The Heart Academy Schools App is designed to be used in conjunction with Heart Research UK’s Heart Academy lessons. The Heart Academy lessons closely follow the Key Stage 2 science curriculum and are suitable for pupils in school years 5 and 6 (ages 9 – 11). Heart Academy Schools has 4 games and 4 augmented reality workbooks to try, just watch the pages come to life right in front of you.
You can apply to become a Heart Academy school at https://hub.heartacademy.org.uk/registration/ . All Heart Academy lessons are fully funded by national charity Heart Research UK (Registered Charity No. 1044821), and are free of charge to schools. Our aim is to make learning how to look after your heart fun and memorable. Become a Heart Academy school to access all our online resources and virtual reality headsets.
Games
1. Understanding the Heart
Take a journey through the heart as if you were a blood cell. Take time to explore all around the chambers and blood vessels to find all the hidden white hearts.
2. Physical Activity and the Heart
Do you know how quickly your heart beats when you’re running really fast? Match the activities to the correct heart rate in this game. Hint: the harder you work, the faster your heart will beat to pump enough oxygen to your muscles.
3. Healthy Eating and the Heart
Take a trip to the supermarket and see how many good food choices you can make. Move the shopping basket left and right using the arrow keys, dodging foods that contain lots of sugar, salt or fat. Try and catch as many oily fish, starchy carbohydrates, proteins, fruit and vegetables as you can.
4. Making Healthy Choices
Watch different scenarios play out in front of you. What would you do if you were offered a cigarette? What if you were nervous to try a new sport that all your friends were doing? Watch what happens, would you make the same choices as Callum and Gracie?
Augmented Reality
1. Understanding the Heart
Have a go at Lesson One. This is all about the heart. Where is it? How big is it? How does it work? Use the augmented reality to find the answers to all these questions, and take the interactive quiz show at the end. Make sure you’re paying attention to get full marks!
2. Physical Activity and the Heart
Lesson Two is all about being active. What counts as exercise? How much physical activity should you aim to do every day? Why does physical activity make your heart stronger? Use the augmented reality to find the answers to these questions, and take the interactive quiz show at the end.
3. Healthy Eating and the Heart
Lesson Three is all about which foods you should enjoy most of the time to keep your heart happy. How many fruit and vegetables can you eat every day? What counts as an oily fish? What counts as protein if you don’t eat meat? Use the augmented reality to find the answers to all these questions and play some fun games. Can you steer a ball through a blood vessel full of plaque without touching the sides?
4. Making Healthy Choices
Lesson Four is all about getting into good habits and making healthy choices. What influences the decisions you make every day? Can you tell when friends, advertising or social media are helping you to make a good choice? What about when they try to tell you to make a poor choice? Use the augmented reality to find the answers to all these questions, and take the interactive quiz show at the end.