Heart Helpers Script

Introduction & Objectives (3 minutes)

Teacher: "Hello [Student Name]! I'm excited to work with you today. We're going to explore how your heart works, measure your resting heart rate, and create a personalized exercise plan to keep your heart healthy."

Teacher: "Let's look at our goals on slide 1 of the Cardio Care Slide Deck." (Advance slide)

Teacher: "By the end of our session today, you will be able to:

1. Measure your resting heart rate
2. Identify 2–3 exercises that support heart health
3. Set frequency and duration goals in your health log
   Does that sound good?"

Student:

Teacher: "Great! Let's get started."

Cardiovascular System Overview (7 minutes)

Teacher: "We’ll use slides 2 to 5 to learn about the heart’s structure and how blood circulates. Ready?" (Advance to slide 2)

Teacher: "Slide 2 shows our objectives again, but now we go to slide 3. Tell me, what are the main parts of the heart?" (Advance to slide 3)

Teacher: "The heart has two upper chambers called atria, and two lower chambers called ventricles. Valves keep blood flowing in one direction. Can you name the two types of chambers?"

Student:

Teacher: "Exactly—atria and ventricles. Next, slide 4 shows the blood circulation pathway. Walk me through how blood travels through your heart and body." (Advance to slide 4)

Student:

Teacher: "Wonderful! Oxygen-poor blood enters the right atrium, moves to the right ventricle, then to the lungs. There, it picks up oxygen, returns to the left atrium, and gets pumped by the left ventricle to the rest of the body. Now slide 5: let's talk about heart rate basics." (Advance to slide 5)

Teacher: "Resting heart rate is your beats per minute when you’re calm. It’s influenced by fitness level, stress, hydration, and sleep. A healthy range for teens is about 60–100 bpm. What factors might cause your heart rate to rise or fall?"

Student:

Measure & Record Heart Rate (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Great discussion! Now let's find your pulse. Slide 6." (Advance to slide 6)

Teacher: "You can feel your pulse on your wrist or neck. I’ll show you how. Place two fingers here—on your wrist—and count the beats for 15 seconds. Then multiply by 4 to get beats per minute. Would you like to try on your wrist or neck?"

Student:

Teacher: "Perfect. Go ahead and count for 15 seconds while I time you."

(After counting)

Teacher: "What was your count for 15 seconds?"

Student:

Teacher: "Multiply that by 4. What’s your resting heart rate?"

Student:

Teacher: "Excellent. Let’s record that on the Heart Rate Chart Worksheet. Write today’s date and your bpm."

Student:

Teacher: "How do you feel about that number?"

Student:

Personalized Exercise Plan (7 minutes)

Teacher: "Now, let’s talk about exercises that benefit your heart. Slide 7." (Advance to slide 7)

Teacher: "Some heart-healthy activities are brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, jump rope, or dance. Which 2 or 3 activities sound fun to you?"

Student:

Teacher: "Great choices! Let’s set goals for each. In your My Heart Health Log Journal, choose how many days per week you’ll do each activity and how many minutes each time. For example, 3 times a week for 20 minutes. What’s your first goal?"

Student:

Teacher: "And your second goal?"

Student:

Teacher: "If you picked a third activity, what’s your goal?"

Student:

Teacher: "Fantastic! You’ve set clear goals."

Reflection & Next Steps (3 minutes)

Teacher: "To wrap up, reflect on what you learned. How did it feel to measure your heart rate and plan these exercises?"

Student:

Teacher: "Awesome reflection! Remember to log your activities daily in your journal and re-measure your resting heart rate in one week. If your heart rate changes or you want to adjust your goals, you can update your log. Great work today!"

Teacher: "I’m proud of what you accomplished. Keep up the healthy habits!"

My Heart Health Log

My Heart-Healthy Goals

Write your 2–3 chosen activities and set weekly frequency & duration for each.

1. Activity: ____________________
   Frequency (days/week): ______
   Duration (minutes/session): ______
   
   
   
2. Activity: ____________________
   Frequency (days/week): ______
   Duration (minutes/session): ______
   
   
   
3. Activity: ____________________
   Frequency (days/week): ______
   Duration (minutes/session): ______
   
   
   

Daily Log Entry

Use this section each time you exercise. Copy this block for additional days.

Date: _______________________
Resting Heart Rate (bpm): ______

Activity Name: _______________________
Duration (minutes): ______
Intensity (low / moderate / high): ______

How did you feel before, during, and after this activity? (Short)

Weekly Check-In

At the end of each week, reflect on your progress.

Week of: _______________________
Average Resting Heart Rate (bpm): ______

What went well this week?

What challenges did you face?

Will you adjust your goals? If yes, how?

Heart Rate Chart Worksheet

Instructions

Measure your resting heart rate once each day at about the same time (e.g., right after you wake up). For each measurement:

1. Find your pulse at your wrist or neck.
2. Count beats for 15 seconds.
3. Multiply by 4 to get beats per minute (BPM).
4. Record your data below and note how you feel.

Average Resting Heart Rate (BPM): ________

Reflection:
What does your average resting heart rate tell you about your cardiovascular fitness?

Based on these measurements, what might you adjust in your personalized exercise plan?