Human Body in VR
Shrink to the size of an atom and go inside.
- Key stages
- KS1 - KS2
- Session length
- 45 - 60 minutes
- Group size
- One class at a time
- Formats
- Up to 6 sessions a day
About this workshop
This workshop takes your class to inner space. Pupils shrink down to the size of an atom and zoom inside the human body to learn what a fascinating and precious organism they are.
Our VR team built content covering the circulation system, the digestive system and the skeleton, so pupils travel along a blood vessel and through the digestive tract rather than colouring in a diagram of one.
The session is packed with the sort of detail that makes Year 6 revision stick, while remaining perfectly comfortable for KS1.
How the session runs
What happens in the 45 minutes
- 01
Human Body
Pupils travel around a boy's body. Beforehand they name body parts from head to toe and meet the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Afterwards the class discusses the brain as the body's control centre, receiving information from the senses and sending instructions to the body, along with basic needs such as food, water and exercise. The digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems are introduced, with the emphasis on how body systems are interconnected and work together.
- 02
Circulatory System
Pupils explore how blood moves around the body. Beforehand the class establishes that we breathe in oxygen and that the heart pumps blood around the body, and pupils feel their pulse and learn that it is caused by the heartbeat. Afterwards the four main components of blood are introduced: plasma, which carries nutrients and waste products; red blood cells, which transport oxygen; white blood cells, which protect against pathogens and support the immune system; and platelets, which help blood clot and prevent excessive blood loss. The class also discusses vitamins, using vitamin C and oranges as an example, and hormones as chemical messengers that help control processes such as growth and development.
- 03
Digestive System
Pupils travel through the small intestine alongside digested food. Beforehand the class discusses what happens to food after swallowing and why we need to eat, establishing that food provides energy and nutrients for growth, repair and health. Afterwards pupils learn that digestion begins in the mouth, where teeth break up food and saliva starts to digest it, before food moves to the stomach to be broken down further. The small intestine absorbs nutrients into the bloodstream and the circulatory system transports them around the body, showing how the two systems work together.
- 04
Skeletal System
The skeleton is introduced as the structure that supports the body. Beforehand pupils estimate how many bones are in an adult body and learn that adults usually have around 206 while babies have around 300, with some fusing as they grow. Afterwards the class meets the term vertebrate, meaning an animal with a backbone, and learns that the skeleton supports the body, protects organs and works with muscles to enable movement as muscles contract and pull on bones, causing movement at joints.
- 05
Virtual museum
The session closes in the museum, where pupils consolidate what they have learned and explore the human body and its different systems in greater detail.
What pupils will learn
The science they take away
Every session is built backwards from the curriculum objectives your teachers are already working to.
- 01The main parts of the human circulatory system and what each does
- 02How nutrients and water are transported around the body
- 03The path food takes through the digestive system
- 04How the skeleton and muscles work together for movement
- 05Why diet, exercise and sleep affect the body
- 06The correct anatomical vocabulary, used in context
Curriculum links
What this covers in the National Curriculum
Science - Animals including humans
- Identify and name a range of major parts of the human body.
- Recognise the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.
- Understand that the brain acts as a control centre for the body and coordinates many of its activities.
- Understand that the body needs food, water and exercise to stay healthy and function properly.
- Identify the main functions of the circulatory system and understand the role of the heart in pumping blood around the body.
- Identify the four main components of blood: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
- Understand the role of red and white blood cells and recognise that white blood cells help protect the body from pathogens.
- Understand that hormones act as chemical messengers within the body.
- Explain the basic process of digestion and understand that digestion begins in the mouth.
- Understand the role of the stomach and recognise that stomach acid helps break down food.
- Explain how nutrients are absorbed through the small intestine into the bloodstream.
- Understand the importance of the skeletal system and recognise that humans are vertebrates.
- Know that an adult human skeleton contains approximately 206 bones.
- Explain how muscles and bones work together to produce movement.
- Identify how the skeleton protects important organs, including the brain, heart and lungs.
- Use information from the virtual museum to investigate different body systems and parts of the human body.
- Develop scientific questioning, observation and recall skills by predicting answers before viewing each film and reviewing them afterwards.
Key vocabulary
The words pupils will use
These are the scientific terms our facilitator uses during the session, so you can introduce them beforehand or pick them up again in follow-up lessons.
- Human body
- primate
- brain
- senses
- sight
- hearing
- touch
- smell
- taste
- organ
- body system
- circulatory system
- heart
- blood
- plasma
- red blood cell
- white blood cell
- platelet
- oxygen
- pulse
- hormone
- pathogen
- immune system
- digestive system
- digestion
- saliva
- enzyme
- stomach
- stomach acid
- small intestine
- nutrient
- bloodstream
- skeletal system
- skeleton
- bone
- vertebrate
- backbone
- spinal column
- skull
- rib cage
- muscle
- joint
- adaptation
In your school
They travel along a blood vessel instead of colouring in a picture of one.
Logistics
What we bring, what you need
We bring
- A fully networked class set of VR headsets
- Our own human body content, built for primary pupils
- A DBS-checked facilitator to lead every session
- Cleaning and hygiene kit used between every class
You provide
- A school hall or a large, clear indoor space
- A parking space close by to unload equipment
- A member of school staff present in each session
Questions schools ask
Before you book
- Is any of the content graphic?
- No. It is anatomical and clean - closer to a science visualisation than anything medical.
- Does it cover the Year 6 circulatory unit?
- Directly, which is why it is often booked as revision before SATs.
- Can KS1 access it?
- Yes, with the facilitation pitched accordingly.
- How many classes in a day?
- Up to six, timed around your timetable.
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