You will learn
- Say what the lungs do.
- Describe air passing through the body.
- Use a simple model.
- Protect lung health.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- The lungs take oxygen from air.
- They remove carbon dioxide.
- Air goes through the windpipe.
- Clean air keeps lungs healthy.
Words to know
a gas we need to live
a gas we breathe out
the tube air passes down
to breathe in
1. Discover: The deep breath
Yaw takes a big breath and feels his chest rise. “Where did the air go?” he asks. His teacher says, “Into your lungs. They take oxygen from the air for your body.”
Think: Why does the chest move?
2. Understand: The lungs
Idea 1: What lungs do
The lungs take in oxygen from the air we inhale and let out carbon dioxide when we breathe out.
Idea 2: Air path
Air goes in through the nose or mouth, down the windpipe and into the lungs. Oxygen passes into the blood.
Idea 3: Lung health
Clean air, exercise and not smoking keep lungs healthy. Dust, smoke and fumes can harm them.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Gas in
Take in?
- Oxygen.
- From air.
- Lungs.
Answer: Lungs take in oxygen.
Example 2 (We do it together): Gas out
Breathe out?
- Carbon dioxide.
- Waste gas.
- Out.
Answer: We breathe out carbon dioxide.
Example 3 (You try): Path
Air path.
Show the steps and answer
- Nose.
- Windpipe.
- Lungs.
Answer: Air goes through the windpipe.
Did you know?
If spread flat, the surface of the lungs would cover about half a tennis court.
Why this matters
Healthy lungs give our bodies the oxygen they need.
4. Explore: Lung model
Make a bottle-and-balloon lung model.
- Cut the bottom off a plastic bottle (adult).
- Put a balloon in the neck.
- Cover the base with a larger balloon.
- Pull and release to see lungs fill.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Pulling made the balloon inflate.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Lungs take in ___.
- We breathe out ___ dioxide.
- Air goes down the ___.
- Clean air keeps lungs ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What do lungs do?
Take in oxygen.
Question 2. What do we breathe out?
Carbon dioxide.
Question 3. What is the windpipe?
Air tube.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What do lungs do?
- What do we breathe out?
- What is the windpipe?
- What harms lungs?
- What do we need to live?
Level 2: Grow
- Why exercise?
- Why clean air?
- Why model?
Level 3: Stretch
- Build the model.
- Draw the air path.
- Explain lung care.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Name something that harms lungs.
Show a sample answer
Smoke.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Air is a mix.
Fix: They are organs.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what the lungs do.
- I can describe air passing through the body.
- I can use a simple model.
- I can protect lung health.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- The lungs take oxygen from air.
- They remove carbon dioxide.
- Air goes through the windpipe.
- Clean air keeps lungs healthy.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: The stomach. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What do lungs do? [2 marks]
- Describe the air path. [3 marks]
- Explain the model. [3 marks]
- Name one harm to lungs. [1 mark]
- Safety rule? [1 mark]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Take oxygen [1]; release carbon dioxide [1]
- Nose/mouth [1]; windpipe [1]; lungs [1]
- Pull [1]; balloon inflates [1]; like lungs [1]
- Smoke/dust [1]
- Any [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What do lungs do?
- What do we breathe out?
- What is the windpipe?
- What harms lungs?
- What do we need to live?
- Why exercise?
- Why clean air?
- Why model?
- Build the model.
- Draw the air path.
Homework
Take slow breaths for one minute and describe how your chest moves.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What do lungs do? | Take in oxygen. | 1 |
| 2. What do we breathe out? | Carbon dioxide. | 1 |
| 3. What is the windpipe? | Air tube. | 1 |
| 4. What harms lungs? | Smoke. | 1 |
| 5. What do we need to live? | Oxygen. | 1 |
| 6. Why exercise? | Strong lungs. | 1 |
| 7. Why clean air? | Healthy lungs. | 1 |
| 8. Why model? | See how it works. | 1 |
| 9. Build the model. | Observation. | 1 |
| 10. Draw the air path. | Diagram. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Take in oxygen.; 2 Carbon dioxide.; 3 Air tube.; 4 Smoke.; 5 Oxygen.. Level 2: 1 Strong lungs.; 2 Healthy lungs.; 3 See how it works.. Level 3: 1 Observation.; 2 Diagram.; 3 Paragraph..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what the lungs do | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Describe air passing through the body | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Use a simple model | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Protect lung health | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “We breathe only oxygen.” Air is a mix.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Explain lungs and air flow.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about the lungs. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Breathe slowly together.
- Ask, “Where does air go?”
- Avoid smoke.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what the lungs do; describe air passing through the body; use a simple model; protect lung health.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 2 body ideas: the five senses, parts of the body, healthy food, exercise and washing hands.
Materials. Plastic bottle, balloons, tape, rubber bands. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Pre-cut bottles and tape edges.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask learners to feel their chest and say, “What moves?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach lungs.
Guided activity (10 min). Adult prepares model.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners test.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What do the lungs take in? What do they release?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “We breathe only oxygen.” Air is a mix.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Explain lungs and air flow. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 3 Unit 4, topic 4; Next Generation Science Standards, structure and function in living things; Cambridge Primary Science Stage 3, plants and humans; IB Primary Years Programme, who we are and how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.