Heartbeat calculator
In this activity, students calculate the number of times their hearts have beaten since they were born.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
explain that their heart (cardiac muscle) is an involuntary muscle
locate their pulse and determine pulse rate
investigate and find meaning for very large numbers.
The beating heart
A model of a beating heart from the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland shows the contraction of the ventricle three-dimensionally and graphically.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
extension ideas.
Download the Excel file (see link below) for the heartbeat calculator.
Related content
Find out about various the muscle types in our bodies. See how much you know about the human heart in the Labelling the heart activity.
