Grade Level Three /Unit Number: One

Third Grade

Goal Four

Human Body

Writers:

Debra Hall

Danielle McCaslin
I:Grade Level Three /Unit Number: One

II:Unit Title: The Human Body

III:Unit Length: Nine Weeks

IV:Competency Goal Three: The learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate technology to build an understanding of the form and function of the skeletal and muscle systems of the human body.

V: Objectives Included:

Unit Title: The Human Body / Number of Weeks: 9
Number / Competency or Objective / RBT Tag
4.01 / Identify the skeleton as a system of the human body. / A1
4.02 / Describe several functions of bones: support, protection, locomotion / A4, B4
4.03 / Describe the functions of different types of joints: hinge, ball and socket, gliding / A2
4.04 / Describe how different kinds of joints allow movement and compare this to the movement of mechanical devices. / A4, B4
4.05 / Observe and describe how muscles cause the body to move. / A2

VI: ELD/ED: English Language Learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of science.

VII: Vocabulary:

skeleton, support, protect, muscles, bones, cartilage, cells, tissue, marrow, calcium, pellet, minerals, movable joints, immovable joints, gliding joints, ball and socket joints, hinge joints, flexibility, backbone, vertebrae, spinal column, opposable, strength, articulated, tendon, cardiac muscles, skeletal muscles, smooth muscles, heart, contract, relax, vein, artery, involuntary muscle, voluntary muscle, stimulus, response

VIII: Materials Needed:

See Appendix

IX: Big Ideas:

Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understanding about scientific inquiry

Content Standard B: Physical Science

• Position and motion of objects

Content Standard C: Life Science

• The characteristics of organisms
• Organisms and environments

Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

• Personal health

X: Unit Notes:

Notes to Teacher:

A book is a great lead in for a lesson.

All experiments need to be set up ahead of time.

All examples need to be tried by the teacher before doing it with the students.

Some examples of a finished product need to be put together ahead of time.

Materials can be modified and changed as necessary.

Be sure you have all rules in place before an experiment begins.

This unit is designed to be interactive and fun.

Unit Overview:

Unit Overview:

The human body unit gives students an opportunity to observe and investigate the form and functions of our skeletal and muscular systems. The students will get hands on experience through identifying different bones, joints and muscles using diagrams and charts and then locating each on their own body. They will explore how the skeletal system provides support, protection, and locomotion with assistance from the muscular system. The students will build models and acquire the vocabulary by focusing on a particular area of the body. Throughout the investigations the students will use scientific process skills to observe, communicate, predict, classify, measure, and infer information about the skeletal andmuscular systems.

Resources and Children’s Books:

Bones! All Kinds of Hands, All Kinds of Feet by Rosanna Hansen

Me and My Amazing Body by Joan Sweeney

Muscles by Seymour Simon

Outside and Inside You by Sandra Markle

The Search for the Missing Bones by Eva Moore

Skeletons! Skeletons! All About Bones by Katy Hall

The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole

Head to Toe Science by Jim Wiese

*Check with your media specialist or the local library for additional books on the human bodyto be used as additional supplemental materials.

X:Global Content:

NC SCS Grade

/ 21st Century Skills / Activity
Communication Skills
4.03, 4.04 / Conveying thought or opinions effectively / Lessons 8, 9
All Objectives / When presenting information, distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant information / All Lessons
4.05 / Explaining a concept to others / Lesson 11
4.05 / Interviewing others or being interviewed / Lesson 11
Computer Knowledge
Using word-processing and database programs
4.05 / Developing visual aides for presentations / Lesson 10
Using a computer for communication
4.03, 4.03 / Learning new software programs / Lesson 3
Employability Skills
All Objectives / Assuming responsibility for own learning / All Lessons
All Objectives / Persisting until job is completed / All Lessons
All Objectives / Working independently / All Lessons
All Objectives / Developing career interest/goals / All Lessons
All Objectives / Responding to criticism or questions / All Lessons
Information-retrieval Skills
4.03, 4.04 / Searching for information via the computer / Lesson 3
4.01 / Searching for print information / Lesson 2
4.02, 4.04 / Searching for information using community members / Lesson 7
Language Skills - Reading
All Objectives / Following written directions / All Lessons
All Objectives / Identifying cause and effect relationships / All Lessons
All Objectives / Summarizing main points after reading / All Lessons
All Objectives / Locating and choosing appropriate reference materials / All Lessons
All Objectives / Reading for personal learning / All Lessons
Language Skill - Writing
All Objectives / Using language accurately / All Lessons
All Objectives / Organizing and relating ideas when writing / All Lessons
All Objectives / Proofing and Editing / All Lessons
All Objectives / Synthesizing information from several sources / All Lessons
Documenting sources
Developing an outline
4.05 / Writing to persuade or justify a position / Lesson 13
All Objectives / Creating memos, letters, other forms of correspondence / All Lessons
Teamwork
All Objectives / Taking initiative / All Lessons
All Objectives / Working on a team / All Lessons
Thinking/Problem-Solving Skills
All Objectives / Identifying key problems or questions / All Lessons
All Objectives / Evaluating results / All Lessons
4.05 / Developing strategies to address problems / Lesson 13
4.03, 4.04, 4.05 / Developing an action plan or timeline / Lessons 8, 9, 10, 14

Lessons and Objectives:

Lesson One: I Like to Move It4.01, 4.05

Lesson Two: Dem Bones4.01

Lesson Three: Owl Pellets4.03, 4.04

Lesson Four: Hard Bones4.02

Lesson Five: Soft Bones4.02

Lesson Six: Gliding, Ball and Socket, Hinge, Oh My!4.03, 4,04

Lesson Seven: Back Breaker4.02, 4.04

Lesson Eight: The Amazing Opposable Thumb4.03, 4.04

Lesson Nine: More Joint Tasks4.03, 4.04

Lesson Ten: Putting It All Together4.05

Lesson Eleven: Heart Smart4.05

Lesson Twelve: Can We Control It?4.05

Lesson Thirteen: Taking Care of Muscles4.05

Lesson Fourteen: How Fast Are You?4.05

Lesson One: I Like to Move It

Objectives:

4.01 Identify the skeleton as a system of the human body

4.05 Observe and describe how muscles cause the body to move

Essential Question: How does the body move?

Time: one 30-minute period

Content Blast:

The skeleton is a system of the human body. It is the framework that supports and protects the body. It also works with our muscles to move our body. We have 206 bones in the adult skeleton.

Materials:

Per Student Pair:

one jump rope

Per Class:

chart paper

Process Skills: Observe, Communicate, Infer, Predict

Engage:

Demonstrate several ways to appropriately jump rope.

Explore:

Students will work in pairs to observe each other jumping rope. One student recordshis or her observations in their science notebook while the other jumps rope. Students will then change places and repeat.

Explain:

Have a class discussion on what the students observed while they were jumping. Create a class chart listing all of the ways that the body moved in order to successfully jump rope. Ask the students what was allowing their bodies to move in those ways. Lead them to the discovery of bones and muscles working together to allow those movements.

Elaborate:

Have the students act out other various scenarios where they need to move their bodies. (i.e. swimming, climbing, hiking, etc.) Compare these activities to the jumping rope activity. Ask iftheir bodies move in the same way.

Evaluate:

Have the students write a reflective paragraph in their science notebooks about the ways that the body moves in order to complete various activities. They should include the reasons that their bodies are able to move in these ways.

Lesson Two: Dem Bones

Objectives:

4.01 Identify the skeleton as a system of the human body

Essential Questions:How many bones are in the human body?

Time: two 45-minute periods

Content Blast:

See Lesson One

Materials:

Per Student Group:

diagram/poster of human skeleton sections (torso, arms/hands, legs/feet, skull) See examples in lesson.

Per Class:

overhead/chart of class data table

Process Skills: Observe, Communicate, Predict, Measure, Classify

Engage:

Refer to Lesson One. Ask the students to recall how the body moved. Ask the following questions: Do your bones move when you jump? Where are your bones? How can you tell where your bones are? Have students feel for the bones inside their bodies. Ask if they can feel all of the bones in their bodies. Explain to the students that they will conduct an investigation that will help them to determine how many bones make up their skeleton. Have students predict how many bones total they believe are in the human skeleton based on what they have felt in their bodies.

Explore:

Day One:

Divide the class into four groups. Provide each group with diagrams of two human skeleton sections. For example, one group may receive the skull and torso, another group will get the legs and arms, etc. Students should use the diagrams to count the number of bones in that section of the skeleton and record their conclusions in a data table like the ones below.

Skull Bones
Face Bones
Cranium Bones
Jaw Bones
Other Bones
Inside Head
Total
Arm Bones
Upper Arm
Lower Arm
Wrist
Hand
Subtotal / _____x 2
Total
Torso Bones
Shoulder Bones
Breast Bones
Rib Bones
Back Bones
Pelvic Bones
Total
Leg Bones
Upper Leg
Lower Leg
Ankle
Foot
Subtotal / _____x 2
Total

Day Two:

Begin by asking the students if there was anything that surprised them from the previous day. Explain to them that they are going to compile their data onto a class data table in order to draw conclusions about the total number of bones in the body. Provide them with a data tablethatthey can record their group results.

Class Data Table

Skeletal Sections / Group Totals / Average
Arm
Leg
Torso
Skull
Grand Total

Explain:

Once the totals have been recorded discuss the varying answers for each group. Ask them if it is possible that some bones were missed. After this discussion explain how averaging can help determine a more accurate count for each section. Average the results for each section and then total all of the averages together in order to obtain a skeletal grand total. Tell students that the correct number of bones in your body is 206. Discuss why their grand total may be different.

Elaborate:

Ask students the following questions: How will we know if we missed any bones when we counted? What could we use to help us find out more about bones? Discuss other ways of counting bones such as books,

x-rays, or a model skeleton. Students could choose to use other resources to see if they can get a more accurate total.

Evaluate:

Students should be able to identify that there are four main skeletal sections in the body and that each one is made up of many bones.

Lesson Three:Owl Pellets

Objectives:

4.03 Describe the functions of different types of joints

• Hinge
• Ball and Socket
• Gliding

4.04 Describe how different kinds of joints allow movement and compare this to the movement of mechanical devices

Essential Question: What is an owl pellet?

Time: two 45-minute periods

Content Blast:

Owls are raptors that swallow their prey in pieces and are unable to digest the fur, bones, scales, and teeth. After an owl eats, a pellet forms in the stomach as the soft materials separate from the hard materials. The owl then coughs up or regurgitates a pellet containing bones.

Materials:

Per Student Pair:

owl pellet (these can be purchased at a science supply store)

toothpicks

hand lens

rodent bone identification sheet (these can be found online)

envelope

human skeleton diagram

Process Skills: Observe, Communicate, Predict, Infer, Measure, Classify

*A virtual owl pellet dissection activity is available at

Engage:

Read a book about owls. Discuss the things that owls eat.

Explore:

Day One:

Divide the students into pairs and give each pair an owl pellet, toothpick, and hand lens. Have them examine the pellet and discuss what they think it is. Students should draw the pellet and record qualitative and quantitative observations in their science notebooks. Students will then split open the owl pellet and classify the parts they find. Teacher should circulate and discuss the findings with each group. Students should again record observations into their science notebooks. Once each group has recognized that the pellet contains bones, a whole class discussion should ensue about the contents of an owl pellet. Students should save the bones and teeth for Day Two of the lesson by placing them into an envelope. The fur may be discarded at this time.

Day Two:

The teacher will review owl pellets and discuss the group findings. Hand out a rodent bone identification sheet. Return each pair’s envelope containing the bones collected on the previous day. Allow students time to identify the names of the bones that they found in the pellet. Ask students to determine if there are bones from more than one animal. Instruct students to lay bones out and attempt to form a complete skeleton.

Explain:

Ask students the following questions throughout the lesson:

• What skeletons were found?
• What bones did you identify?
• Were there extra bones (i.e. two skulls) and what does this tell you about the animal’s diet?
• Can you tell the function of a bone by its structure?
• How are these bones similar to humans?

Elaborate:

Students can complete this activity with another bird of prey’s pellets and compare the findings to the owl pellets. Another option would be to use owl pellets from another region of the country and compare those findings. Have students create Venn diagrams detailing the similarities and differences among various pellets.

Evaluate:

Give students a diagram of a human skeleton and have them complete a Venn diagram comparing rodent bones and human bones.

Lesson Four: Hard Bones

Objective:

4.02Describe several functions of bones:

• Support
• Protection
• Locomotion

Essential Question: What makes your bones strong?

Time: one 45-minute period

Content Blast:

Most children think of bones as hard, dry, white parts of the body. The bones are hard, but they are definitely not dry. Bones are alive and are made of a mix of hard materials and living cells. The hard part of the bone is made mostly of calcium and phosphorous. These minerals give bones their strength. Inside bones is a soft tissue known as marrow. Cartilage is a flexible tissue that covers the ends of some bones. It helps to protect bones from grinding against one another. The inside of a bone do not add strength to the bone, but it does make new blood cells and produces germ-fighting white blood cells.

Materials:

Per Student Group:

two toilet paper rolls

heavy books

overhead, poster, or diagram of inside of a bone

Process Skills: Observe, Communicate, Predict, Classify, Infer

Engage:

Review the names of some of the bones from the previous lesson. Point to various bones and say its name. Examples are skull, ribs, jaw, collarbone, etc. Ask the students how strong they think bones are. Pose questions such as “Are bonesstronger than your pencil, stronger than a ruler, stronger than a piece of chalk, stronger than a piece of wood, etc.” These questions will give students a base to form their own comparisons.

Explore:

This activity will give students an idea of bone strength. Using a toilet paper roll, place the roll on the table so that it stands on its end. Tell students the toilet paper roll represents the bone. Tell students we are going to place a book on top of the roll. Have students predict what will happen to the roll when a book is placed on top of it. Will the roll be able to hold it or will the roll be bent or broken? Place the book on top of the roll. It should easily support the book.

Explain:

Tell students that bones are not solid, but are hollow like the toilet paper roll. As we saw, a hollow tube is as strong as a solid and is able to support a lot of weight. As bones grow, calcium and phosphorous are put into the cartilage. They become strong and are able to support and protect our body. Discuss with students ways to keep your bones strong through a healthy diet and exercise.

Elaborate:

Set a second book on top of the toilet paper roll. Once again it should easily support the weight. Have students make another prediction about how many books the toilet paper roll will hold before it bends or breaks.Discuss with students why your bones need to be strong.

Evaluate:

In science notebooks have students write at least two ways to keep their bones strong.