Bodies and Health

Overview

Year group: 2
Duration: 30 minutes
Class size: 10 students
Unit: Safe and Healthy Choices (Lesson 1 of 5)
Lesson title: Understanding Our Bodies and Health

National Curriculum Links

PSHE Association Programme of Study (Key Stage 1)

Health and Wellbeing:
- Recognise what helps them stay healthy and safe.
- Recognise and understand basic human body parts and how to keep healthy (nutrition, exercise).
Relationships:
- Develop vocabulary and confidence in discussing personal and health-related topics.

Science National Curriculum (Key Stage 1 - Year 2)

Identify, name and describe the basic parts of the human body and their functions.
Understand the importance of eating healthily and keeping active.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will:

Name at least five basic body parts and understand their functions (e.g., heart pumps blood, lungs help us breathe).
Describe why good nutrition and physical activity are important for keeping their bodies healthy.
Identify healthy and less healthy food choices through pictures and create a balanced ‘plate’ of food.
Use age-appropriate vocabulary to talk about their bodies and health confidently.

Resources

Large, colourful diagram/poster of the human body with labelled parts (head, arms, legs, heart, lungs, stomach)
Picture cards of different foods (fruit, vegetables, sweets, snacks, drinks)
Paper plates and colouring materials (crayons, coloured pencils)
Whiteboard and markers
Sticky notes
“Healthy plate” template worksheet (a blank plate outline divided into sections)

Lesson Outline

1. Warm-up and Introduction (5 minutes)

Engage: Begin with a whole-class question: “Can you point to a part of your body?” Call on volunteers to name parts: head, legs, arms, heart, lungs, stomach.
Explain: Show the body diagram and explain briefly the main parts and what they do (e.g., heart pumps blood, lungs help us breathe). Use simple language and ask pupils to touch or point to their own body parts as you talk.
Assessment: Ask quick rapid-fire questions ("Where is your heart?" "What do your lungs do?") to gauge prior knowledge.

2. Main Activity Part 1: Importance of Health (7 minutes)

Discuss: Talk about what it means to keep a body healthy. Ask: “Why do you think we eat different foods? Why do we move and play?”
Explain: Introduce the concepts of nutrition (good food gives energy and helps us grow) and exercise (helps keep our heart strong and body fit).
Demonstrate: Show example foods from picture cards and classify them aloud as healthy or unhealthy. Encourage students to suggest if the food is good for them or a treat.

3. Main Activity Part 2: Create a Healthy Plate (12 minutes)

Task: Give each pupil a blank paper plate template and picture cards of foods.
Instructions: Pupils will select and arrange pictures or draw their own healthy meal on the plate, using what they’ve learned about nutrition (fruit, vegetables, some proteins and carbohydrates).
Support: Circulate and ask open-ended questions like, “Why did you choose that food?” “Is this good for your heart?”
Extension: For early finishers or higher ability, pupils can write simple sentences describing their plate using new vocabulary (e.g., “I have carrots because they are healthy.”).

4. Plenary and Assessment (6 minutes)

Share: Invite pupils to present their plates to the class, explaining at least one healthy choice they made and one part of the body it helps.
Recap: Use the whiteboard to make a mind map with input from the class: “How do we keep our bodies healthy?” (Nutrition, exercise, rest, hygiene.)
Exit Quiz: Ask each pupil a quick question about the body or health before they leave the room (e.g., “What part of your body helps you breathe?” or “Name one healthy food you like.”)

Differentiation

For SEN: Provide body part labels for matching; use tactile materials; offer one-to-one support during the healthy plate activity.
For Higher Ability: Challenge to name additional body parts or nutrients; write simple sentences or label body parts on their drawings.

Assessment for Learning

Formative assessment during discussion and questioning.
Observation of pupil’s ability to correctly identify body parts and explain their functions.
Evaluation of ‘healthy plate’ activity to check understanding of nutrition concepts.

Cross-Curricular Links

Science: Body parts and functions
Art: Drawing and creative plate design
English: Speaking and vocabulary development through presentation

Teacher’s Notes and Tips

Use lively, age-appropriate language, metaphors, and stories (e.g., “Your heart is like a pump that keeps your body moving!”).
Incorporate movement: when naming body parts, have pupils stand and touch the part to increase engagement and kinaesthetic learning.
Reinforce positive associations with healthy choices without demonising treats, to foster balanced attitudes.
Use roughly 2 minutes for transitions to keep pace tight within 30 minutes.

This lesson builds foundational knowledge about the body and health that sets the stage for the rest of the "Safe and Healthy Choices" unit, encouraging confident discussion and healthy habits from an early age.

Teaching Instructions