 60,000 miles or 100,000 kilometers.
• Red blood cells are almost the same size as the capillaries they travel in, so cells must move in single-file lines through some veins and even change their shape to fit through.
• The heart rate of a creature is based on its size. For example, a human’s average resting heart rate is 75 beats per minute, a blue whale’s heart only beats five times per minute, and a shrew’s heart beats 1,000 times per minute.
• The Ancient Egyptians studied the circulatory system and believed that the heart was the source of all emotions, wisdom, and memory.
• It wasn’t until the 1600s that we realized exactly how the circulatory system works.
• Red blood cells travel through the circulatory system for about 120 days before they are replaced by new red blood cells, which are created in the bone marrow.
• Although some veins may look blue, blood is never blue. Instead, blood is bright red when it carries oxygen and dark red when it is not.
• Red blood cells make about 250,000 trips around your body’s circulatory system before they are replaced.
• It takes 20 seconds for blood to circulate through the entire human body.
• There are over 5 million red blood cells in a single drop of blood.
• Veins become bigger and bigger as they get closer to the heart. But what are the names of the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart? The superior vena cava is the name of the large vein that brings blood from your head and arms to nature, and the inferior vena cava is the vein that carries blood from your abdomen and legs into the heart.