CELLS, ORGANS & THE
HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS
TEACHER
MANUAL
Syracuse City School District
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Cells, Organs & The
Human Body Systems
Teacher’s Guide
ESTEC
Elementary Science Training and Education Center
Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES
121 Drumlin Court Newark, NY 14513
Property of Syracuse City School District.
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CELLS, ORGANS & THE HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS
Overview and Format …………………………………………………………………………… …. 1-5
Standards ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Concepts ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Lesson 1: The Microscope………………………………………………………..Section 1 pages 7 - 11
Lesson 2: The Cell………………………………………………………………..Section 2 pages 13 - 19
Lesson 3: Diseases………………………………………………………………..Section 3 pages 21 - 23
Lesson 4: The Skeleton…………………………………………………………...Section 4 pages 25 - 29
Lesson 5: The Muscular System………………………………………….............Section 5 pages 31 - 35
Lesson 6: The Digestive System…………………………………………............Section 6 pages 37- 43
Lesson 7: The Respiratory System……………………………………………….Section 7 pages 45- 50
Lesson 8: The Circulatory System………………………………………………..Section 8 pages 51- 56
Glossary ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 57
Resources …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 59
Other Standards ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 60
Strange Facts about the Human Body ….……………………………………………………………………….....61
Overview:
Cells, Organs and the Human Body Systems provides activities which students can develop an
understanding of the concepts of the interactions of the cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. Students will
develop cognitive and motor skills as they construct models of different organs and how they work within the
whole system. The teacher’s manual contains similar but not identical background content as the
student’s manual! The content (or background material) is guided by the Intermediate Core Content Guide,
major understandings. The student readings can be done pre, post, or during lessons depending on your
preferences. Vocabulary and words or phrases that are important are in bold or italic. The teacher can read about
the subject area prior to beginning the unit.
Before you Begin:
1. There are posters, a human torso model, and a flip chart in the kit. Feel free to use them as you wish.
2. There is a book library included with the kit. You can use them with the given lessons, before or after
lessons, or together with the reading the students have in their student manuals.
The books are self-explanatory as to what lesson they would be best used.
Scheduling: Body Systems Unit can take from 10 – 16 weeks depending on the maturity of the students and
the time allotted for science lessons. There are 8 “Lessons” with ~4 activities within each that include lab
activities for each. Make sure you preview the “Teacher’s Manual” prior to starting the unit to confirm your
time.
Materials to be
Obtained locally:
*Crackers
*Potato Peeler
*Bucket
*Bread
*Hand Soap
*Scissors
*Microscopes
*Hand Sanitizer
*Toilet tissue rolls
*Water
*Onions
*Potato (optional)
*Weights – books
pH paper* (optional)
*Prepared Blood Slides (optional)
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Concepts:
Students will:
 Use magnification tools to appreciate the usefulness of these tools.
 Learn the parts and correctly use a microscope.
 Know the total magnification given known ocular and objective strengths.
 Identify, draw and label the parts of a plant and animal cell.
 Know the function of the parts of a plant and animal cell.
 Create a wet mount slide and view cells under the microscope.
 Determine how rapidly and easily micro-organisms (“germs”) can spread.
 Interpret data accurately.
 Control variables to evaluate methods of preventing disease transmission.
 Learn what the skeletal system does.
 Understand how the skeletal and muscular systems work together.
 Learn what the muscular system does.
 Understand how the muscular and skeletal systems work together.
 Learn the different parts of the digestive system.
 Be able to determine if mechanical or chemical digestion is taking place.
 Understand the importance of the digestive system.
 Learn what the respiratory system does.
 Understand how the respiratory system affects the circulatory system.
 Learn what the circulatory system does.
 Understand how the respiratory system affects the circulatory system.
Standards:
Living Environment Standards:
Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.
Introduction: Living things are similar to each other yet different from nonliving things. The cell is a basic unit
of structure and function of living things (cell theory). For all living things, life activities are accomplished at
the cellular level. Human beings are an interactive organization of cells, tissues, organs, and systems. Viruses
lack cellular organization.
1.1a Living things are composed of cells. Cells provide the structure and carry on the major functions to sustain
life. Cells are usually microscopic in size.
1.1b The way in which cells function is similar in all living things. Cells grow and divide, producing more cells.
Cells take in nutrients, which they use to provide energy for the work that cells do and to make the materials
that a cell or an organism needs.
1.1c Most cells have cell membranes, genetic material, and cytoplasm. Some cells have a cell wall and/or
chloroplasts. Many cells have a nucleus.
1.1d Some organisms are single cells; others, including humans, are multicellular. 1.1e Cells are organized for
more effective functioning in multicellular organisms. Levels of organization for structure and function of a
multicellular organism include cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.
1.1g Multicellular animals often have similar organs and systems specialized for carrying out the major life
activities.
1.1h Living things are classified by shared characteristics on the cellular and organism level. In classifying
organisms, biologists consider details of internal and external structures. Biological classification systems are
arranged from general (kingdom to specific(species).
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1.2a Each system is composed of organs and tissues which perform specific functions and interact with each
other, e.g., digestion, gas exchange, excretion, circulation, locomotion, control, and coordination, reproduction,
and protection from disease.
1.2bTissues, organs, and organ systems help to provide all cells with basic needs such as nutrients, oxygen, and
waste removal.
1.2c.The digestive system consists of organs that are responsible for the mechanical and chemical breakdown of
food. The breakdown process results in molecules that can be absorbed and transported to cells.
1.2d During respiration, cells use oxygen to release the energy stored in food. The respiratory system supplies
oxygen and removes carbon dioxide (gas exchange).
1.2f The circulatory system moves substances to and from cells where they are needed or produced, responding
to changing demands.
1.2g Locomotion, necessary to escape danger, obtain food and shelter, and reproduce, is accomplished by the
interaction of skeletal and muscular systems, and coordinated by the nervous system.
1.2j Disease breaks down the structures or functions of an organism. Some diseases are the result of failures of
the system. Others diseases are the result of damage by infection from other organisms (germ theory).
Specialized cells protect the body from infectious disease. The chemicals they produce identify and destroy
microbes that enter the body.
Living Environment Skills
1. manipulate a compound microscope to view microscopic objects
3. prepare a wet mount slide
4. use appropriate staining techniques
8. identify pulse points and pulse rates
About the Format:
There is a teacher manual, lab manual, student manual, and assessment. The lab manual has the directions to
labs to fill out and is referenced in the teacher manual. Most of the discussion questions are listed in the teacher
manual so that they can be discussed with the students during the lab. The student manual has reading and
guided questions that go along with the different lessons. You can have students read the content before or after
each lesson based on your teaching preference. The answers to these manuals are included in the teacher manual
with those particular lessons.
The teacher manual is separated into the separate lessons, lab pages, student manual readings, and black line
masters. The instructional portion includes a focus question to guide the learning, concepts and skills the
students should be able to do. In addition vocabulary, materials, background information, management,
directions, resources and extensions are included at the end of each lesson. The standards covered in the kit are
summarized above and referenced in each lesson.
The lesson begins with a “Focus Question”. The purpose of the “Focus Question” is to guide the teacher’s
instruction towards the main idea of the activity. The “Question” is to be explored with inquiry skills and
hands-on manipulation by the students. The activities include directions for the students, illustrations and
“Discussion Questions” (with answers in italics). These “Discussion Questions” can be used as a basis for class
interactions.
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Lesson 1: Microscope Skills
Focus Question
What tools can we use to explore our microscopic world?
Concepts
Students will:
1. Use magnification tools to appreciate the usefulness of these tools.
2. Learn the parts and correctly use a microscope.
3. Know the total magnification given known ocular and objective strengths.
Vocabulary
Base
Arm
Objective
Nosepiece
Mirror
Light Source
Course Focus (Adjustment) Knob
Materials
Mystery Pictures - laminated
Slides
Prepared Slides*
Hand lenses
Cover Slips
Ruler
Eyepiece (Ocular lens)
Stage (clips)
Low Power Objective
Fine Focus (Adjustment) knob
Body Tube
Diaphragm
High Power Objective
Microscope
Microscopes*
Water*
Objects to make slides*
Tweezers
Dropper
Management
 Copy as many of the “Mystery” pictures as you like for student groups. These could be made into
transparencies or scanned in for projection. One laminated set and a set in the Blackline Masters is
included
 This lesson may take 6-7 class periods or lesson equivalents.
 If you are using mirrors and reflected light, never work where there is direct sunlight that could harm
student’s eyes.
 Have enough microscopes for student groups.
 Objective lenses should never be lowered to a point where they will touch the slide – this can result in
both the slide and objective lens being broken. Students should always begin their microscope
investigations on the lowest power and at the lowest focus point. Slides should be cleaned so that no
debris will confuse student’s observations.
 Glass slides will be used, use caution that students do not cut themselves on the slides.
Standards
Living Environment Skills
1. Manipulate a compound microscope to view microscopic objects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonie_van_Leeuwenhoek
Background Information for Teachers
**Remember that the student manual may not contain all of the
following information. There is a reading about the discovery of the microscope and
a second on the parts of the scope.
A microscope (from the Greek mikrós, "small" "to look" or "see") is an instrument
used to see objects too small for the naked eye. There are many types of microscopes,
the most common and first to be invented is the optical microscope which uses light to
image the sample.
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Microscopes can be very simple using only one lens or can be more complicated using a series of lenses to
magnify an object. Among the first microscopes built, were those made by the Dutchman, Anton Van
Leeuwenhoek, in the late 1600’s to early 1700’s. Anton van Leeuwenhoek discovered red blood cells and
spermatozoa and helped popularize microscopy as a technique. Robert Hooke's Micrographia had a huge
impact, largely because of its impressive illustrations.
Most microscopes have a base and arm to hold and carry the microscope. Attached to the arm is the body tube
which has the eyepiece on one end and the nosepiece which contains the objectives on the other end. There is
a course and fine adjustment (focus) knob to bring the object into clear view. The stage holds the slide and
has a central hole to let light through. Below the stage is a diaphragm. The diaphragm can be rotated under the
hole in the stage. This allows different amounts of light to come through the hole. Many times students can not
see objects through the lens because the diaphragm is not “clicked” into place. Under the diaphragm is a light
source or mirror to aim light through the diaphragm and hole to make the object over the hole become more
easily visible. All microscopes should be carried with the base held in the palm of one hand, while the
body is supported in the other.
Procedure
Activity 1: Mystery Pictures
1. Using the mystery pictures, show students one picture at a time. Ask
students what they think it might be.
2. Continue to show students the set of pictures. Initiate a discussion on what
might have been used to make the images appear so large.
3. Have students list possible tools that can magnify (hand lens, magnifying
http://www.mos.org/sln/sem/
glass, microscope, water, etc…). Discuss the need for microscopes and
“Staple in paper”
lenses and why they have become so important in today’s society. One
early discovery using the microscope was Louis Pasteur’s discovery of bacteria that can cause diseases
in humans. Today microscopes are widely used in medicine to examine patient’s blood, tissues (pap
smears) and more. Lenses are used for telescopes, MRI’s, and more.
4. Students could read: The Discovery of the Microscope in the student manual.
Activity 2: Letter “e”
1. Have students compare the letter “e” using their own eyes, a hand lens, a drop of water, then the
microscope (Activity 4).
2. Have students put one drop of water on a microscope slide and hold it over the “e” on Lab Sheet 1.
Move the slide up and down until they get the letter in focus. Measure the distance between the slide and
table and record on Lab Sheet 1. Draw any additional details seen.
3. Place a second drop of water on the first and hold it over the letter “e” again. Move the slide up and
down until you get the letter in focus. Measure the distance between the slide and table. Place a third
drop of water on and hold over the letter “e” again. Move the slide up and down until you get the words
in focus. Measure the distance between the slide and table. How does the view of the “e” change as you
add more drops of water? The letter “e” will focus higher as more water is added. The size of the “e”
may or may not “look” like it changes size. It may actually look larger with one drop than multiple
drops. Ultimately, the size will remain the same as more water is added.
4. Have students look with the magnifying glass, again drawing any additional details in the next space
provided. Move the hand lens up and down until you get the “e” in focus. Measure the
distance between the lens and table and record. How does the view of the “e” with the hand
lens compare to the water lens? The lens should be clear and the distance higher than the
water.
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Activity 3: Microscope Safety
1. Discuss with students how to safely handle a microscope. A “Microscope safety “Do’s and Don’ts” and
“Microscope Use” is included as a Blackline Master and in their lab manuals. Also begin a discussion on
microscope parts. In the student manual a reading: Parts of a Microscope could be read before or after
you introduce the scope and lab sheet 2. Have students reference their Lab Sheet 2 with the parts to find
them as you explain and introduce the microscope and review questions. The answer key is at the end of
lesson 1. They can color in the microscope as they find each part. See the vocabulary listing for the
parts. Have students turn the course focus knob to see how the scope rises and lowers. Remind students
to always start with the lowest objective and the focus down as low as it can go. Have them look at
the objectives and notice the colors and magnification of each (usually 4x, 10x, and 40x). This is a great
interactive site to review the parts: http://www.biologycorner.com/microquiz/
2. Next have students determine the total magnification, objective lens power, and eyepiece power given
basic information. Start with students observing the eyepiece. There should be a magnification number
(usually 10x) on the tube. Next have students review the objectives, noticing the magnifications. The
total magnification is the eyepiece x the objective. So if the eyepiece is 10x and the objective is 10x, the
total magnification is 100x. Using Lab Sheet 3, have students determine the magnification of the
eyepiece, objective, or total magnification. (400x, 20x, 15x, 200x, 20x, 800x)
Activity 4: Other Objects
1. Using the microscopes on low power, students should now observe the letter
“e” from Activity 2. Cut the letter out on the Lab Sheet 4 and place it on a
slide. Make sure students understand that they need to center the “e” over the
hole in the stage. You can place a cover slip on it if you like to keep it in
place.
2. Remind students to always start with the lowest objective and the focus
http://www.mos.org/sln/sem/
“Mosquito eye”
down as low as it can go. Put the letter “e” under the scope; slowly raise the
stage close to but not touching the objective. Slowly focus DOWN to clarify
the “e”, and observe adding additional details on Lab Sheet 4. This may be a good time to discuss that
one lens will show an inverted image of the letter “e”. Some scopes have multiple lenses to turn the
image right-side up again. Students can switch to 10x and 40x if they wish.
3. Have students create their own “dry” slides using items from around the room. Items that may be of
interest include fly wings (if there are any dead flies or insects on the window), chalk dust or any
powder or crystal (salt, sugar), a torn piece of a dollar bill, thread (use three colors placed over top of
each other and see if they can determine which is first, second, and third), feathers. [Using prepared
slides have students look at other objects under the microscope using higher magnifications]. Use
caution in focusing so that the lens does not hit the slide and crack it or break the lens.
Observations with labeled pictures should be made on their Lab Sheet 4.
Extensions And Applications
"Accept the Challenge" -- Mission Impossible:
 Provide a small amount of dirt from a vacuum cleaner bag. Two microscope slides should be made; one
a dry mount, just placing the material on a slide using tweezers to lift the particles onto a slide, the other
a wet mount, using a drop of water and a cover slip to hold the material down on the slide. Have
students observe the material under a microscope. Ask such questions as, Is it thread or hair? If hair, is
it human or pet? How can you tell the difference? Is there sand, wood, or paper present? How can you
tell? A detective finds such evidence at a crime scene. Can you tell which room this material came
from? What "clues" did you find and use? Based on these findings, ask the students to compose a
"mystery" that these clues may help them solve.
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


Of particular interest to students may be their viewing objects that appear similar to the eye, but are
obviously different when viewed magnified. Examples they can look at include: salt vs. sugar and
regular vs. decaffeinated coffee.
Have students make three circles on a sheet of white paper to represent drops under a microscope. Cut
out pictures from magazines that can be placed BEHIND the circle. Have the class or groups guess what
is “under the microscope”.
Field of view is important when determining the size of an object. Print a 1mm grid on a transparency
and cut it out so that it is at least 5 mm square. Use that under the scope to determine the diameter of the
field of view when looking in the microscope at 4x. Then place one of the prepared slides from Activity
4 under the scope and determine how long it is.
Teacher Resources
Anderson, L., The Smallest Life Around Us. Crown Publishers, NY, 1978.
Bender, L., Atoms And Cells. Shooting Star Press, NY, 1993.
Fichter, G.S., Exploring With The Microscope. Sears, Roebuck & Co., Chicago, 1970.
Grillone, L., & Gennaro, J., Small Worlds Close Up. Crown Publishers, Inc., NY, 1978.
Johnson, G., & Bleifeld, M., Hunting With The Microscope. Prentice Hall, NY, 1974.
Lomb, H. & Kunkel, D., Micro Aliens. Scholastic Inc, NY, 1993.
Morrison, P., The Powers Of Ten. (also see video tapes).
Ryder, J., The Snail's Spell. Scholastic Inc, NY, 1982.
Taylor, R., Through The Microscope. Facts on File Publishers, NY, 1986.
Wells, R.E., What's Smaller Than A Pygmy Shrew? Albert Whitman & Co., Morton Grove, Ill., 1995.
Video Tapes
The Magic Of Cells.
Any of the size-variation movie segments such as Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Indian in the Cupboard, The
Incredible Shrinking Woman.
The Power Of Ten. video tape by C. and R. Ames.
Internet Sites
The Microbe Zoo -- http://commtechlab.msu.edu/CTLProjects/dlc-me/zoo/
Scanning Electron Images -- http://www.mos.org/sln/sem/
Microscope Mania -- http://sciencespot.net/Pages/classbio.html
Activities and Labs -- http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets.html
Virtual Microscope -- http://www.udel.edu/biology/ketcham/microscope/scope.html
Virtual Electron Microscope -- http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/virtual-electronmicroscope.cfm
Images of the body -- http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/images-inside-human-body-images/8292
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Answer Key for Lab Sheet 2
Answers to Lab Review Sheet:
1. The ocular is the lens you look through and the objective is one of several lenses which magnify the image.
2. diaphragm
3. Holding the arm and the base.
4. Nose piece
5. Course adjustment knob or course focus.
6. The stage.
7. Stage clips
8. Usually on 40x but sometimes on 10x too.
9. Compound
10. The stage brought down or focused down to the lowest position, the 4x objective in place, and the light off.
11. Assuming a 10x ocular it would be 200x.
12. 400x
Answers to Student Manual:
1. There are many reasons students may come up with. Some may include advances with diseases, medicines,
and research.
2. They reminded him of the rooms the monks lived.
3. It was a much higher magnification.
4. He was the first to see microscopic creatures which lead to discoveries of bacteria and viruses. He was the
first to observe cells.
1. Hold a microscope with the arm and the base, with 2 hands.
2,3 Lens tissues should be used. The tissues may be used because it is softer than the towel.
4. It broke the slide.
5. No, you should start at the highest position without touching the slide, then focus down away from the slide.
6. It is fall off the desk.
7. Always keep the microscope pushed away from the edge, watch that the electric cord is not open for
someone to trip on or pull the scope.
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Lesson 2: The Cell
Focus Question
What makes up a cell and how are plant and animal cells similar and different?
Concepts
Students will:
1. Identify, draw and label the parts of a plant and animal cell.
2. Know the function of the parts of a plant and animal cell.
3. Create a wet mount slide and view cells under the microscope.
Vocabulary
Wet Mount Slide
Cell wall
Vacuole
Endoplasmic reticulum
Unicellular
Lysosome
Nuclear Membrane
Mitochondria
Organelles
Tissue
Multicellular
Cytoplasm
Ribosome
Chloroplasts
Organ
Cell Membrane
Nucleus
Nucleolus
Golgi Bodies
Organism
Materials
Microscopes*
Slides
Onion*
Tweezers
Cover Slips
Cell pictures - laminated
Water*
Dropper
Toothpicks
Iodine
Management:
 Copy as many of the “Cell” pictures as you like for student groups. These are typical cells seen in plants
and/or animals. These could be made into transparencies or scanned in for projection. A laminated set
and a Blackline Master set is included. The laminated set is packaged with the Lesson 1 supplies.
 This lesson may take 5 - 7 class periods or lesson equivalents.
 If you are using mirrors and reflected light, never work where there is direct sunlight that could harm
student’s eyes.
 Have enough microscopes for student groups.
 Objective lenses should never be lowered to a point where they will touch the slide – this can result in
both the slide and objective lens being broken. Students should always begin their microscope
investigations on the lowest power and at the lowest focus point. Slides should be cleaned so that no
debris will confuse student’s observations.
 You will have the choice to make cheek cell slides. Caution should be used that toothpicks, slides or any
other tool used does not come in contact with any other person. There is human tissue being exposed. It
may be better to make a slide of the teacher’s cells and securing it with tape around the edges of the
cover slip.
 Glass slides will be used, use caution that students do not cut themselves on the slides.
Standards
Living Environment Skills
1. Manipulate a compound microscope to view microscopic objects
3. prepare a wet mount slide
4. use appropriate staining techniques
1.1a Living things are composed of cells. Cells provide the structure and carry on the major functions to sustain
life. Cells are usually microscopic in size.
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1.1b The way in which cells function is similar in all living things. Cells grow and divide, producing more cells.
Cells take in nutrients, which they use to provide energy for the work that cells do and to make the materials
that a cell or an organism needs.
1.1c Most cells have cell membranes, genetic material, and cytoplasm. Some cells have a cell wall and/or
chloroplasts. Many cells have a nucleus.
1.1d Some organisms are single cells; others, including humans, are multicellular. 1.1e Cells are organized for
more effective functioning in multicellular organisms. Levels of organization for structure and function of a
multicellular organism include cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.
1.1g Multicellular animals often have similar organs and systems specialized for carrying out the major life
activities.
1.1h Living things are classified by shared characteristics on the cellular and organism level. In classifying
organisms, biologists consider details of internal and external structures. Biological classification systems are
arranged from general (kingdom to specific(species).
1.2a Each system is composed of organs and tissues which perform specific functions and interact with each
other, e.g., digestion, gas exchange, excretion, circulation, locomotion, control, and coordination, reproduction,
and protection from disease.
1.2bTissues, organs, and organ systems help to provide all cells with basic needs such as nutrients, oxygen, and
waste removal.
Background Information for Teachers
Living things are composed of cells. You have 75 trillion cells inside your body (Beckelman,
Laurie, 1999, “Reader’s Digest Pathfinders, The Human Body, Weldon Owen Publishing, page 10),
therefore we are multicellular. Some organisms, like bacteria or viruses are unicellular or are
made of only one cell. Cells are usually microscopic in size and the way in which cells function is
similar in all living things. Cells grow and divide, producing more cells. All cells provide the structure and carry
on the major functions to sustain life by taking in nutrients, which provides energy for the work that cells do
and to make the materials that a cell or an organism needs. Cells are organized for more effective functioning in
multicellular organism. Levels of organization for structure and function of a multicellular organism include
cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. Most cells have organelles that help it to do its job. The table below
describes the organelle and its job.
ORGANELLE
Cell Wall
LOCATION
Plants only, outer
membrane
Chloroplast
Plants only – inside
cytoplasm
Cell Membrane
both plant/animal
Plant – inside cell wall
Animal – outer
membrane
Nucleus
both plant/animal inside cytoplasm
both plant/animal –
surrounds the nucleus
both plant/animal
Nuclear Membrane
Cytoplasm
DESCRIPTION
*outer layer
*rigid, strong, stiff – plant
cells are rectangular
*made of cellulose
*green, oval usually
containing chlorophyll (green
pigment)
*plant - inside cell wall
*animal - outer layer;
cholesterol
*large, oval
*surrounds nucleus
*selectively permeable
*clear, thick, jellylike
material and organelles found
inside cell membrane
FUNCTION
*support (grow tall)
*protection
*allows H2O, O2, CO2 to
pass into and out of cell
*uses energy from sun to
make food for the plant
(photosynthesis)
*controls movement of
materials in/out of cell
*barrier between cell and its
environment
*maintains homeostasis
*controls cell activities
*Controls movement of
materials in/out of nucleus
*supports /protects cell
organelles
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Endoplasmic
Reticulum (E.R.)
Ribosome
both plant/animal inside cytoplasm
both plant/animal inside cytoplasm
both plant/animal inside cytoplasm
plant - few/large
animal – small
inside cytoplasm
plant - uncommon
animal – common
inside cytoplasm
*network of tubes or
membranes
*small bodies free or attached
to E.R.
*bean-shaped with inner
membranes
*fluid-filled sacs
*carries materials through
cell
*produces proteins
*breaks down sugar
molecules into energy
*store food, water, waste
Vacuole
(plants need to store large
amounts of food)
*small, round, with a
*breaks down larger food
Lysosome
membrane
molecules into smaller
molecules
*digests old cell parts
Both plant/animal –
*small stacks of membranes
*modifies proteins
Golgi Bodies
inside cytoplasm near
that look like stacked
*transports lipids
endoplasmic reticulum
pancakes
*packages molecules for
transport around the cell
http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/science/sciber00/7th/cells/sciber/orgtable.htm - table reference
Mitochondrion
Procedures: There is a reading called: Cells that gives basic information about cells to systems.
Activity 1: What do you know about cells?
1. Ask students what they know about cells. Create a KWL chart if this helps. Ask where they expect to
find cells and if all cells are the same. Continue the discussion to find out how much accurate
information they know. In the student manual a reading: Cells, discusses the basics of cells, organelles,
and their functions.
2. Show samples of cells to introduce similarities and differences between cells. There are a set of
Blackline Masters and a laminated set of cells that you can copy, scan or project to the students. The
pictures are of different cells showing a high magnification of the structures. Ask students to observe the
pictures of the cells and write descriptions of what they see on Lab Sheet 5. They should refer to cell
shapes, sizes, and parts.
3. You should take time to have students learn the cell organelles (listed above) and
how they help the organism. Particularly important is the mitochondria, chloroplasts,
nucleus, cell membrane/wall. Students should draw and label a typical animal and
plant cell on Lab Sheet 6 comparing and contrasting the structures.
Activity 2: Wet mount slides of plant and animal cells
1. Students should be aware of the skills in making a wet mount slide. While it is understood that the
microscopes available may not have a high enough magnification for best viewing of the cells, students
should still learn how to make slides. Students may have created dry slides in the previous lesson, so
directions follow for a wet mount slide. These directions are also in the lab manual.
2. Students will be making a wet mount slide of onion tissue and at your discretion, human cheek cells.
3. GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR WET MOUNT SLIDES
To make a wet mount place the sample on the slide. Using an eyedropper put a drop of water on the
sample (if the sample is a thin tissue like the onion tissue, you might want to put the drop of water down
first). Place one end of the cover slip on the slide and slowly lower the other end using tweezers or the
end of a toothpick. This will help to prevent air bubbles from getting trapped under the cover slip.
15
The water should just fill the space between the cover slip and the slide. If there is too much water and
the cover slip is floating around, remove some water by holding the edge of a paper towel next to the
edge of the cover slip. If there is too little water and some of the space under the cover slip is still dry,
add more water by placing a drop right next to the cover slip. A little practice will help you learn how
much water to add. See the diagrams below to help.
Sometimes, air bubbles may get trapped under the cover slip (they look like little circles with black
edges when viewed under the microscope). If there are only a few, ignore them. If there are a lot, try to
make the slide again.
Slides can be cleaned in warm water with a very small amount of detergent. Handle slides only by their
sides. To dry a slide, stand it up at an angle on a dry paper towel. Let the upper end rest on a small
object to drain dry that way. Allow slides to dry completely before storing them away.
Onion Cells: Wet Mounts and Stain (before and after stain)
a. Place a single drop of water in the center of the slide.
b. Students should peel a thin, transparent layer off the onion. This can
be done by bending the outer onion slice in half, but before they
break it all the way, slowly peel the outer layer of onion off and hold
it with a pair of tweezers. It should not be larger than the cover slip.
c. Carefully place the onion tissue on the drop of water. The tissue should spread out and lay flat.
d. Place the cover slip on as indicated before.
e. Examine under low power of the microscope before staining and enter observations in the
appropriate place in Lab Sheet 7.
f. Now place a single drop of iodine next to and touching the cover slip. The iodine should stain the
cells when it seeps under the cover slip. If there is too much liquid a paper towel can be placed
on the opposite side of the iodine to pull the water out.
g. Examine under lower power of the microscope before and after staining.
Draw what you see. High power should then be used and observations made,
labeling any cell parts that may be visible. After viewing, the slide should be
carefully cleaned and dried for the next step. Students should complete their
Lab Sheet 7. (Answers to lab sheet: The cell shape should be rectangular, they won’t be able to
see all the organelles, you would need a much higher magnification, the iodine stains the cell
wall and nucleus making it easier to see).
16
Animal (Cheek) Cells: Caution: remember that this requires the use of the student’s tissues!
1. A drop of iodine (no water is used for this wet mount) should be placed on the cleaned slide.
2. Students should get a clean flat toothpick and, while placing their left hand firmly against their left
cheek, use a gentle stroke on the blunt edge of the toothpick to rub the inside of their left cheek.
3. Removing the toothpick they should touch the same edge to the drop of iodine on the slide and gently
roll it in the iodine.
4. They should place a cover slip over the drop and observe what they can under
both low and then high power, making observations in their Lab Sheet 8. The
cells will be very small and not in sheets like the onion. It will look like dust on
the slide at low power. Higher power will be needed to clearly see the cells.
The goal is to find cells that would enable pupils to draw and label organelles and answer the questions in their
journals. The slide should again be cleaned, dried and readied for the next procedure. Some cheek cells may
appear like those in the diagram below. Have students choose a cell that looks like D. (Answers to lab sheet:
This cell shape is roundish and differs from the onion that is more rectangular and rigid. The cheek cells seem
“floppy” in comparison. The onion cells are slight larger and since they are in sheets much easier to see).
Activity 3: Model Cell
Have students complete a culminating activity creating a model plant or animal cell model. This can be a class
demonstration or a group activity. The main parts of the cell should be represented, such as the cell membrane,
cell wall, cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, & chloroplasts. Other
organelles can be represented if you like. The cells can be “edible” or “non-edible”. Edible ideas include jello
or cake for the cytoplasm, jelly beans for mitochondria, sprinkles for ribosomes, string licorice for endoplasmic
reticulum, etc… Many ideas are listed in web sites if you search for “edible cells”.
Discussion Questions:
a. What are the similarities and differences between a plant and animal cell?
b. A single cell animal cell can survive on its own; how many different kinds of cells does the
human body need to survive and why? (Research will be needed)
c. What are the differences in your thinking about the micro world, from before you started using
the microscope to now?
Activity 4: One Cell to Multi-Cells
1. Discuss with students the idea that some organisms are single celled (bacteria, algae, ameba, etc…) and
others are multi-cellular (humans, tulips, etc…). Create a KWL on what students know about the levels
of organization for structure and function of a multicellular organism (cell, tissue, organ, organ system,
and organism). Also discuss how groups of cells, tissues, or organs work together to perform certain
functions within the organism.
17
2. Using Lab Sheet 9, have students cut out the pictures, and then place them in order from simplest to
most complex within the given “organism”. For example, the brick is the cell, the wall is the tissue, the
room is the organ, the three rooms is the organ system and the building is the organism.
3. Have students complete all three examples. Answers are to the
right.
4. Ask students to select an everyday event they do in their lives, such
as eat breakfast or walk down the hallway. Discuss all the systems
involved in doing that activity. Assign student groups to create an
integrated use of human systems for one of the following activities.
They should give at least one tissue, and organ involved, and the
organ systems needed.
1. Reading [cornea, eyes, brain, nervous
system]
2. Nose bleed
3. Stubbing a toe
4. Drawing a picture
5. Playing an instrument
Extensions And Applications





Students can watch as the teacher opens a chicken egg as a model of an actual animal cell. Ask the class
what they see. The egg is a model because the shell acts like a cell membrane; the yolk is its nucleus and
the albumen is the cell cytoplasm.
Students could be asked to create their own part to whole analogy, with an
explanation as to how they reasoned out the relationships. Examples might be:
a- Letter to word to sentence to chapter to novel.
b- Athlete to position to team to country to Olympics.
c- Ingredients to batter to cake to decorating cake to party.
Similarly, students could bring in or build a model to show the interdependence
and relationships of parts to whole.
Student groups can be assigned specific organisms to research and investigate what systems make up the
organism. In turn, they can hypothesize what organs make up the systems, what tissues make up the
organs and what cells might make up the tissues. Organisms that might be considered include:
earthworm, fish, bean plant, whale, amoeba, azalea, tomato and dog.
Tea bags make excellent analogous models to cells and their function:
18
Integration With Other Subject Areas
Art

Illustrations of cells can be elaborated upon and models developed using other alternative materials (a 3D paper model could be attempted).
Social Studies
 As a current events activity, students can be asked to find articles or TV news stories which require an
understanding of cell structure. Examples might include, information on HIV/AIDS, DNA or genetic
engineering.
Language Arts
 When Robert Hooke first saw cork cells centuries ago, he communicated his new knowledge by writing
a report. Have students compose a letter to an imaginary friend about “What their feelings were when
they first observed a cell under the microscope. Have them explain what they saw, giving a detailed
description.”
Teacher Resources
Alexander, G.M., et.al., Science. Scott Foresman, Ill., 1984.
Bender, L., Atoms And Cells, Franklin Watts, NY.
Brummett, D.C., et.al., Destinations In Science. Addison-Wesley, Menlo Park,CA, 1995.
Faulkner, S. & Hairston, R., "Supermarket Cytology: Reinforcing Cell Concepts With Simple Models", Science
Scope. NSTA, 11/95, p 22. ff.
Mailbox Magazine. "Life is a 'Cell-ebration'!", North Carolina, Oct/Nov, 1995.
Rainbow Education, Video Tape, Plants: Green, Growing, Giving Life, 1991.
Thomas, L., The Lives Of A Cell. Bantam, NY, 1974.
Warner, L.A., et.al., Science Insights. D.C Heath, Mass., 1991.
Brummet, D.C., et.al., Destinations In Science, Unit B, Cells And Heredity. Addison-Wesley, Menlo Park, CA,
1995.
DeSpezio, M., et.al., Science Insights. Addison-Wesley, Menlo Park, CA, 1994.
Heil, D., et.al., Discover The Wonder. Scott Foresman, Ill, 1994.
Rosen, S., Survey Of Living Things. Globe Book Co., NJ, 1992.
Internet Sites
Cells alive -- http://www.comet.net/quill
Science Lesson Plans (a particular lesson on making 3-dimensional plant and animal cells appears at this site)-gopher://ericir.syr.edu:70/11/lesson/subject
Cells alive – http://www.cellsalive.com/
Interactive cell information -http://www.wiley.com/college/boyer/0470003790/animations/cell_structure/cell_structure.htm
Cell structure -- http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/insideacell/
Cell animation - http://bio-alive.com/animations/cell-biology.htm
Answers to Student Manual:
1: Tissue, 2: Organ System, 3: Organ, 4: Multicellular means to have more than one cell. 5: Building – the
building holds all the grades or organs together. Altogether, several buildings would create the district or
complete organism.
Comparing cells: 4: Chloroplasts allow a plant to make its own food. Animals cannot make their own food
therefore have to get it elsewhere. This is why plants are at the beginning of the food chain.
19
20
Lesson 3: Diseases
Focus Question
What happens when our cells don’t work properly?
Concepts
Students will:
1. Determine how rapidly and easily micro-organisms (“germs”) can spread.
2. Interpret data accurately.
3. Control variables to evaluate methods of preventing disease transmission.
Vocabulary
Microscopic
Host
Dependent Variable
Indicator
Germs
Diseases
Independent Variable
Internal Environment
Materials
Clear Plastic Cups (3 ½ oz) Eye dropper
Potato*
Potato Peeler*
 test tubes work great for this
Bacteria
Transmitted
Manipulated Variable
Immune System
Viruses
Pathogen
Communicable
Regulate
Phenolphthalein
Sodium Carbonate
Hand Soap*
Hand Sanitizer*
Prepared blood slides* (optional)
Management
 This will take 1 lesson to complete.
 Sodium carbonate solution must be made up the day before you do this activity. To one liter of water,
add ten grams of sodium carbonate and mix. This should be enough for 30 students. For a class of 20-30
students, 3 students should randomly receive the sodium carbonate solution without knowing it!
 You will need 2 cups for each student. To expedite the process, you can pre-label the cups “test” and
“control”.
Standards
1.2j Disease breaks down the structures or functions of an organism. Some diseases are the result of failures of
the system. Others diseases are the result of damage by infection from other organisms (germ theory).
Specialized cells protect the body from infectious disease. The chemicals they produce identify and destroy
microbes that enter the body.
Background
“Germs” or pathogens are microscopic organisms that may transmit disease or cause another organism (the
host) to act poorly. The germs can be one-celled organisms such as bacteria or viruses. They can be both
harmful such as the streptococcal virus that causes strep throat or helpful such as e. coli in the human digestive
system that helps digest certain foods. “Germs” may be transmitted by hand-to-hand contact, through the air,
or by contact with body fluids from an infected person. Diseases that are transmitted from person-to-person are
called communicable.
In today's world, with germs lurking around every corner, it pays to have a strong defense. This defense is the
body's immune system. The immune system, which is made up of special cells, proteins, tissues, and organs,
defends people against germs and microorganisms every day. In most cases, the immune system does a great
job of keeping people healthy and preventing infections or maintaining homeostasis. Homeostasis is the ability
to keep a healthy internal environment within the body or to regulate the internal environment. With the first
signs of disease, cells of the immune system fight back. Sometimes, problems with the immune system can lead
to illness and infection.
21
Procedures: There is a reading called: Germs that introduces regulation and its concepts.
Activity 1: Red Disease
1. Tell students they will be investigating how diseases can interfere with the homeostasis of the body.
They will be observing clear liquids, using their sense of sight and a chemical indicator to help identify
a particular liquid. An indicator can be defined as a material that reacts with, or "indicates" the presence
of a specific substance by turning color in the presence of that substance. In the student manual a
reading: Diseases is included. Lab Sheet 10 asks students for a hypothesis on how diseases spread.
Please reference the lab sheet before starting.
2. Before students arrive, for three random students fill a “test” cup ½ way with the sodium carbonate
solution (make sure it is clear). For the rest of the students pour ½ a cup of water. Provide each student
with an empty “control” cup and one cup half-full of the clear, colorless liquid (these were previously
prepared as per management directions and should be randomly distributed to the students).
3. Each student should then label their empty cup "control specimen" and their name, using a marker.
They should pour half of their clear liquid into the empty cup and set the control aside.
4. The remainder of the liquid is now the "test specimen". They should take their test
specimen and randomly pair with another student.
5. The pair should exchange test liquids by pouring all of one person's liquid into the
other persons. The second person then pours half of the combined test liquid back
into the first person's cup, so they are both back to carrying the original amount of
liquid, although now they have cups containing material from each other's test liquid mixed together.
6. The students should then randomly pair with another student and repeat the process. And then do it
again for a third sharing. The cups should always remain about 1/4 full of liquid after each sharing.
7. Only now explain to the students that some of the students were “infected” with “Red Disease” and it
was spread around to others in the class. Discuss how they can determine who was infected (by dropping
indicator into everyone’s test cups). You can also begin to discuss how they will determine which
students started the outbreak! (by testing the control cups).
8. At this time you tell them that you had dissolved some sodium carbonate in water and placed it in about
10 percent of the containers. Explain that the sodium carbonate is a model that represents a pathogen
that causes a fictitious communicable disease called "The Red Disease". The use of these terms should
be reviewed, as needed.
9. Explain the use of phenolphthalein as an indicator to show the presence of bases such as the compound
that forms when sodium carbonate is added to water, and explain that the clear phenolphthalein will turn
pink when in the presence of a base.
10. The teacher should then go through the room and, using an eyedropper, place one to two drops of
phenolphthalein in each “test” container. Take care not to touch the eyedropper to the liquid in the cup.
11. As a class, discuss the observation of how many students ended up with the "Red Disease".
12. Put the students into groups and have them discuss their observations and record them in Lab Sheet 10.
Have them discuss how many might have had the disease to start and how many have it now.
13. In groups ask them to also propose how they could determine who started with the
disease.
14. As a class discuss their hypotheses. They should remember they set aside the
control specimens. The teacher should then go around and test the controls of each
student with phenolphthalein.
15. How many students originally had the "Red Disease"? Did they know they had it?
16. In their Lab Sheet 10, have students record how many started with the disease.
Have students calculate the percentage of infected persons before transmission (# of original transmitters
divided by # of total population) and the percentage of infected persons after transmission (# of total
diseased persons divided by # of total in the population). They should also write about their feelings of
being either, a) an original transmitter, b) a recipient, or c) free of the disease.
22
Extensions And Applications
Have students look at prepared slides of blood cells stained with Wright's stain. This website has great images
of red and white blood cells if you do not have any: http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/blood/blood.htm . If the
microscopes are powerful enough, they will see red blood cells (which carry hemoglobin and help transport
oxygen throughout our body) and white blood cells (or leukocytes, which are our defense mechanisms in the
blood stream against certain germs). White blood cells alter the environment of the blood system so that
invading cells cannot survive. Blackline masters are included that contain views of what students might see
under the microscope (please note, this is under higher magnification than might be achieved with traditional
elementary microscopes).
Integration With Other Subject Areas
Mathematics
 Students could be asked to calculate percentages of infection before and after the spread of the "red
disease". Discussion of arithmetic versus exponential progression of numbers as related to disease
transmission could also be discussed. Pupils could also be asked to calculate the percent of red blood
cells in the blood volume in the body as compared to white blood cells.
Language Arts
 Research into specific communicable diseases or the various branches of medicine which deal with
communicable diseases, could be given as an extension to the work done with this lesson.
Health
 Discussion of specific communicable diseases, particularly HIV/ AIDS, might also be presented by the
health teacher.
Technology
 Illustrations of certain ailments or close up views of blood cells, might be accessed via a CD-ROM
encyclopedia. The Internet might be a source of research information. A disease research project can be
done requiring the use of a power point presentation. A model for how this can be set up, with a
suggested rubric, can be found as Blackline Master Numbers 3a -3d. (Contributed by Celeste DiRuocco and
Tracy Levy, Lakeland)
Teacher Resources
New York State Science, Technology, Society Education Project (NYSTEP), Epidemics: Can We Escape
Them?. NYS Education Department, Albany, NY, 1993.
Scholastic Press, The Cell: Exploring The Basic Structure Of Life, A Teacher's Map To Exploration. Scholastic,
1995.
Cole, J., Magic School Bus “Inside Ralphie”. Scholastic Trade, ISBN 0590400258.
Fitzgerald, J.D., The Great Brain. Yearling Books, ISBN 044030712. (chicken pox, mumps) (paperback).
Ford, M., The Voices Of Aids. Morrow, ISBN 0-688-05322-x.
Haines, G.K., Micromysteries: Stories Of Scientific Detection. Putnam, NY, 1990.
Kelly, T., I’ve Got Chicken Pox. E.P. Dutton, ISBN 0525451854. (disease)
Internet Sites
Communicable Diseases Types -- http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/
Communicable Diseases Information -- http://www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/gcdc.html
Information on Communicable Diseases -- http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-communicable-disease.htm
Prevention of Diseases -- http://www.slideshare.net/drsoumar/prevention-of-communicable-diseases
Disease control and prevention -- http://www.cdc.gov/
Answers to Student Manual: 1: Bacteria and viruses, 2: hand to hand contact, airborne, body fluids, 3:
homeostasis is the balance the body has internally to keep us healthy. Germs can make us sick disrupting the
balance within our bodies. 4: answers will vary – wash hands, sneeze into a tissue, etc…
23
24
Lesson 4: Skeletal System
Focus Question
What do our skeletal and muscular systems do to help us survive?
Concepts
Students will:
1. Learn what the skeletal system does.
2. Understand how the skeletal and muscular systems work together.
Vocabulary
Bones
Flexibility
Fracture
Marrow
Muscle
Tendon
*there is a list of bone names that follow although not required
Ligament
Materials
Copy paper (6 sheet/student or group)
Paper Plate (1/group)
Weights* (books, blocks)
Tape
Brads 12/student
Skeleton Model (black line master from book)
Management
 This lesson will take 3-5 lessons. Extra time may be needed to construct the paper skeletons. Copies of the
skeleton models are in the black line masters and in The Body Book (pg 55).
 You will need to copy the bone picture in The Body Book or black line masters for students.
 You will need to find some weights to use for Activity 3: Bone strength. The weights should be the same
within each group of students but do not need to be identical for all groups. Books, blocks, etc…
Standards
1.2a Each system is composed of organs and tissues which perform specific functions and interact with each
other, e.g., digestion, gas exchange, excretion, circulation, locomotion, control, and coordination, reproduction,
and protection from disease.
1.2g Locomotion, necessary to escape danger, obtain food and shelter, and reproduce, is accomplished by the
interaction of skeletal and muscular systems, and coordinated by the nervous system.
Background
Your skeletal system is all of the bones in the body and the tissues
such as tendons, ligaments and cartilage that connect them. As an adult
you have 206 bones and most are in your hands and feet. Your teeth are
also considered part of your skeletal system but they are not counted as
bones.
The main job of the skeleton is to provide support for our body.
Without your skeleton your body would collapse into a heap. Your
skeleton also helps protect your internal organs and fragile body tissues.
The brain, eyes, heart, lungs and spinal cord are all protected by your
skeleton. Bones provide the structure for muscles to attach so that our
bodies are able to move. Tendons are tough inelastic
http://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=http://www.teache
bands that hold and attach muscle to bone.
ngineering.org/collection/cub_/lessons/cub_human/cub_human_lesson03
.xml osteo photo
25
The bones are made of hard solid calcium compounds, but they have a soft, spongy tissue in the center
called marrow. Bone marrow is where new cells are constantly being produced for the blood. Calcium is an
important mineral that bone cells need to stay strong. As we grow older and begin to lose calcium,
osteoporosis can happen. Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time (see
illustration).
Following is a simplified diagram of the human skeleton with some of the bones to which students will
frequently be referred. A list of some of these bones with additional details is also presented here to provide
assistance if student questions are raised.
Bones will bend a little, but if you fall the wrong way from some playground equipment or maybe your
bike or skateboard you can break a bone. Doctors call a broken bone a fracture. There are many different
types of fractures. Luckily, bones are made of living cells. When a bone is broken your bone will produce
lots of new cells to rebuild the bone. These cells cover both ends of the broken part of the bone and close up
the break.
BONE GLOSSARY:
carpels - wrist bones.
cervical vertebrae - bones in the neck.
clavicle - the collarbone; it links the sternum to the scapula.
coccyx - end of the spinal column, known as the tail bone.
cranium - skull.
femur - the thigh bone, or upper part of the leg.
fibula - the smaller bone between the knee joint and the ankle bones.
humerus - the long bone in the upper arm.
mandible and maxilla - the lower and upper jaw bones, in that order.
metacarpels - the bones of the hand, not including the fingers.
metatarsals - the bones of the foot, not including the toes.
patella - kneecap.
phalanges - the finger bones and toe bones.
radius - the bone on the thumb side of the lower arm.
rib cage - the collection of bones and cartilage that surrounds the chest.
ribs - curved, paired bony rods supporting the chest.
scapula - shoulder blade.
spinal column - or backbone; a series of bones (vertebrae) joined by
spongy disks and surrounding and protecting the nerve, or spinal cord.
sternum - breastbone, connecting the ribs to the shoulder girdle.
tibia - the inner and larger of the two bones in the lower leg.
Ulna - the bone on the little-finger side of the lower arm.
BONES IN THE HUMAN BODY:
Location
Skull
Ears (pair)
Vertebrae
Sternum
Throat
Pectoral girdle
Arms (pair)
Pelvis
Legs (pair)
Thorax
Total
Number
22
6
24
1
1
4
60
4
60
25
206
26
Procedures: There are two readings: The Skeletal System and Bones and Joints with basic information.
Activity 1: The Skeleton
1. There is a reading the student manual: The Skeletal System that has basic
information in it. Begin with a KWL discussion on the skeletal system.
Ultimately, you want them to know the main functions of the skeleton; to
maintain structure, protecting organs, and giving the bones an anchor to attach to.
2. Using Lab Sheet 11, have students match common names with bones in the
body. There is a word bank. Students may not know all the names and locations
given so some help may be needed. The names of the bones are not critical to
learn.
3. This can also be used as review to the class KWL chart on the human skeleton to
determine the extent of student prior knowledge on the topic.
Make the Skeleton:
1. Included in the black line masters is a set of diagrams of the human skeleton (these can also be found in
The Body Book (starting on pg 49). The students can construct the skeleton first, and then as you
continue with the lessons, you can add the muscles, digestive, cardiac, and circulatory systems to the
model.
2. Students will have to cut the sections and then glue or use brads as needed in the construction.
3. Review the main bones and their generic names. Review the main jobs of the skeletal system.
Activity 2: Types of Bones and joints
There are four types of bone shapes: long, flat, short, and irregular. Long bones are long, and are found in our
legs and arms (femur, tibia, fibula, humerus, radius, and ulna). Flat bones are flat and often curved, and can be
found in our head vital in protecting our brain (skull, shoulder, hips, and breast bone [this is actually cartilage
but it is considered part of the skeletal system], and rib bones). Short bones are almost cube shaped, and are
found in our fingers, wrist and ankles. Irregular bones are ones that do not fit into any of the other groups; these
include the vertebrae and lower jaw.
There are several types of joints. The most common are, ball and socket, gliding,
hinge, pivot, and fixed joints. The ball and socket joints are your hip and shoulder
joints, and are the most mobile type of joint in the human body. They allow you to
swing your arms and legs in many different directions. Gliding joints occur
between the surfaces of two flat bones that are held together by ligaments. Some of
the bones in your wrists and ankles move by gliding against each other. Hinge
joints, like in your fingers, knees and elbows, enable movement similar to the
opening and closing of a hinged door. The pivot joint in your neck allows you to
turn your head from side to side. Pivot joints are also found where the long bones
such as your radius and ulna or tibia and fibula meet at the elbow or knee. The
fixed joints do not allow major movement. They are located mainly in your skull
and pelvis.
1. Show students the bones and joint pictures on Lab Sheet 12. Have students discuss where they think
the different types of bones and joints exist in the body. Using the types of bones and joints as the
headings of the columns, list the areas of the body where they think the bones and joints are located and
help students locate other places.
2. Have each student choose a type of bone or joint. Have them imagine if their type of bone or joint is
swapped with a different one. For example, if a flat bone in the skull is replaced with a long bone or a
short bone was replaced with an irregular bone. Have them write on separate paper what effects it would
have on the way the body works as compared to how our bodies are now.
27
3. To show students what the inside of a long bone looks like, use the black line master for students to
construct a visual of the outside and inside of the bone. An introduction on the formation of blood cells
and the importance of the bone marrow can be done. It is also touched on in the circulatory system.
4. In the student manual there is a reading: Bones and Joints that can be done. It is recommended that it is
read after the activity above. There is also a model of the joints in The Body Book (pg. 61).
Activity 3: Bone Strength
This can be done as a simple controlled experiment. The Lab Sheet 13 includes an area for a hypothesis,
variables, observations and a conclusion. Consult Lab Sheet 13 before beginning.
1. Have student groups roll up a sheet of paper (8 ½ x 11) into a long cylinder about 1 inch in diameter.
They will make 3 of these (paper bones).
2. Stand the bones up on their ends close together, placing a paper plate on top of the bones.
3. Discuss with students that the “hollow bone” rolls will support the plate.
4. Have students begin adding weights (wooden blocks, books, penny roles) to the plate.
5. Students should count how many blocks the plate can hold before it collapses the bones. Record your
data on Lab Sheet 13.
6. Next, have students roll 3 more sheets of paper as tightly as they can so that there is no hollow section.
7. Stand these "bones" up as before placing the same plate on top of them.
8. Again, place weights on top of the plate until the bones collapse.
9. Students will deduce what happened. Explain that hollow bones were able to support more weight.
Also explain that having a hollow center gave the bones a better design and made them stronger.
Continue discussing that the large bones in our body are also hollow, which makes them strong so they
can support more weight, but light, so it takes less energy to move them.
10. In The Body Book (pg 66) there is a model of how a long bone works as an optional experience.
Extensions And Applications
The activity called “Rubber Bones", will have students using vinegar to remove calcium from
cleaned, cooked chicken bones. Students should examine cleaned, cooked chicken bones and note
their hardness and lack of flexibility. Explain that vinegar is a mild acid that reacts with bones to
dissolve away the calcium in the bone. But, we do not have to worry when we eat vinegar as a food because it
never comes in contact with bone directly and it is chemically changed in the digestive process.
Vinegar is a mild acid and can even be ingested safely. However, care should be taken to control spills or
splashes and any skin surface touched should be washed with soap and water.
Integration With Other Subject Areas
Mathematics
 As bone movement or rotation is discussed, an opportunity can be used to discuss the degrees of
movement or rotation a joint has, from zero degrees in some fused joints in the skull to up to 180
degrees at other locations. Students can try and develop a means to measure these angles of rotation.
Health
 Connection with osteoporosis and maintenance of good bone health can be reinforced with a visit from a
school health professional. Discussions about arthritis can also be pursued.
Technology
 Today, artificial bone joints are made and used (most commonly the hip), and this can be discussed in
terms of the new technology needed to perform this type of surgical replacement. There are also many
other prosthetic replacements in the skeletal system that have been engineered, including the knee joint.
Prosthetic bone replacement has also been developed.
28
Teacher Resources
Clevenger, W., Michael, The Human Body. Friedman Publishing, Huntington Beach, CA. 1993.
Hirschfeld, R., 101 Science Projects, Troll Associates, 1994. ASIN0816732744.
Makhmatchi, V., Hands On! Science Activities For Grades 4-6. Troll Associates, 1992.
Balestrino, Philip. Bolobnese, Dan Ill., The Skeleton Inside You. Thomas Y. Crowell Co., NY. 1971.
ISBN0064450872.
Hall, Katy. Skeletons! Skeletons!:All About Bones. Ill. Scholastic.1991.ISBN0-590-46076-5.
Anderson, K., Cumbaa, S. The Bones & Skeleton Game Book. Workman Publishing, NY, 1993.
ISBN1563054973.
Burnie, D., The Concise Encyclopedia Of The Human Body. DK Publishing. ISBN0-7894-0204-1.
Carratello, P., My Body. Caracchiolo/Smith Publications, 1980. ISBN1557342113.
Instructional Fair. The Human Body. Instructional Fair, Inc. Grand Rapids, MI. 1990.
Jackson, D., The Bone Detectives. Little Brown,.1996. ISBN 0-316-82935.
Jeffries, D., The Human Body. Teacher Created Materials, Inc., 1993.
Parker, S., Skeleton. Eyewitness Books, NY. 1988. ISBN0394896203.
Royston, A., The Human Body And How It Works. Random House, NY. 1990. ASIN0531191028.
Sanderman..Bones. Millbrook ISBN1-56294-621-8.
Sanderman. The Visual Dictionary Of The Skeleton. DK Publishing. ISBN0-7894-0135-5.
Internet Sites
Automated Skeletal System (video) -- http://health.howstuffworks.com/humanbody/systems/musculoskeletal/adam-200029.htm
Automated tutorial and quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/skeletalsystem/skeleton/menu/menu.html
Simple version of skeletal system video –
http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?lic=1&article_set=59294&cat_id=20607
Anatomy and physiology interactive video -- http://bio-alive.com/animations/anatomy.htm
All of the body systems (several links) -- http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/systems/body.html
Links for anatomy and physiology -- http://academic.pgcc.edu/~aimholtz/AandP/AandPLinks/ANPlinks.html
http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/types_of_bones.php#l – photos of bones from this site
http://karenogen.blogspot.com/2010/07/skeletal-system-online-activities.html - great online activities!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/joints/pivot_joint.shtml - great visual of joints
http://bf005.k12.sd.us/clickable__worksheets.htm - fun activities
https://homes.bio.psu.edu/faculty/strauss/anatomy/skel/skeletal.htm = images of bones
Answers to Student Manual:
1. Calcium, 2: Many small bones are used in the hands and feet to allow the bending, twisting, gliding, etc…
movement needed in fingers, hands, toes and feet. 3: Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of
bone density which makes bones fragile. 4: Make sure you keep calcium in your diet and increase it as you
get older. Exercise is also important. 5: support and protect the body. 6: It would be a jelly and wiggly bag of
bones.
1a: tarsals, b: pelvis, c: cranium, d: carpals, e: clavicle, f: patella, g: scapula, h: vertebra. 2: 206. Bone parts: 1:
periosteum, 2: compact bone, 3: marrow, 4: spongy bone, 5: marrow.
Joints: 1: c, 2: b, 3: b, 4: e, 5: a, 6: d, 7: b, 8: b, 9: c 10: ligaments, tendons
29
30
Lesson 5: Muscular System
Focus Question
What does our muscular system do to help us survive? How does the muscular and skeletal system work
together?
Concepts
Students will:
1. Learn what the muscular system does.
2. Understand how the muscular and skeletal systems work together.
Vocabulary
Voluntary
Involuntary
Flexibility
Muscle
Cardiac Muscle
Tendon
Smooth Muscle
Skeletal Muscle
Materials
Clothes pins
books* (weights)
stopwatch
Muscle laminated pictures
Management
 This lesson will take 3-5 lessons. Extra time may be needed to construct the muscle part of the skeleton.
Pictures for the skeleton are in the Blackline Masters.
 Copy as many of the “muscle” pictures as you like for student groups. These could be made into
transparencies or scanned in for projection. A laminated set of pictures is included (Lesson 1 supplies).
 Use caution with students since physical activity is involved. Some students may not be able to
complete the activities.
Standards
1.2a Each system is composed of organs and tissues which perform specific functions and interact with each
other, e.g., digestion, gas exchange, excretion, circulation, locomotion, control, and coordination, reproduction,
and protection from disease.
1.2bTissues, organs, and organ systems help to provide all cells with basic needs such as nutrients, oxygen, and
waste removal.
1.2g Locomotion, necessary to escape danger, obtain food and shelter, and reproduce, is accomplished by the
interaction of skeletal and muscular systems, and coordinated by the nervous system.
Background
Muscles provide strength, balance, posture, movement and heat for the body to keep warm. The
muscular system is composed of over 600 muscles and these muscles come in a variety of shapes and forms.
There are three distinct groups of muscles: skeletal muscles, cardiac or heart muscles, and smooth (nonstriated) muscles. Differences between each muscle are recognized by location, function, structure, and the way
they are contracted. Each of these different tissues has the ability to contract, which then allows body
movements and functions. There are two types of
muscles in the system and they are the involuntary
muscles, and the voluntary muscles. Usually, when
we think of the muscular system we often only think
of the voluntary or skeletal muscles because they
make up what is recognized as the muscular system.
wikipedia images
31
The skeletal muscles are the only voluntary muscles of your body, and make up what we
call the muscular system. Skeletal muscles are attached to the skeleton. They are all the
muscles that move your bones and show external movement. They work in pairs: one
muscle moves the bone in one direction and the other moves it back again. The skeletal
muscles are composed of long muscle fibers. The nervous system controls the
contraction of the muscle. Many of the skeletal muscle contractions are automatic.
However we still can control the action of the skeletal muscle. And it is because of this
reason that the skeletal muscle is also called voluntary muscle.
http://www.saburchill.com/chapters/chap0009.html
Cardiac muscles are involuntary and found only in the heart.
These are involuntary muscles that are controlled by the brain. You do not need to think about using the cardiac
muscle; nerve impulses automatically make the cardiac muscle beat.
Your smooth muscles, like your cardiovascular muscles, are involuntary. They make up your internal organs,
such as your stomach, pancreas, liver, small intestine, and all the others, except your heart. These muscles also
use the nervous system to give them impulses to make them move. The automatically
Procedures: There is a reading: Muscles that provides basic information for the student.
Activity 1: Muscle Groups
1. Begin a discussion on the muscles and make a list of the types of muscles students know
with their location. They may only know names of muscles ex. biceps or quadriceps. You
may have to introduce that they are skeletal muscles. Ask if their stomach is a muscle and
what type it is. Continue with other organs, muscle groups and the heart.
2. Using the diagram on Lab Sheet 14, have students label the muscle groups to become more familiar
with the common names and locations of their muscles.
3. This is a good time to add the skeletal muscles to the skeleton paper frame that you have started to
construct. Black line masters of the skeletal muscles are included. Organs and heart will be added
later. In The Body Book (pg 124) there is a model for muscles and how they work.
4. There is a reading in the student manual: Muscles that explains the basics of the muscular system.
Activity 2: Training Muscles
Some muscles can be "trained". If we repeat an activity with a group of muscles many times, we are
"patterning" a voluntary activity. The action becomes easier over time, sometimes almost automatic, and this
is why athletes are always practicing and training; they are really strengthening and training their muscles
1. Ask students if they have ever trained for a sport. What do they do to train for it? Do they practice
running, catching, sprinting, long jumping, throwing, etc…? If so, what are they doing with their
muscles? The muscles are being trained to be more efficient and stronger for that activity.
2. Have students practice the four activities on Lab Sheet 15. On their first attempt, time students and
record in Lab Sheet 15. Students should be given time to practice these activities over a three day
period of time, doing the activity and trying to improve on their efforts. The repetition (practice) can be
done at home to preserve class time. On the fourth day, students should try the activity one more time as
a final "test". Have students record their time on Lab Sheet 15.
3. In class, results should be compared, not stressing the competition of "who is better", but rather the
question, was there any improvement with practice? A final conclusion should be drawn about the
benefits of "patterning" or training muscles, and recorded in the Lab Sheet 15.
4. A discussion on the difference between voluntary and involuntary muscles can be initiated. Have
students determine if an activity is voluntary or involuntary and list them in the chart on the activity Lab
Sheet 16. Have students contribute to the chart with ideas of their own. Some examples include;
walking, sneezing, blinking, digesting, breathing, snapping fingers, itching, etc…
32
Activity 3: Muscle Fatigue
All skeletal muscles can tire with repetitive use. In this activity students will
intentionally be asked to tire their muscles out, using repetitive action.
1. In groups, have a test subject hold a clothespin between their thumb
and index finger (do not allow the students to overlap their fingers to
“help” their index finger). They will see how many times they can
open and close the device in 30 seconds. This should immediately be
repeated by the same person for two more, 30-second trials. Results
should be recorded in Lab Sheet 17, with students being asked to note what happens to the total number
of open/close cycles from one time interval to the next. The second student can now complete the
activity. Class results (and maybe an average per trial), can be analyzed.
2. Next, have the students test a larger muscle group in their arm. A new test subject should stand, holding
a book in their hand, with their arm straight down at their side. They should lift their arm to shoulder
height out from their side, and then lower it back to the starting position. This is one cycle, and they
should see how many cycles they can complete in 30 seconds. As before, they should do two more trials
in quick succession and record data and answer the questions in Lab Sheet 17.
If the time allows, the test subject can repeat the three trials with their other arm and see if there is a
difference from right to left. Again, class data should be discussed and class averages also
determined. Additional questions: Do right-handed students have stronger right or left arms? What
about left handed students?
Activity 4: Identifying your Muscle and Bone Groups
Many of your skeletal muscles are attached to bones on both sides of a joint so that the bones can be moved.
These muscles are often arranged in pairs. One muscle bends the joint, and the other straightens it. The muscle
bending the joint is flexing while the other is relaxing. It reverses when you straighten out again. For example
the bicep flexes to bend your arm while the triceps relaxes. To straighten the arm
the triceps flexes and the bicep relaxes. Students will do minor flexing and
relaxing of muscles to locate the muscles and the bones in their bodies. Emphasize
the relationship between the skeletal and muscular systems!
1. Have students sit with their hands, palm up under their desks. Have
students lift gently the underside of their desks. Ask them to identify the
contracting and relaxing muscles used and the bones affected. Biceps
contract, triceps relax, shoulder and back muscles, lower arm and finger
muscles, arm bones (humerus, radius, ulna) shoulder bones, fingers, and
more!
2. Continue with palms down on top of the desk. Push down on the desk top
and identify the muscles and bones affected.
3. Continue with the following ideas; stand on toes, bend at the knees keeping
heals down, stand on one leg (use caution that no one falls down) and lift
the opposite leg behind, stand straight.
4. Try just feeling the muscles being affected when they are flexed or relaxed;
smile, frown, raise hands to the center of the chest and clasp hands and
push together, use a hula hoop, wiggle fingers and toes, watch the pupil constrict in the light (iris
muscle).
5. Continue identifying muscle groups as students are interested.
33
Optional: The Chicken Wing
You can gather chicken wings and complete a lab showing students the
bones, muscles, tendons, etc… There are many labs on line that can be
searched. The following link
http://www.anndannenberg.com/bio2/BioLabs/Chickenwinglab.pdf has a
good lab.
Extensions And Applications


Sometimes, muscles can be tricked into continuing to remain under tension even
after the tension or opposing force is removed. Have students stand in a doorway
with their hands at their sides. They should lift their arms until the backs of their
hands are touching the door-frame on either side of their body. With the backs of
their hands and wrists, they should push against the door-frame as hard as they can
for 30 seconds. They should then step away from the doorframe and let their arms
hang loose. What happens? (Answer - their arms will continue to rise because the
message sent by the brain telling the muscles to work against the resistance of the
doorframe, are still on their way to the muscles, even though they stepped away
from the source of resistance. It may take 3 to 5 seconds until the muscles get the
new message to relax.)
Ask students to find old pictures of products, tools, furniture, vehicles or
appliances and have them compare these older devices to the replacements of today. What changes were
made over time? Were these changes a result of good ergonomics, or just a result of the profit motive?
Integration With Other Subject Areas
Social Studies
 Ergonomics has always been a part of human civilization, from the first tools humans used. Students can
study past inventions to see how they were adapted to our special anatomical needs.
Mathematics
 Students can be asked to average the height changes measured overnight, and also study how they could
measure the actual forces that are applied to bones and muscles when certain specific tasks are
performed.
Health
 As a result of poor ergonomic design, certain repetitive use injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, or
cumulative trauma disorder have become known. These are preventable with simple ergonomic changes
and simple strengthening and stretching exercises. Students could study these disorders and the devices
and exercises that might help eliminate the problems.
Teacher Resources
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 290 Independence Avenue, SW, HHH Building, Room
714B, Washington, DC 20201
The National Safety Council, 444 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611
US Department of Labor, OSHA Publication Office, 200 Constitution Ave., Room N-3101, Washington, DC
20210. Request publication OSHA 3123; "Ergonomics-The Study of Work"
Newton's Apple, a production of KTCA Twin Cities Public Television, and 3M Corporation, show #1312,
"Ergonomics."
Bosak, S., Science Is.... 2nd ed, Scholastic Book Co. Canada, Ltd. 1991.
Clevenger, W., The Human Body. The Friedman Group. 1993.
34
Essenfeld, B., et.al., Biology. Addison Wesley. 1994. ISBN0201864401.
Guyton, A.C., Basic Human Physiology. W.B. SauNders, Co., 1971.
The Human Body: 100 Reproducible Activities. Instructional Fair,1990.
Jeffries, D., The Human Body: Thematic Unit # 235, Teacher Created Materials Inc., CA. 1993.
Makhmaltchi, V., Hands On! Science Activities. Grades 4-6. Troll Associates, 1992.
Internet Sites
Images, tutorials, quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/muscularsystem/quizzes/menu/menu.html
Automated Body Systems (video) -- http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems
Automated tutorial and quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/skeletalsystem/skeleton/menu/menu.html
Simple version of body systems video – http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/
Anatomy and physiology interactive video -- http://bio-alive.com/animations/anatomy.htm
All of the body systems (several links) -- http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/systems/body.html
Links for anatomy and physiology -- http://academic.pgcc.edu/~aimholtz/AandP/AandPLinks/ANPlinks.html
Answers to Student Manual:
1. Muscles along with the bones help us move. Since there are different types of muscles each is very unique in
its job. Whether they are voluntary or involuntary muscles they all have specific jobs that keep us alive.
2. Smooth Muscles – organs such as liver, spleen, intestines, etc… Skeletal muscles are those of the main
muscles attached to bones to move the body, cardiac muscle in the heart.
3. You can control voluntary muscles when you want to. Muscles that make you walk, talk, close your eyes,
etc… Involuntary muscles work independent of your control.
4. Involuntary muscles are your stomach, heart, spleen, liver, kidneys, etc…
5. Voluntary muscles include your skeletal muscles such as your triceps, biceps, quadriceps, etc…
6. Your heart is the most important; without it you would die.
35
36
Lesson 6: Digestive System
Focus Question
How does our digestive system help us to survive?
Concepts
Students will:
1. Learn the different parts of the digestive system.
2. Be able to determine if mechanical or chemical digestion is taking place.
3. Understand the importance of the digestive system.
Vocabulary
Chemical Digestion
Esophagus
Peristalsis
Teeth
Digestion
Large Intestine
Saliva
Mechanical Digestion
Materials
Paper Skeleton Model
6x9 Zip Lock
Balloon (long, cut at the end) Funnel
Rubber band (fits 8 oz jar) Paper Cup – 4 oz
Ziploc bag (6x6, 30)
Lemon Juice (1L)
Southwest Salsa (or other foods blended up)
Management





Gastric Juices
Mouth
Small Intestine
Colon
Enzyme
Nutrition
Stomach
Anus
Crackers*
Cheese cloth (small square)
Yarn
pH Paper
Bucket*
Tubing (12 in)
8 oz jar
Scissors*
Knee High Stocking
Plastic Knife
http://www.hellolife.net/explore/digestive-enzymes/mechanical-and-chemical-digestion/ -- photo
This lesson will take 4-6 lessons.
You will need crackers for the students to use and for a teacher demo.
You may need up to 1 sleeve of saltine crackers.
You will need either food items such as corn, beans, apples, etc… OR
you can use a Santa Fe style salsa which works great!!!
These lessons can get messy, be prepared to clean up wet spills.
Copies of the digestive tract are in the Blackline Masters and in The
Body Book.
Standards
1.2a Each system is composed of organs and tissues which perform specific
functions and interact with each other, e.g., digestion, gas exchange, excretion,
circulation, locomotion, control, and coordination, reproduction, and protection from disease.
1.2c.The digestive system consists of organs that are responsible for the mechanical and chemical breakdown of
food. The breakdown process results in molecules that can be absorbed and transported to cells.
Background
Digestion is the breaking down of food inside the body. All food ingested must be digested, nutrients absorbed,
and unnecessary or harmful agents eliminated from the body. The digestive system is a group of organs that
changes food into useable fuel for the body. Specialized cells make up tissues in the digestive system. These
tissues make up the organs such as the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. These organs (with a few others)
make up the organ system call the digestive tract, which is about 5 times as long as one’s height.
37
We need food as fuel and energy for growth, repair and maintenance of our body systems. When we eat, we
change our meal into a usable form for our cells. Before food can enter the cells, it must be broken down into
tiny pieces and into a form that can be used by the cells. This breaking down includes both mechanical
digestion, which is the breaking down of food by tearing and grinding into smaller pieces, and chemical
digestion accomplished through the use of chemicals known as digestive enzymes. These enzymes (such as
saliva) and water are responsible for the breakdown of complex molecules. These complex molecules, such as
fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, are digested (broken down) into smaller molecules. These smaller molecules
can then be absorbed for use by cells. The presence of these digestive enzymes accelerates the digestion
process, where absence of these enzymes slows overall reaction speed.
The whole process starts in the mouth. Your teeth mechanically tear apart the food and saliva mixes
chemically with it to begin breaking it down into simpler form. Your tongue carries chewed food to the back of
your mouth. Muscles force the food into the esophagus and it is mechanically forced down to the stomach by
the action of peristalsis. The stomach is a pouch or bag. Its walls are muscle that is lined with glands that
secrete gastric juices. While the stomach muscles squeeze and mash the food the gastric juices are breaking it
down further. Food continues to move in to the small intestine, where your body finished digesting food. Here,
food is digested into nutrients, which then gets absorbed by our blood to be transported to other parts of our
body. The rest of the undigested food passes into the large intestine, where it is stored and eventually passed
out of the body as waste (feces) through the colon and anus.
Procedures:
Activity 1: Digestion Simulation
 There are two readings in the student manual: Digestion and Large and Small
Intestines that covers why and how food is digested and the parts of the tract.
Management:
 You will need water to soften the crackers. Colored water adds a nice touch!
 Cover the 8 oz jar with 2 layers of cheesecloth and a rubber band.
 Secure one end of the balloon to the end of the funnel using a small rubber band.
 Cut the end of the long balloon and stick it into the top of a 6x9 Ziploc bag. Make sure it does not slip
out. You may need to tape the balloon in, but do not cut the bag. Students will need to remove the
balloon and zip the bag closed.
1. Discuss with students what they know about the digestive tract, why we eat, what happens to food when
we eat and what/how food changes to the energy we need to survive. You can start a KWL chart
assessing the students’ knowledge on the digestive system, its parts, and the functions of the parts.
Particularly emphasize the chemical and mechanical breakdown of food in the different organs. Students
should know the mouth, teeth, saliva, esophagus, stomach, gastric juices, small and large intestines, and
colon.
2. Have students look at the Lab Sheet 18 that shows the digestive system. Have them trace the path of
the food into the mouth and through the rest of the digestive tract as you explain it. Do not add names
on the diagram yet. (Teeth, Tongue, Salivary Glands, Esophagus, Stomach, S. Intestines, L. Intestines,
Rectum, Liver (to the left), Gall Bladder (under liver), Pancreas (to the right).
3. As students do the following activity (or you can do it as a demonstration), have them list the major
organs of the digestive tract on the diagram and in the table and briefly describe the main function of
each including if mechanical and chemical digestion takes place. There are enough supplies for 12
groups of students to do this activity.
 Use a plastic knife to crunch up the crackers. (teeth - mechanical)
 Drop the cut-up bread into the 4oz paper cup and add some water (mouth/saliva - chemical). Allow
the cracker to soften.
38

The balloon (esophagus – mechanical) should already be secured onto the funnel (mouth –
mechanical and chemical) and Ziploc (stomach – mechanical and chemical). Pour the mixture
through the funnel into the balloon. “Massage” the food down the balloon into the bag. This is a
good time to talk about peristalsis. Carefully remove the balloon from the zip lock, squeeze some air
out and zip closed. Squeeze the bag several times (stomach – mechanical and chemical).
 Pour the mixture over the cheese cloth covered jar (lining of the small intestine – mechanical and
chemical). You can explain that the small intestine squeezes food along while it is chemically
breaking down the food for the final time.
 The juices in the jar are the nutrients that the body absorbs into the blood.
 Scrape the remaining materials on the cheesecloth into an empty cup (large intestine mechanical) and then pour the remains in the cup into the garbage (colon mechanical).
4. Review the demonstration and the organs of the digestive tract. Discuss if students identified them and
the type of digestion that takes place (chemical and/or mechanical) in each organ.
Activity 2: The Long Journey
Management: The length of the different parts of the digestive tract is as follows for a person ~5’6” tall:
Mouth: 3 inches deep (~8 cm)
Esophagus: 17 inches (~43cm)
Stomach: 8 inches (~20cm)
Small Intestine: 20 ft. (~6m)
Large Intestine: 5ft (~1.5 m) includes colon
1. Begin a discussion on how long the students think the digestive system is. You could break it up into its
components and ask how long they think each one is. After recording several predictions, have the class
come to a consensus on the length. Inform the students that they will be using string/yarn to determine
the length of the organs of the digestive tract and finally, the overall length.
2. Have students use Lab Sheet 19 to determine the lengths they will cut the string.
3. Working with a partner, have students measure their height and record it. Since the digestive system is
about 5 times as long as one’s height, cut a piece of string that is 5 times longer than the height just
measured.
4. Fold the string into 3 equal parts. Cut off one of the parts. The uncut longer section (2/3 length)
represents the small intestine. Label it “small intestine” and put it aside.
5. Fold the short piece (1/3 length) in half and cut into two pieces. Label one of these pieces the “large
intestine” and set aside. Fold the remaining piece in thirds and cut it into three equal pieces. Label one
of these pieces the “esophagus”. Of the two remaining pieces, discard one of them.
6. Fold the remaining piece in half so that there are two equal parts. Label one of the pieces the “stomach”.
7. Take the remaining piece and fold it into thirds. Cut it into three pieces. Label one of the pieces the
“mouth.” Discard the last two remaining pieces.
8. With the metric tape, measure the strings and record the lengths of each organ in the lab page. Record
the lengths in centimeters (cm). Have students answer the following questions in their journal page: How
does a long digestive tract help to digest food? Which part is the longest? What conclusions can you
draw?
9. If desired, have students display their labeled strings in the hallways or have students trace their body
outlines on craft paper and attach each string length to the correct location in the body.
10. (Answers to lab sheet: The length of the digestive track helps with digestion due to the time it takes to
push food through the long track. The longer it’s in the intestines, the longer the body has to break it
down. That is why the small intestine is longer; to break down and absorb the food. If it wasn’t long, it
would not be able to absorb enough of the nutrients.
39
Activity 3: The Stomach
Summary: Each student will be given a Ziploc bag and a piece of bread. Students will hold
open the Ziploc bag, which represents the stomach, a muscle that squeezes the food
(mechanical digestion). Student will also be given a small amount of lemon juice (~65mL
or cola), which will be poured into the bag and will represent the stomach juices (chemical
digestion). Next a piece of bread will be added to the bag and students will squeeze the bag
for about a minute. The bread will turn to liquid representing the food becoming ready to
be absorbed into the small intestine and into the blood stream. Use Lab Sheet 20 as a
controlled experiment lab.
1)
2)
3)
4)
To introduce the subject, read the book Guts: Our Digestive System, by Simon, Seymour
Then pass out a Ziploc bag, a piece of bread, and a small amount of lemon juice (~65 ml) to each student
Place the piece of bread in the bag
Have each student measure 65 ml of lemon juice (soda) in a graduated cylinder and measure the pH. An
introduction to acids and bases may be needed.
5) Pour the juice into the bag and seal the bag tightly, making sure as much air as possible is out of the bag.
As a precaution, you may want to double-bag it to avoid leaking.
6) The students then squeeze the bag for about a minute. Different times could be the manipulated variable.
7) After squeezing, the bread will have dissolved in the juice. Ask the students why they think this
happened and explain how the stomach works to digest food
In The Body Book (pg 88) there is a great model of the stomach.
Alternatives: You can use bits of hotdogs, bologna, corn, or other food items and add meat
tenderizer. This will show how the enzymes in the tenderizer break down the proteins in the
meat to make the “fall apart”. This takes much longer than bread and juice, but is an option.
Activity 4: The Small and large Intestines - Demonstration
The small intestine is the final organ that finishes the digestion of food in the body. It does both mechanical
(squeezing) and chemical (enzyme) digestion to complete the process. The inside of the small intestine is rough
and is lined with parts that look like tiny fingers, called villi. The villi contain many tiny blood vessels. Tiny
particles of the digested food move into the villi, and from there, leave the small intestine and enter the
bloodstream. The blood carries the food to cells in all parts of the body. Once the food is inside the cells, the
body can finally use it to build or repair cells and for energy.
Not all food that is eaten can be digested or broken down. Food material that cannot be
digested passes as waste materials from the small intestine into a wider tube, the large
intestine. The large intestine also has muscles in its walls, but they are not used for
digestion. Instead, in the large intestine, water from the undigested food
is absorbed into the blood stream. The undigested food passes through the large intestine
very slowly while the water is absorbed back into the bloodstream. This removal of the
water gives the waste materials a more solid form, which is called feces. The feces passes
into the lower part of the large intestine, called the rectum. The rectum stores the feces
until it is ready to be eliminated from the body through an opening, called the anus.
40
1. There is a reading in the student manual: Large and Small Intestines that introduce these organs and
their functions.
2. Begin a discussion on what food might look like by the time it gets to the small intestine and how the
small and large intestines work. Ask questions such as:
 What do you think food looks like by the time it reaches the small intestine? (Liquid
and all mixed together).
 What parts of the food is digested in the small intestine? (Most of starches, sugars,
proteins, and fats).
 How does digested food get to all the cells in our body? (The nutrients are absorbed
through the villi of the small intestines).
 Why do you think the small intestine is so long? (To allow enough time to digest the food as much as
possible and absorb the food into the system).
 Can all food be digested? (No, many fibers such as cellulose cannot be digested.)
 What happens to foods that are not digested? (It passes into the large intestine and finally
“expelled”)
 What do you think the main job of the large intestine is? (To absorb the water from the undigested
food).
3. To help students visualize what happens in the small and large intestines, do the following
demonstration. With a blender, process the food until it becomes liquid. (As an alternative, use
“Southwest or Santa Fe salsa – it works great!) Ask: What does the blended food (or salsa) represent?
(The liquefied, digested food in the small intestine). What do the pantyhose (knee high) represent? (The
walls of the small intestine.)
4. Pour the blended food into the pantyhose. Hold the pantyhose over the bucket to catch the liquid that
drips through the toes of the hose. Ask: What do you think the liquid represents? (Nutrients from the
digested food that is being absorbed by the villi into the bloodstream.)
5. To simulate what happens in the large intestine, have students now visualize the pantyhose as the walls
of the large intestine. Ask: What does the blended food (or salsa) now represent? (Undigested food or
waste materials). Squeeze the panty hose to get rid of any excess liquid into the bucket. Have students
notice the additional liquid that drains through. Ask: What does this additional liquid represent? (Water
being absorbed by the large intestine, which will be taken to the cells by the bloodstream.) What does
the remaining blended food represent? (The remaining solid mass represents a more solid form of waste
which we call feces.) Ask: What do you think happens to this mass? (It is stored in the rectum and
leaves the body through the anus.) Before step 6, you can empty the bucket or do step 6 over the trash
can.
6. Ask a student to help, cut the end of the toe off the pantyhose. Squeeze the remaining clump of food
(salsa) so that it falls out of the end and into the bucket or waste basket. Be careful that you do not
splash students or furniture.
7. Summarize the digestion through the small and large intestines.
8. This is a good time to add the digestive system to your model. The patterns are in the black line
masters and in The Body Book (pg. 88).
Extensions And Applications
1. Teeth: You could do a lesson on teeth. You can include how many we have, the types,
their jobs and teeth of other animals and how they help those animals survive.
2. Have students research and report on the following:
o How does the type of teeth affect the niche of an organism in an environment? Consider a
herbivore, carnivore and omnivore.
o What type of teeth would we expect to find in a herbivore? Why? A Carnivore? Why? An
Omnivore? Why?
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o What are the functions of “baby teeth” in humans? Do other animals have “baby teeth”? At what
age are the baby teeth lost? Compare the number of teeth in humans to other mammals.
3. Saliva: Students could learn about saliva by chewing on a non-salted soda cracker. The saliva breaks
down starch into sugar. If the students chew long enough, they may notice that the cracker gets sweeter.
4. Taste Buds: Students can investigate their sense of taste, identifying the sweet, salty, sour and bitter
areas of the tongue.
5. Esophagus: Using a tennis ball and knee-high stocking, you can show students how peristalsis works by
squeezing the ball up and down the stocking.
Have students explain, demonstrate and model the process of vomiting.
6. Stomach: Have you ever heard your stomach growl? Have students research and report on how growling
occurs in the stomach.
Have students research and report on how antacids work in the stomach.
Study ulcers and how they are formed.
Intestines:  Using a sponge, cup of dirt, cup of water and a craft stick (or spoon), challenge students to
simulate what happens to food in the small intestine. Have students develop a plan to demonstrate their
ideas using these materials. The following could be a possible plan. The dirt represents food particles.
The sponge represents the villi and wall of the small intestine. The water represents the digestive juices
and enzymes in the small intestine. By mixing water (digestive juices and enzymes) and the dirt (food)
with the craft stick or spoon, the dirt (food) is broken down (digested) into smaller bits. The sponge can
now more easily absorb the smaller dirt particles mixed with the water, just as the villi absorb nutrients
from the small intestine. Unused, larger particles are passed onto the large intestine and eliminated from
the body.
8. Digestive System: Have students create a bulletin board by displaying the outline of a student’s body.
Have them draw and label the parts of the digestive tract. Have students display these organs on the
body outline.
As a culminating activity or assessment for the digestive tract, have students complete the journal page,
The Digestive Tract. Have them complete it individually or as a group. In the first column have them
write the names of the organs of the digestive tract. In the second column, they should write the
function(s) for each of these organs. The completed chart should be similar to the one below:
Body Part Job(s) in
Digestion
Mouth
Esophagus
Stomach
Small Intestine
Body Part Job(s) in Digestion
- Teeth bite, chew, and grind food.
- Saliva softens and moistens food.
- Saliva breaks down some starches into sugars.
- Chemical and mechanical breakdown
- Connects the mouth with the stomach.
- Moves food from the mouth to the stomach.
- Mixes food and breaks it down into smaller pieces.
- Mixes food with gastric juices to help break down proteins.
- Squeezes and pushes the liquefied food to the small
intestine.
- Chemical and mechanical breakdown
- Squeezes food and breaks it down even further into smaller
pieces.
- Mixes food with other digestive juices to help break down
starches, sugars, proteins and fats.
42
- Removes useful parts of food and absorbs it into the
bloodstream.
- Squeezes and pushes undigested food into the large
intestine.
- Chemical and mechanical breakdown
Large Intestine
- Removes water from the undigested food (waste) and
releases the water into the bloodstream.
- Pushes the waste into the rectum for removal from the
body.
Integration With Other Subject Areas
Science and Math
 Give students the following information: It takes seven seconds for food to pass through the esophagus
to the stomach where it stays for about three hours. Food stays in the small intestine for about five hours
before moving into the large intestine as waste. The wastes stay in the large intestine for about sixteen
hours before they move out of the body. How long would it take the body to completely digest your
lunch? Show your work.
 Have students research and report on how other organisms digest their food?
Health

Have students research and report on the following:
o Do we have fluoride in our drinking water? What was the fluoride scare in the1950’s?
o Compare the oral hygiene of today with other times during history.
Teacher Resources
Books
Cole, Joanna, Magic School Bus: Inside The Human Body. ISBN: 0590414275.
Andrew Burnie, The Concise Encyclopedia Of The Human Body. David. ISBN: 0789402041
Showers, Paul. What Happens To A Hamburger? ISBN: 0690044267.
Internet Sites
Digestive system diseases A-Z -- http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/a-z.aspx
Diseases and Disorders -- http://www.digestivesystemdisorders.com/digestive-system-diseases/digestivesystem-diseases-and-disorders/
Digestive system for kids -- http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/digestive_system.html
Your Digestive system -- http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/pg000126.html
Animation Digestion -- http://www.kitses.com/animation/swfs/digestion.swf
Virtual Digestion -- http://www.medtropolis.com/VBody.asp
Answers to Student Manual: 1: Digestion starts in the mouth with the teeth, tongue, and salivary glands. 2.
Small Intestine. 3. Mechanical digestion is the breaking down of food by tearing, grinding, and squeezing the
food. This happens with the teeth, tongue, esophagus, and stomach, small & large intestines. Chemical digestion
is breaking down of food by chemically breaking down the substances. This takes place in the mouth, stomach
and small intestines. 4. To break down food to make it useable in the cells for energy. 5. Absorb extra fluids to
make the remaining waste solid to eliminate.
1. The length of the s. intestine helps in both mechanically & chemically breaking down and absorbing the
nutrients in the food. The nutrients are passed along into the blood system here. 2. (See 5 above). 3: The villi
and blood vessels absorb nutrients to pass into the blood vessels. 4: It must be broken down into useable form.
43
44
Lesson 7: Respiratory System
Focus Question
What does our respiratory system do to help us survive?
Concepts
Students will:
1. Learn what the respiratory system does.
2. Understand how the respiratory system affects the circulatory system.
Vocabulary
Alveoli
Bronchi
Diaphragm
Oxygenated Blood
Materials
Paper skeleton model
Clay (to plug top of bottle)
Tape*
Rubber band
Bronchiole
Trachea
Lungs
Asthma
Respiratory System
Mucus
Blood
Deoxygenated Blood
Oxygen
Stop watch
Pink/gray construction paper (6x4.5 in. /student)
2 red/pink 5-7” balloons
2 flexible drinking straws
Heavy plastic or plastic wrap to cover bottle bottom
1L clear soda bottle cut (sport drink bottles (~20 oz work well)*
Management
 This lesson will take 4-6 lessons. Extra time may be needed to construct the respiratory part of the
skeleton and build the lung models.
 Use caution with students since physical activity is involved. Some students may not be able to
complete the activities.
 Use caution with plastic bags and balloons that students do endanger themselves.
 Activities 2 and 3 could be switched in order depending on your preferences.
 Copies for the respiratory tract are in the black line masters and in The Body Book.
Standards
1.2a Each system is composed of organs and tissues which perform specific functions and interact with each
other, e.g., digestion, gas exchange, excretion, circulation, locomotion, control, and coordination, reproduction,
and protection from disease.
1.2bTissues, organs, and organ systems help to provide all cells with basic needs such as nutrients, oxygen, and
waste removal.
1.2d During respiration, cells use oxygen to release the energy stored in food. The
respiratory system supplies oxygen and removes carbon dioxide (gas exchange).
Background
Your respiratory system is made up of the organs in your body that help you to
breathe. The lungs are the main organ of the respiratory system. Why do we need to
breathe? All the cells in your body require oxygen. Without it, they couldn't move,
build, reproduce, and turn food into energy. In fact, without oxygen, they (the cells)
and you would die! Remember, that Respiration = Breathing. The goal of breathing
is to deliver oxygen to the body and to take away carbon dioxide. How do you get
45
oxygen? When we breathe, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. This exchange of gases is the
respiratory system's means of getting oxygen to the blood.
Breathing starts with a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of the lungs called the diaphragm (DY-uh-fram).
When you breathe in, the diaphragm contracts allowing space for the lungs to expand. When you breathe out,
the diaphragm expands reducing the amount of space for the lungs and forcing air out. The diaphragm is the
main muscle used in breathing.
We breathe in air through our nose where it is filtered of dust and other particles by the little hairs inside your
nose. After the nose, the air goes through the larynx, which is right at the entrance of the trachea. The larynx is
the voice box, but it also protects us from inhaling food into our lungs. Then the air goes through the trachea
and then into the bronchi of our lungs, which are split up into two big branches. These branches further divide
into tiny tubes and are inter connected through sacs called alveoli. When we inhale, the oxygen enters these
alveoli, and then, through the capillaries present, it gets absorbed into the red blood cells in the arteries. The red
blood cells are responsible for picking up the oxygen in the lungs and carrying the oxygen to all the body cells
that need it. The red blood cells drop off the oxygen to the body cells, then pick up the carbon dioxide which is
a waste gas product produced by our cells. The red blood cells transport the carbon dioxide back to the lungs
and we breathe it out when we exhale.
The process of respiration may take a while to understand, but note that even while you read this, the human
respiratory system is working rapidly, to ensure that you are constantly breathing in and out. The entire process
takes place within a fraction of a second and we don't even realize it.
http://warriors.warren.k12.il.us/dburke/respiratorysystem.htm
Procedures: There is a reading in the student manual: The Respiratory System that explains the basics.
Activity 1: The Respiratory System
a. There is a reading in the student manual: Respiratory System that covers basic information and organs
involved in this system.
46
b. Ask students what they are doing right now that is automatic, but they have some control over. List their
ideas on chart paper and discuss. Ask the final question of which is vital to your life? Make sure they
are focused on the respiratory system!
c. Generate a list of the basic organs/tissues/muscles involved in breathing (diaphragm, nose, pharynx,
larynx, trachea, lungs: bronchial tubes, alveoli, capillaries). Have students complete Lab Sheet 21
locating the basic parts. (A: Trachea, B: Alveoli, C: Diaphragm, D: Lungs, E: Plura, F: Larynx, G:
Bronchi)
d. Add the respiratory system to the paper skeleton model. The lungs are in the black line masters or
in The Body Book (pg 99).
Activity 2: Muscle Fatigue and Respiration
Muscle fatigue happens where there is a decrease in the amount of oxygen getting to the tissue. Students will
complete a series of activities where they start with opening and closing their hands as many times as possible
10 repetitions for 20 seconds, then jog in place for two minutes and repeat opening and closing their hands
again. Controlling variables should be discussed.
1. To begin, explain the activity to the students and have them make predictions on how many times they
will open and close their hands for the first round of trials and again after the second round.
2. Put students into groups of three, where one student will serve as the timer, one the recorder, and one the
exerciser.
3. The exerciser places the back of his/her hand on the desk. The objective is to
open and close the hand as many times as possible in a 20 second interval.
This should be repeated (10 times), with little or no rest in between intervals.
The recorder and exerciser should count the open/close repetitions, with the
recorder writing down the results in the chart on the Lab Sheet 22.
4. The exerciser should then jog in place for two minutes and repeat the fistmaking activity as before (for 10, 20-second intervals).
5. The activity should then be repeated with student roles switched to allow for active participation by all
students.
6. After the activity, the children should return to their Lab Sheet 22 and react to how accurate their
predictions were based on the data collected. They should include some guesses as to what might
account for the results they observed. Discuss whether they controlled as many variables as possible
(i.e., all things were kept equal except for the one factor being tested).
Ask the following leading questions based on their observations:
 What appeared to happen to the number of repetitions of hand closings during each interval? (probably
decreased, although some kids may increase or not change )
 Did your hand cramp? If so, describe the cramping.
 What are some ways we might stop cramping? (Breathe!)
 What happened to the number of hand closings after the jogging exercise in the first trial, and from one
trial to the next? (it probably decreased)
 What happened to your breathing rate as a result of the jogging? (It increased)
 Why might there have been a difference from trial round one to trial round two?
The student breathing rate and the depth of breathing (i.e., the rate at which they were bringing oxygen into
their body for muscle use and the amount of oxygen brought in), increased as a result of the jogging exercise.
Ask them, Why does your body NEED to breath faster? (Answer: At a slow rate of breathing, there may be
enough oxygen to meet the body's needs to perform a task. But, during activity, the cells may produce a byproduct called lactic acid. This chemical collects in muscle tissue and results in fatigue, possible pain and
47
cramping. When you exercise, the breathing rate increases so that you can get more oxygen in and to the
muscles in order to oxidize or remove the lactic acid. This reduces, prevents or delays fatigue and pain. Thus,
you are able to continue to do hand contractions after jogging and bringing more oxygen into your body).
Activity 3: Breathing Rate
This activity can be done in class or as an at-home experience. The students will count their
breathing rate in one minute, exercise for one minute, and again check their breathing rate.
This activity can be done with students on the track team or (with care) a person that you
know that smokes.
1. Students should sit quietly and breathe normally. The teacher should model and
emphasize what "normal breathing" is. After one – two minutes, students should start counting the
number of times they inhale in one minute, breathing regularly. This should be recorded in the chart in
their Student Journal.
2. They should then jog in place for one minute, quickly sit down, and again count the number of times
they inhale in one minute. The count should again be recorded in Lab Sheet 23.
3. A class chart should be developed using the data of the breathing rate before and after exercising. Also,
students may want to involve family members as well, but whether the person smokes or not should be
noted with the data collected. This can lead to a great health-related extension to the activity discussing
smoking and its effects on the lungs.
4. In their Lab Sheet 23, students should summarize their and the classes' findings in the conclusion of
their controlled study report. They should also address why breathing rate increased, specifically
referring back to the need for more oxygen to remove lactic acid. They may also want to predict or
estimate the breathing rates for different common activities: (i.e., walking up stairs, running up stairs,
running vs. walking down the hall, a common activity in gym, etc.).
Activity 4: The Model Respiratory System
1 - 6"x 4.5" (¼ sheet) piece of pink or gray construction paper (trachea) –
optional
1 - plastic 2-liter soda bottle with bottom cut off (thoracic cavity)
2 - round 5" or 7" pink balloons (lungs)
2 - drinking straws - flexible (bronchi)
1 - medium-sized plastic bag or piece of plastic wrap large enough to fit over
bottom end of bottle (diaphragm) or use a #16 balloon cut off at the bottom and
tied at the nozzle.
clay
transparent tape
1 - medium-size, thin rubber band
2- small rubber bands
Procedure:
1. Secure the flex end of 2 straws into 2 separate balloons and use a rubber band to make sure they are secure.
Tape the straws together above the flex and at the top. These are bronchi and lungs. Separate slightly so the
balloons have room.
2. Straw end first, insert these through open bottom of the cut 2-liter soda bottle and bring ends of straws up
through the neck of the bottle.
3. Stuff neck of soda bottle with clay around straws until spaces are plugged.
48
4. Roll construction paper into a tube just round enough to fit over the tops of the straws and be able to tape
onto the opening of the bottle. Tape closed and place over tops of two straws. This will be the trachea.
5. Place a plastic bag (or the large balloon) over the bottom end of the bottle and use the rubber band to hold it
in place. A penny can be added to the center of the bag and secured with a rubber band so it gives students
something to hold onto while they are working the model. This will serve as the diaphragm.
6. Grasp bottom of plastic bag (or the penny) and pull down and push up. Watch as the "lungs" expand and
contract as you do this. Try covering the upper end of the "trachea" straws so that the air supply is cut off and
test the “diaphragm” again. What happens?
7. In Lab Sheet 24, the students should illustrate and label their breathing machine model and describe how it
works. They should relate to the parts of the respiratory system and how each part functions as part of the
total system.
Extensions And Applications

Discuss asthma and how it affects the body.

Discuss smoking and second-hand smoke and how that affects the lungs.

Invite a pulmonologist into the classroom to talk about the lungs and their health.


The possibilities mentioned in the previous section (Integrating Science With Other Discipline Areas),
provides a logical jumping off point for extensions of the activities mentioned. Inviting athletes from the
high school level to come in and speak to the class about the importance of conditioning one's self
before doing strenuous activity might be logical here or after the next lesson. This can lead to the
discussion of other relevant health issues such as proper rest and good nutrition, as part of everyday
living.
A comparison can be made with other mammals and their breath-holding or lung capacity:

Compare how long other mammals can hold their breath
Mammal Average breath holding time in minutes
Human
1
Polar Bear
1.5
Sea Otter
5
Platypus
10
Hippopotamus
15
Manatee
16
Beaver
20
Seal
15-28
Sperm Whale
90
Bottlenose Porpoise 120
Integration With Other Subject Areas
Mathematics
 Graphs can be created using the data in the charts for the activities in this lesson. In addition, students
can be asked to graph class averages for breathing rates or repetition rates for the activities. Or, they can
estimate the number of breaths they take in a day using averages they calculate for themselves or the
class. Similarly, they can estimate the number of breaths they will take between now and the end of the
school year in June.
49
Health/Social Studies
 Smoking affects the breathing rate in a dramatic way. Data can be collected for adult smokers vs. nonsmokers in the activities of this lesson, with relationships drawn as to health consequences and the
impact on society for health care costs.
Teacher Resources
Economos, C., Hands On! Science Activities, Troll, 1992.
Science Made Simple: The Education Center. The Mailbox Collection, Grade 4-6, 1994.
Essenfeld, et. al., Addison Wesley Biology. Addison Wesley, 1994.
Grollman, S., The Human Body: Its Structure And Physiology, 4th edition, Macmillan, NY, 1978.
ASIN0023480807.
Hirschfeld, R,Troll, 101 Science Projects, 1994. ASIN0816732744.
Instructional Fair, Inc., Fifth Grade Big Book Of Everything. Grand Rapids, MI, 1995. ISBN1568222092.
Shaw, J.M., Exploring Mathematics. Grades 4-6, Scott, Foresman, 1990. ISBN0673188124.
Sanderman, A., The Children’s Book Of The Body. Copper Beech, 1996, ISBN0-7613-0519-x.
Internet Sites
Images, tutorials, quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/muscularsystem/quizzes/menu/menu.html
Automated Body Systems (video) -- http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems
Automated tutorial and quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/skeletalsystem/skeleton/menu/menu.html
Simple version of body systems video – http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/
Anatomy and physiology interactive video -- http://bio-alive.com/animations/anatomy.htm
All of the body systems (several links) -- http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/systems/body.html
Links for anatomy and physiology -- http://academic.pgcc.edu/~aimholtz/AandP/AandPLinks/ANPlinks.html
Answers to Student Manual:
1. To bring oxygen into our lungs and expel carbon dioxide.
2. It keeps food from going into the trachea rather than staying in the esophagus.
3. This is where gas exchange happens.
4. Once the oxygen is passed into the alveoli, it can then be transferred to the red blood cells and passed
through the blood vessels throughout the body.
Fill ins: transport, circulatory, blood, heart, arteries and veins, oxygen, lungs, pumped, energy, carbon dioxide,
atmosphere, away, brighter to, darker, capillaries, nutrients, intestines, heat
50
Lesson 8: Circulatory System
Focus Question
What does our circulatory system do to help us survive?
Concepts
Students will:
1. Learn what the circulatory system does.
2. Understand how the respiratory system affects the circulatory system.
Vocabulary
Arteries
Heart
Platelets
White Blood Cells
Materials
Stopwatch
Rubber band (fits tube)
Atherosclerosis
Bone Marrow
Pulse
Deoxygenated Blood
Blood
Oxygenated Blood
Red Blood Cells
Circulation
Capillaries
Plasma
Veins
Toilet paper tubes (1/student)
Straw (1/student)
Sandwich bags
Management
 This lesson will take 3-5 lessons. Extra time may be needed to construct the circulatory section of the
paper skeletons. You will need to copy the picture of the heart in the black line masters for students.
There is an option of 2 different hearts. One has an “inside and outside” the other comes from the book.
 Use caution with students since physical activity is involved. Some students may not be able to
complete the activities.
 There is a Blackline Master of a clogged vs. healthy artery that can be used for activity 3 if you wish.
Standards
Skill: 8. Identify pulse points and pulse rates
1.2a Each system is composed of organs and tissues which perform specific functions and interact with each
other, e.g., digestion, gas exchange, excretion, circulation, locomotion, control, and coordination, reproduction,
and protection from disease.
1.2b Tissues, organs, and organ systems help to provide all cells with basic needs such as nutrients, oxygen, and
waste removal.
1.2f The circulatory system moves substances to and from cells where they are needed or produced, responding
to changing demands.
Background:
The Circulatory System is an amazing highway stretching 60,000 miles responsible for
transporting materials throughout the entire body. It transports nutrients, water, and oxygen to
your billions of body cells and carries away wastes such as carbon dioxide that body cells
produce. The circulatory system or cardiovascular system is made up of the vessels and the
muscles that help and control the flow of the blood and other fluids around the body. This
process is called circulation. The main parts of the system are the heart, arteries, capillaries
and veins (the lymphatic system is often included in the circulatory system).
The heart is the primary organ and muscle that pushes the blood through our bodies. The heart
beats about 3 BILLION times during an average lifetime. It is a muscle about the size of your
51
fist located in the center of your chest slightly to the left. Its job is to pump your blood and keep the blood
moving throughout your body. The heart has four chambers that push the blood into the lungs and throughout
the body.
As blood begins to circulate, it leaves the heart from the left ventricle of the heart and goes into the aorta. The
aorta is the largest artery in the body. The blood leaving the aorta is full of oxygen called oxygenated blood.
This is important for the cells in the brain and the body to do their work. Most of the time blood in the arteries is
loaded with oxygen and nutrients and the color is very “bright” red. The oxygen rich blood travels throughout
the body in its system of arteries that are basically one way streets. The oxygenated blood flows into the
smallest capillaries where it passes nutrients into the surrounding tissues. On its way back to the heart, the
blood travels through a system of veins going in one direction. Most of the time, blood in the veins is blood
where most of the oxygen and nutrients have already been delivered to the cells. This blood is called
deoxygenated and is very “dark” red. As it reaches the lungs, the carbon dioxide (a waste product) is removed
from the blood and replace with fresh oxygen that we have inhaled through the lungs.
The blood is actually a complex tissue made up of different types of cells, free protein, other chemicals and
water. An average adult body contains 4.75 Liters or about 5 quarts of blood. The blood cells include; white
and red blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Blood cells are made in the bone marrow inside the soft tissue of
the bone.
Red Blood Cells
Red Blood Cells are the most numerous cells in the blood and are responsible for
carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide. Red blood cells pick up oxygen in the lungs
and transport it through the arteries to all the body cells. After delivering the oxygen
to the cells it gathers up the carbon dioxide (a waste gas produced as our cells are
working) and transports carbon dioxide back to the lungs through the veins where it is removed from the
body when we exhale (breath out). There are about 5,000,000 red blood cells in ONE drop of blood.
White Blood Cells (Germinators)
White Blood Cells are also called lymphocytes, help the body fight off germs. White blood cells attack and
destroy germs when they enter the body. When you have an infection your body will produce more white
blood cells to help fight an infection. Sometimes our white blood cells need a little help and the doctor will
prescribe an antibiotic to help our white blood cells fight a large scale infection.
Platelets
Platelets are blood cells that help stop bleeding. When we cut ourselves we have broken a blood vessel and
the blood leaks out. In order to plug up the holes where the blood is leaking from the platelets start to stick
to the opening of the damaged blood vessels. As the platelets stick to the opening of the damaged vessel
they attract more platelets, fibers and other blood cells to help form a plug to seal the broken blood vessel.
When the platelet plug is completely formed the wound stops bleeding. We call our platelet plugs, scabs.
Plasma
Plasma is the liquid part of the blood. Approximately half of your blood is made of plasma. The plasma
carries the blood cells and other components throughout the body.
 There is a reading in the student manual: The Respiratory System that explains the basics of the system.
 There is a reading in the student manual: The Blood that covers the types of blood and their functions.
Procedures:
Activity 1: The Circulatory System
1. Have students predict what they will feel or will happen if they hold one arm up above their head and
the other straight down while they are standing for a given period of time.
2. Write their predictions on Lab Sheet 25.
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3. Have students stand with one arm in the air and the other by their sides for 60 seconds.
4. Afterwards, hold both hands out so they can observe them. Have them make observations on their
activity sheet. (They should notice that the veins are larger on the hand that is down and that it may be
warmer and darker than the arm that was held up. This is because the hand that is down fills with blood
while the one that is up drains the blood. Also, they should notice that the veins on the hand that was up
are smaller and the hand is cooler and possibly paler in color.) A good reference can be made
regarding why we elevate limbs that are bleeding (to keep blood away and reduce blood loss).
5. Generate a list of the basic organs/tissues/muscles involved in circulation (heart, veins, arteries,
capillaries, [lungs]). Have students complete Lab Sheet 26 locating the basic parts. (Answers to lab
sheet: A: Vein, B: Vena Cava, C: Heart, D: Aorta, E: Artery)
6. Have students follow the path of blood through the body using Lab Sheet 27 while you explain it.
7. Add the circulatory system to the paper skeleton model. There is a heart model in The Body Book (pg
108). There is additional heart picture included in the black line masters, but you would have to add
red/blue yarn or draw the arteries and veins on with either picture.
Activity 2: Pulse Rate
As your heart pumps blood through your body, you can feel a
pulsing in some of the blood vessels close to the skin's surface, such
as in your wrist (radial pulse) or neck (carotid pulse). Counting your
pulse rate is a simple way to find out how fast your heart is beating.
The rhythm and strength of the heartbeat can also be noted, as well
as whether the blood vessel feels hard or soft. Changes in your heart
rate or rhythm, a weak pulse, or a hard blood vessel may be caused
by heart disease or another problem.
When we run or jump around, the muscles need additional oxygen and the heart beats faster to
send blood to the muscles more quickly. This means the pulse rate speeds up too. When you rest after
exercise, the pulse rate gradually returns to normal. Students will be asked to find their pulse rate.
What affect does exercise have on pulse rate if you jog in place for one minute? The following is one
suggested activity which can help answer this question. Students should be reminded to keep this a
controlled experiment, and should also be encouraged to develop their own controlled investigation to
answer the question. Other activities that could be used include hopping in place for 20 seconds, walking
quickly or swinging arms.
1. Place the fingertips of your pointer and middle fingers of one hand on the inside of the wrist of the other
hand on the side nearest the thumb. You should feel a pulse. Counting that pulse tells you how fast your
heart is beating. For students, it is sometimes easier for them to find and use the carotid pulse below
their jaw line, about two inches down from their ear or under their jaw on their neck. In either case, the
thumb should not be used to feel for a pulse because it has its own small pulse.
2. Each student should count their pulse for one minute as they stay seated, and record their resting pulse
in Lab Sheet 28. An alternative is to have the student count for 15 seconds, and multiply by 4 to get an
estimate of a 60-second period.
3. Pair students off so one can time while the other exercises and counts their own pulse rate. Then have
the exerciser jog in place for one minute and immediately sit down and check their pulse rate for one
minute. Try to ensure that students who were less active in the previous activity are more active in their
roles in this activity.
4. Students should then take their pulse rates after two minutes and again after five minutes to observe how
long it took for the heart rate to return to rest.
5. All data should be entered in Lab Sheet 28, and a class discussion of the results should follow. This can
also include generating a graph of class results.
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Activity 3: Circulation and Respiration
The motion of the blood is powered by the pumping action of the heart or
circulatory system. The amount of oxygen in our systems is powered by breathing
in oxygen and out carbon dioxide or the respiratory system. The following activities
focus on the dependence of each of these systems on the other. Certain common
ailments of one system put a stress on both. Asthma is a breathing disorder where
the bronchial tubes constrict and reduce the flow of air to the lungs.
In this activity, students will re-breath their own air, reducing the amount of oxygen
they are receiving. Their heart rate may slow down trying to conserve the oxygen they have.
1. Have students get in groups of 2 or 3. One student will be the “test” subject, one the timer, and the other
the “counter”.
2. Have the test subject measure his/her normal breathing rate and pulse rate at rest for one minute. The
breathing rate is one inhale/one exhale to make a cycle. This data should be recorded on the data
sheet in Lab Sheet 29.
3. Before they start, have students predict what they think the effect of this activity (re-breathing their own
air) will be on their breathing and heart rates.
4. Provide each group with a toilet paper roll core which has been cut into two equal halves. Use a rubber
band to seal the mouth of a sandwich bag around one toilet paper tube half. One
member of the group should take a deep breath and hold their nose. They should
exhale fully into the baggie, letting any excess air escape around the side of the
toilet paper tube (so they don’t blow the baggy off the end, but still fill the bag with
their exhale). Still holding their nose, they should now breathe regularly through
their mouth, into and out of the baggie that is attached to the toilet paper roll. Do
not allow any air around the baggie or for students to breathe air in from around the tube. Students
should continue to breathe into and out of the bag until they are uncomfortable and have to stop, or for
one minute.
What should be noted is that as time passes, the rate of breathing and
the amount of air inhaled with each breath will increase as the body
is deprived of oxygen due to re-breathing the same air. The heart rate
may actually slow a bit to conserve the oxygen available to the cells as the pulse
increases trying to push more oxygenated blood to the cells!
5. Next, after predictions are made, have the students check their breathing rate and heart beat as they
inhale and exhale normally through the other half of the toilet paper tube, without a baggie attached.
Data should be recorded for one minute.
6. Have the same students breathe through a plastic straw without a baggie attached, and have their
breathing and pulse rate measured as well for one minute. Again predictions should precede the actual
investigation.
What students should notice here is that the reduced tube diameter results in an
increased difficulty in getting the needed air. Breathing rate and the size of the
breaths should increase, increasing the pulse rate. Heart rate again may slow to
conserve the available oxygen. This last part of the activity is an excellent bridge to a
discussion of how asthma and atherosclerosis affect the respiratory and circulatory
systems by reducing the space through which oxygen and blood, respectively, can
move. There is a Blackline Master provided showing the appearance of a healthy
versus a clogged artery.
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7. Using the data and observations from the prior activity, have students answer these questions as a class:
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you have to stop breathing through the tube at any point? Why?
What was happening to your body during this investigation? (answer - inability to get enough oxygen to
meet the body's needs.)
What symptoms did you experience? (possible answers - rapid breathing, gasping for air, nauseous,
dizziness, uncomfortable.)
Did you ever have these feelings before? (possible answers - in a crowded, stuffy room; train or
bus; at high altitude; some asthmatics experience these symptoms regularly.)
8. Empathy for individuals with asthma should be emphasized in this lesson, as pupils come to experience
sensations similar to what constitutes an asthmatic’s daily experience with the common activity of
breathing.
Extensions And Applications
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Any of the data generated that is related to measuring pulse rate, can be collected for the entire class and
after tabulation, graphed to show the affect of exercise on pulse rate.
Students may also be able to observe the movement of blood out of and into an area of their body, by
observing the effect of pressure on the fingernail. Students can be asked to slide the finger of one hand
upward along a fingernail of the other hand. The flesh under the nail momentarily becomes white as
blood is forced out of the capillaries. Very quickly, the blood flows back into place and the pink color
returns.
Students could be asked to perform this activity and observe how quickly the blood flow returns (it is
very fast).
A model stethoscope (first developed by a physician in 1819) can be made using 3 lengths of rubber
tubing. Place a funnel into one rubber tube and a y-connector into the other end. Add another rubber
tube to each of the other ends of the y-connector. Finally, place funnels into the ends of the two rubber
tubes (by using these last two funnels as ear pieces, the risk of ear-wax transfer is eliminated). The two
ear-pieces placed over the ears and the main funnel placed over the heart, makes for a fairly effective
stethoscope.
Alternatively, the cardboard core from a paper towel role could be used, or even a length of rolled up
paper. Or, a visit by a physician or nurse can be arranged to illustrate how a stethoscope is used to listen
to both heart and lung function. Children can listen to their own heart-beat and be asked to describe what
they hear. They should hear two sounds, one being the heart valves opening and the other their closing.
This is described as the lub-DUP sound.
Integration With Other Subject Areas
Mathematics
 When counting pulse rates, the data can be collected for the entire class and graphed.
Physical Education
 The relationship of exercise and the rate of blood flow can be emphasized, as a variety of exercises are
used and pulse rates tabulated. Also, the role of training to improve circulatory efficiency can be
emphasized.
Language Arts
 A poem about the circulatory system, which actually could also be set to music could be created.
Health
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 A local physician or the school nurse can be invited to class, or the health teacher can explain what is
needed for good circulatory system health.
Teacher Resources
Bender, L., The Body: Through The Microscope, Scholastic, 1989. ASIN0531171833.
Clevenger, W., The Human Body. Michael Freedman Group, 1993.
Suzuki, D., Looking At The Body. John Wiley and Sons, 1991. ISBN0471540528.
Simon, Seymour, The Heart. Our Circulatory System. Scholastic Inc., NY. 1996. ISBN0-590-12120-0.
Carratello, P., My Body. Caracchiolo/Smith Publications, 1980. ISBN1557342113.
Cobb, V., Blood And Gore Like You’ve Never Seen. Scholastic, 1997. ISBN0590926659.
Gaskin, J., The Heart. Franklin Watts, 1985. ASIN086313145X.
Showers, P., Thomas Y. A Drop Of Blood. Crowell, 1967. ISBN0064450902.
Silverstein, A. & V., Heartbeats, Your Body, Your Heart. J.B. Lippincott, 1983. ASIN0397320388.
Internet Sites
Video of cells in the body in action -- http://www.comet.chv.va.us/quill/index1.htm
Images, tutorials, quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/muscularsystem/quizzes/menu/menu.html
Automated Body Systems (video) -- http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems
Automated tutorial and quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/skeletalsystem/skeleton/menu/menu.html
Simple version of body systems video – http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/
Anatomy and physiology interactive video -- http://bio-alive.com/animations/anatomy.htm
All of the body systems (several links) -- http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/systems/body.html
Links for anatomy and physiology -- http://academic.pgcc.edu/~aimholtz/AandP/AandPLinks/ANPlinks.html
Answers to Student Manual:
1. In the bone marrow.
2. Erythrocytes: Small cells shaped like caved-in-disks. When mature, they have lost their nucleus and
mitochondria. There red color comes from the protein hemoglobin. They carry oxygen.
Lymphocytes generally are larger than erythrocytes; they do have nuclei and mitochondria. They fight
infection.
Platelets are small cell fragments that help clot blood.
Plasma is the liquid part of the blood that carries the cells and nutrients throughout the body.
3. If marrow was damaged, blood cells would not be produced properly or at all. Without the source for new
blood cells, many
4. When we get cut, blood platelets begin to stick to the opening of the cut. As they stick they attract more
platelets, fibers, and other cells that help plug up the cut.
The Heart: 1: aorta, 2:superior and inferior vena cava, 3: septum, 4: pulmonary artery and veins, 5: right & left
atrium and right and left ventricle, 6: valves, 7: arrows should start through the s. vena cava, right atrium, r.
ventricle, p. artery, p. vein, l. atrium, l. ventricle, aorta.
The Circulatory System: A: aorta, B: L. atrium, C: septum, D: R. ventricle, E: heart muscle, F: valve, G: L.
ventricle, H: R. atrium, I: pulmonary artery, J: inferior vena cava,
1: away, towards, 2: capillaries, 3: heart, 4: blood, 5: make sure it makes sense!
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Glossary
Alveoli – the tiny air sacs in the lungs that allow the oxygen into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide out.
Anus – the opening at the lower end of the digestive track through which solid waste is excreted.
Arteries – blood vessels that take blood away from the heart.
Asthma - a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways restricting the air flow to the lungs.
Atherosclerosis – narrowing of the walls of the arteries caused by deposits of fatty substances.
Bacteria – a unicellular organism.
Blood – the fluid that circulates nutrients through the body by the action of the heart pumping.
Bone Marrow – the spongy, red tissue in the center of bones that produces blood cells.
Bones – the hard dense, calcified tissue that forms the skeleton of most vertebrates.
Bronchi – the main tube structures branching from the trachea and leading to the lungs.
Bronchiole - the small, thin-walled tubes, the branch into the lungs ending with the alveoli.
Capillaries – blood vessels that connect the smallest arteries to the smallest veins where nutrient exchange
happens.
Cardiac Muscle – the specialized muscle of the heart.
Cell – the basic unit of living matter in all organisms consisting of protoplasm enclosed within a cell membrane.
Organelles: Lysosome, Cell Membrane, Cell wall, Nuclear Membrane, Cytoplasm, Nucleus, Vacuole
Mitochondria, Ribosome, Nucleolus, Endoplasmic reticulum, Organelles, Chloroplasts, Golgi Bodies
Chemical Digestion – the breakdown of food by chemical reactions.
Circulation – the flow of blood and nutrients throughout the body.
Colon – the longest part of the large intestine connecting at the lower end to the rectum.
Communicable – capable of being transmitted from one person to another.
Dependent Variable - the observed result of the independent variable being manipulated.
Deoxygenated Blood - blood that is rich in carbon dioxide rather than oxygen on the way back to the heart.
Diaphragm – the muscle contracts and expands forcing air into and out of the lungs.
Digestion – the process of breaking down food into simple compounds for absorption into body tissues.
Diseases - a disorder or incorrectly functioning tissue, organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting in
an imbalance of homeostasis of the body.
Enzyme – a protein that speeds up a chemical reaction.
Esophagus – the tube that passes food from the mouth to the stomach.
Flexibility - the distance of motion of a joint, which may be increased by stretching.
Fracture – a break or crack in the bone.
Gastric Juices – a fluid secreted by glands in the stomach that aid in digestion.
Germs - a microscopic organism that causes diseases.
Heart – the muscle that pumps blood through the body.
Host – a cell or organism on or in which another organism lives or feeds.
Immune System – the body systems that protects against disease-causing agents.
Independent Variable - the variable representing the value being manipulated or changed.
Indicator – a chemical compound that changes color and structure when exposed to certain conditions.
Internal Environment – what is considered as the cells, tissues, organs, systems of the body.
Involuntary – not under conscious control.
Large Intestine – the wider, lower part of the intestines that extends from the small intestines to the anus.
Ligament – a band of touch tissue that connects two bones or holds an organ of the body in place.
Lungs – two spongy organs in the chest of air-breathing animals that serve as the organs of gas exchange.
Manipulated Variable - the variable being manipulated or changed.
Mechanical Digestion – the break down of food using physical means such as squeezing or tearing to break
down food.
Microscope – an instrument to magnify objects that are hard to see or invisible to the naked eye.
Parts: Base, Arm, Eyepiece (Ocular lens), Body Tube, Objective, Nosepiece, Stage (clips), Diaphragm
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Mirror, Light Source, Low Power, High Power Objective, Course Focus (Adjustment) Knob,
Fine Focus (Adjustment) knob (see text for definitions)
Microscopic – something that can only be seen with the aid of a microscope.
Mucus - the slimy substance secreted by mucous membranes to lubricate and protect them.
Multicellular - having or being composed of more than one cell.
Muscle – tissue composed of elongated cells (muscle fibers) that contract to produce movement.
Nutrition – the process by which an organism obtains the nutrients needed for growth and survival.
Organ – a distinct part of an organism that performs one or more particular functions.
Organism – an individual form of life that is capable of growing and reproducing.
Oxygen – In vertebrates, O2 in the gas state is diffused through membranes in the lungs and into red blood cells.
Oxygenated Blood – blood that has gained oxygen in the lungs and is passed through the body to tissues.
Peristalsis – the wave-like muscle contractions that pushes food along the digestive tract.
Pathogen – an agent that causes infection or diseases.
Plasma – the clear, liquid part of the blood composed mainly of water and proteins.
Platelets – small cells found in the blood that help with clotting.
Pulse – the rhythmical expansion and contraction of the arteries as blood is pumped through them.
Red Blood Cells – the disc shaped cells in the blood that contains hemoglobin which holds onto the oxygen.
Regulate – to control or manage (the internal environment).
Respiratory System – the system of organs in air-breathing animals in which gas exchange takes place.
Saliva – the watery substance secreted in the mouth that aids in breaking down food.
Skeletal Muscle - a form of striated muscle tissue that is voluntarily controlled.
Small Intestine – the long, narrow, coiled section of the intestine that extends from the stomach to the beginning
of the large intestine. The main absorption of nutrients happens here.
Smooth Muscle - an involuntary non-striated muscle that most organs are comprised of.
Stomach – the sac-like, muscular organ that stores food and is the main organ of digestion.
Tendon – a tough band that connects muscle to bone.
Tissue – a large collection of similar cells that together perform a specific function in an organism.
Trachea – the tub-shaped structure that leads from the larynx to the bronchi and carries air to the lungs.
Transmitted – to pass along.
Unicellular – having or consisting of a single cell.
Veins – any of the blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart.
Viruses – any of a large group of disease-causing agents consisting of DNA or RNA within a protein shell.
Voluntary – under conscience control.
Wet Mount Slide - the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid held between the slide and the cover slip by
surface tension.
White Blood Cells – any of the white cells in the blood, many of which act to protect the body against infection.
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Resources
Internet Sites
The Microbe Zoo -- http://commtechlab.msu.edu/CTLProjects/dlc-me/zoo/
Scanning Electron Images -- http://www.mos.org/sln/sem/
Microscope Mania -- http://sciencespot.net/Pages/classbio.html
Activities and Labs -- http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets.html
Virtual Microscope -- http://www.udel.edu/biology/ketcham/microscope/scope.html
Virtual Electron Microscope -- http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/virtual-electronmicroscope.cfm
Images of the body -- http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/images-inside-human-body-images/8292
Cells alive -- http://www.comet.net/quill
Science Lesson Plans (a particular lesson on making 3-dimensional plant and animal cells appears at this site)-gopher://ericir.syr.edu:70/11/lesson/subject
Cells alive – http://www.cellsalive.com/
Interactive cell information -http://www.wiley.com/college/boyer/0470003790/animations/cell_structure/cell_structure.htm
Cell structure -- http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/insideacell/
Cell animation - http://bio-alive.com/animations/cell-biology.htm
Communicable Diseases Types -- http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/
Communicable Diseases Information -- http://www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/gcdc.html
Information on what Communicable Diseases are -- http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-communicabledisease.htm
Prevention of Diseases -- http://www.slideshare.net/drsoumar/prevention-of-communicable-diseases
Disease control and prevention -- http://www.cdc.gov/
Automated Skeletal System (video) -- http://health.howstuffworks.com/humanbody/systems/musculoskeletal/adam-200029.htm
Automated tutorial and quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/skeletalsystem/skeleton/menu/menu.html
Simple version of skeletal system video –
http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?lic=1&article_set=59294&cat_id=20607
Anatomy and physiology interactive video -- http://bio-alive.com/animations/anatomy.htm
All of the body systems (several links) -- http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/systems/body.html
Links for anatomy and physiology -- http://academic.pgcc.edu/~aimholtz/AandP/AandPLinks/ANPlinks.html
http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/types_of_bones.php#l – photos of bones from this site
http://karenogen.blogspot.com/2010/07/skeletal-system-online-activities.html - great online activities!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/joints/pivot_joint.shtml - great visual of joints
http://bf005.k12.sd.us/clickable__worksheets.htm - fun activities
https://homes.bio.psu.edu/faculty/strauss/anatomy/skel/skeletal.htm = images of bones
Images, tutorials, quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/muscularsystem/quizzes/menu/menu.html
Automated Body Systems (video) -- http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems
Automated tutorial and quizzes -- http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/skeletalsystem/skeleton/menu/menu.html
Simple version of body systems video – http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/
Anatomy and physiology interactive video -- http://bio-alive.com/animations/anatomy.htm
Digestive system diseases A-Z -- http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/a-z.aspx
Diseases and Disorders -- http://www.digestivesystemdisorders.com/digestive-system-diseases/digestivesystem-diseases-and-disorders/
Digestive system for kids -- http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/digestive_system.html
Your Digestive system -- http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/pg000126.html
Animation Digestion -- http://www.kitses.com/animation/swfs/digestion.swf
Virtual Digestion -- http://www.medtropolis.com/VBody.asp
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OTHER NYS LEARNING STANDARDS
STANDARD 1: Mathematical Analysis, Scientific Inquiry, Engineering Design
Mathematical Analysis:
Key Idea 1: Abstraction and symbolic representation are used to communicate mathematically.
Key Idea 3: Critical thinking skills are used in the solution of mathematical problems.
Scientific Analysis:
Key Idea 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing,
creative process.
Key Idea 2: Beyond the use of reasoning and consensus, scientific inquiry involves the testing of proposed
explanations involving the use of conventional techniques and procedures and usually requiring considerable ingenuity.
Key Idea 3: The observations made while testing proposed explanations, when analyzed using conventional
and invented methods, provide new insights into phenomena.
Engineering Design:
Key Idea 1: Engineering design is an iterative process involving modeling and optimization (finding the best solution
within given constraints); this process is used to develop technological solutions to problems within given constraints.
STANDARD 6—Interconnectedness: Common Themes
Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology
and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.
Key Idea 1: Through systems thinking, people can recognize the commonalities that exist among all systems and how
parts of a system interrelate and combine to perform specific functions.
Key Idea 2: Models are simplified representations of objects, structures, or systems used in analysis, explanation,
interpretation, or design.
STANDARD 7—Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life
problems and make informed decisions.
Key Idea 2: Solving interdisciplinary problems involves a variety of skills and strategies, including effective work habits;
gathering and processing information; generating and analyzing ideas; realizing ideas; making connections among the
common themes of mathematics, science, and technology; and presenting results.
SCIENTIFIC SKILLS:
1. follow safety procedures in the classroom and laboratory
3. use appropriate units for measured or calculated values
4. recognize and analyze patterns and trends
5. classify objects according to an established scheme and a student-generated scheme
6. develop and use a dichotomous key
7. sequence events
8. identify cause-and-effect relationships
9. use indicators and interpret results
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Strange Facts About the Human Body
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/weird-facts-about-the-human-body.html
The following are some of the more interesting facts about the human body. Read and be amazed.
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Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.
Your eyes are always the same size from birth (but your nose and ears never stop growing).
On any given day, sexual intercourse takes place 120 million times on earth. (Who exactly is counting this?)
During your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools. (That put me off
swimming for a bit.)
The brain is much more active at night than during the day.
The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica.
The brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb.
Sneezes regularly exceed 100 mph & nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per
hour.
The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.(I guess it's true then
size really does matter.)
The largest internal organ is the small intestine.
The brain itself cannot feel pain. Read more on interesting facts about nervous system.
One human hair can support 3.5 ounces.
It takes 17 muscles to smile and 43 to frown.
The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger.
Women's hearts beat faster than men's.
One out of every 2,000 newborn infants has a tooth when they are born.
Babies are always born with blue eyes.
There are as many hairs per square inch on your body as a chimpanzee.
Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream.
The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razorblades.
Facial hair grows faster than any other hair on the body.
Every day the average person loses 60-100 strands of hair.
You must lose over 50% of your scalp hairs before it is apparent to anyone.
The three things pregnant women dream most of during their first trimester are frogs, worms and potted
plants.
The human body is estimated to have 60,000 miles of blood vessels. Read more on cardiovascular system
facts.
You get a new stomach lining every three to four days.
Scientists have counted over 500 different liver functions. Read more on human body systems.
Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born.
The average person expels flatulence 14 times each day.
You could remove a large part of your internal organs and survive.
Approximately 75% of human waste is made of water.
Babies are, pound for pound, stronger than an ox.
Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart. Read more on human heart facts.
Feet have 500,000 sweat glands and can produce more than a pint of sweat a day.
Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears.
Even small noises cause the pupils of the eyes to dilate.
After eating too much, your hearing is less sharp.
Humans shed about 600,000 particles of skin every hour.
By the age of 60, most people will have lost about half their taste buds.
The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet.
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