This Science video introduces teachers to the three types of muscle in the human body – skeletal, smooth, and cardiac – and how they work to cause movement and support the skeleton. It explains how skeletal muscles create voluntary movement, smooth muscles control involuntary processes such as digestion and blood flow, and cardiac muscle powers the heartbeat. The lesson also explores how muscles work in antagonistic pairs, using examples like the biceps and triceps at the elbow and the hamstrings and quadriceps at the knee. Pupils will also link their learning to bionic technologies, comparing the mechanics of a model hand to modern prosthetics.

This video is part of Kapow Primary’s Science – human body. It supports teachers in guiding pupils to understand the function and coordination of muscles and joints, while introducing real-world applications through prosthetic technology. The content helps teachers confidently demonstrate muscle action, encourage comparisons with skeleton types, and inspire discussions on how advances in science and engineering are shaping the future of movement assistance.

Science, Lower key stage 2, Year 3, Animals: Movement and nutrition, Lesson 3: Muscles and movement