Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Pulse Rate Investigation: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Pulse Rate Investigation is a free printable science worksheet for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children predict, test, record and explain, working with a partner who keeps time. They count a pulse for a short burst, scale it up to one minute and write about what they found.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages. Give page 1 to the children and keep page 2, which has notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children fill in a table showing the beats counted in 15 seconds for each activity. They then work out the beats in 1 minute by multiplying by 4. Before testing, they write a prediction and give a reason. They also name two things they will keep the same to make the test fair. Numbered questions finish the sheet, including a short calculation and a question that asks them to explain in their own words.
- Activity
- Beats in 15 seconds
- Beats in 1 minute (multiply by 4)
- Prediction: Which activity will give the fastest pulse? Say why.
- Fair test: Write two things you will keep the same each time.
- A pulse of 22 beats in 15 seconds is how many beats in 1 minute?
- Why does your heart beat faster when you exercise?
Worked example: from 15 seconds to 1 minute
A pulse of 19 beats in 15 seconds is how many beats in 1 minute?
This is a different question with a different number of beats from the one on the sheet. It shows two ways to multiply by 4.
Method 1: double and double- 15 seconds is a quarter of a minute, so multiply the count by 4.
- Multiplying by 4 is the same as doubling twice.
- Double 19: 19 + 19 = 38.
- Double again: 38 + 38 = 76.
- Split 19 into 10 and 9.
- 10 x 4 = 40.
- 9 x 4 = 36.
- Add the parts: 40 + 36 = 76.
Setting up a fair investigation
Choose the activities
Talk with your partner about the activities you will test. Pick ones that are safe, comfortable and easy to do in the space you have.
Agree the roles
One person counts the pulse. The other watches the clock or timer and says when to start and stop. Swap roles so both children collect results.
Plan the fair test
A fair test changes one thing and keeps everything else the same. Decide together what must stay the same each time, then check your two choices with your partner.
Record as you go
Write each count in the table straight away. Then do the multiplication carefully and check it before moving on.
Why investigate the pulse?
Your pulse is the beat you can feel in a blood vessel each time your heart pumps. The heart is a muscle that works all day and night. Counting a pulse is a simple way to measure how fast the heart is beating, and it needs no equipment beyond a clock or timer. That makes it ideal for a hands on investigation.
The sheet links to the working scientifically strand of the National Curriculum for England, which includes planning fair tests, recording results and drawing conclusions. It also fits the animals including humans strand in upper Key Stage 2. Pulse counts vary from person to person and from one try to the next, so children learn to look at results with care.
Children should only do exercise that feels comfortable. Stop at once if anyone feels dizzy, unwell or very out of breath. Children with a health condition should follow the advice they have been given. When finding a pulse, press lightly. Never press hard on the neck. The wrist is usually easier.
Pulse facts
- Your pulse is the beat you feel as your heart pushes blood around your body.
- The heart is a muscle, and it is about the size of your clenched fist.
- You can feel a pulse on the inside of your wrist and at the side of your neck.
- Use two fingers to find a pulse. Your thumb has its own small pulse, which can confuse your count.
- Pulse rates differ from person to person, so your result may not match your partner's.
Skills and curriculum link
- Predicting
- Recording results
- Drawing conclusions
- Planning a fair test
- Multiplying by 4
- Explaining ideas
Ideas that help with this sheet
- Fair testChange only one thing and keep everything else the same. Then any difference in results is easier to trust.
- Why multiply by 4There are four lots of 15 seconds in 1 minute. So the count for 15 seconds is multiplied by 4 to give the beats in a minute.
- Repeat readingsOne count can be wrong if a beat is missed. Repeating a test shows whether results are close together.
- PredictionA prediction is a sensible guess with a reason. It does not matter if it turns out wrong. The test then tells you something new.
Key words
- PulseThe beat you can feel in your wrist or neck each time your heart pumps blood.
- PredictionA sensible guess about what will happen, with a reason.
- Fair testA test where only one thing changes and everything else stays the same.
- ResultA measurement or count that you collect and write down.
- ConclusionA sentence that says what your results show.
- AverageAdd up the readings, then divide by how many readings there are.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the children. Keep page 2 for the grown up.
- Pair children up with a clock or timer. One counts the pulse while the other keeps time.
- Work through the first activity together. Talk about the prediction and the fair test before anyone counts.
- Fill in the table, then check the multiplying and the written answers against page 2.
- Come back another day and repeat the test. Compare the new results with the old ones.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Let children find the pulse on the wrist and count aloud with a partner. Use a finger on the neck only if the wrist is hard to find, and press lightly. A calculator can help with multiplying by 4. Test just one activity first.
To stretch confident children
Repeat each test three times and find an average for each activity. Then write a few sentences explaining why repeating a test makes the results more reliable. Ask whether any result looks very different from the others.
Make it a game
Each child predicts a friend's pulse after 20 hops, writes it down, then the friend hops and the pulse is counted for 15 seconds. Multiply by 4 and compare. The closest prediction scores a point.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes the 15 second count as the answer for 1 minute.
Try thisRemind them that 15 seconds is only part of a minute. Ask how many lots of 15 seconds fit in 1 minute, then multiply.
Watch forThe count is different each time because the timer started late or stopped early.
Try thisUse one clear signal, such as the word go and the word stop. The timekeeper watches the clock the whole time.
Watch forThe pulse is hard to find, or the child counts their own thumb pulse.
Try thisUse two fingers, not the thumb. Move them slightly until a beat is felt, and press gently.
Talk about it
- Which activity do you think will give the fastest pulse, and what is your reason?
- What does it mean to make a test fair?
- How did you and your partner share the jobs?
- Did your results match your prediction? What do you notice?
- What could go wrong when counting a pulse?
- What would you change if you did the investigation again?
Take it off the page
Resting pulse chart
Count a pulse at rest at different times over a week. Draw a simple bar chart and talk about whether the numbers stay the same.
Listen to a heartbeat
Hold a cardboard tube to a friend's chest and listen carefully at the other end. Describe the sound and the rhythm.
Predict and test
Make up one new fair test with a partner, such as a different gentle activity. Write a prediction, test it and record the counts.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first test, then let them lead. Ask them to explain their prediction before they count. Keep the activities gentle and praise careful counting and clear thinking.
Teachers
Use it as part of an enquiry lesson on exercise and the body, as a working scientifically task or as a table activity. Pairs share the counting and timing roles. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider science plan. It pairs well with books about the body and outdoor play. Repeat the test with brothers and sisters, or return to it later to compare results.
Where this skill fits
Before this sheet, children should be confident counting accurately, reading a clock and using their four times table. They will also have met tables for recording and the idea that a fair test needs careful planning.
After this sheet, children can draw bar charts or line graphs of their results and compare repeated readings. Later science builds on this with more detailed study of the circulatory system and how the body works.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Pulse Rate Investigation for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. Younger children can try it with adult help, and older children can use the stretch idea to repeat tests and find averages.
- What will children practise?
Children practise making a prediction, recording results and drawing a conclusion from a fair test about exercise and the heart. They also multiply by 4 and explain their thinking in writing.
- What equipment do we need?
You need a clock or timer, a pencil and the printed sheet. Children work in pairs, so each has a partner. One counts the pulse and the other keeps time, then they swap roles.
- What if finding a pulse is hard?
Try the wrist first and use two fingers, not the thumb. Press lightly and move your fingers slightly until you feel a beat. Counting aloud with a partner and using a calculator for multiplying can also help.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or a later revision session.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 helps with support and stretch.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Print both pages, with page 1 for children and page 2 kept for the grown up.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.