Authors: Kevin Flannery
Time (total): [1 hour 10 minutes ]
Lesson Plan - Summer Institute on Teaching and Learning - Georgetown University 2011
Title of Lesson: Like your Body like Nobody: Dancing Anatomy
Grade: Rising 6th
School: Randle Highlands
Date: 6/29/11
Materials: Music playing device, speakers, songs (Macarena, Cha Cha Slide, and a few others), large poster paper with
outline image of human body, large poster paper with outline image of human skeleton, large poster paper with outline
of lungs and respiratory system, large poster paper with outline of muscles, large paper with outline of nervous system
with brain and spinal chord, markers
Theme(s): Who
Am I, Explore,
Discover
Topic(s):
Anatomy,
Dancing
Subjects
(common core):
Science
Introduction (include hook): Instructor A should be really excited and tell
students that the class is going to do some really fun stuff today. Instructor
A should then say that that stuff has to wait a bit and that first he needs to
find out if anyone in the class can dance. Instructor A should then ask the
students if they think they can dance. Instructor A should call on three
volunteers to come to the front of the class and then explain that each of
them will get a song to dance to and that when the music starts they need
to do their best moves. Instructor B will pick out and play a song for each
student. Songs should either be recognizable to the students, or they
should be funny (e.g. making a boy dance to “I’m a Barbie Girl in a Barbie
World.”) [5 minutes]
Lead In: Instructor A thanks students for dancing and has them return to
their places. Instructor A explains that the class is going to do some
dancing today as a way to learn about the body. Instructor A tells
class before they get to their first song they need to talk about the
body a bit first. Instructor C posts the large posters on a wall in the
front of the room. [2 minutes]
Lesson Body: Instructor A introduces idea of different systems in the body
that all work together to make us be. Instructor A introduces the nervous
system, using the poster as necessary.
o Nervous System
o Runs the body, responds to what is going on in the world
o Made up of brain, spinal chord, and nerves
o Nerves are all throughout our body but they are most
highly concentrated in the brain
o Nerves transport and process information about what is
going on
Instructor A transitions to the circulatory system, another important
system. Instructor A tells students that they can feel their circulatory
system at work in a couple different ways. Instructor A puts his or her hand
over his or her heart and asks students to do the same. Instructor A asks
students if they feel their heart beat. Instructor A tells students that the
heart is the central piece of the circulatory system and that its job is to
circulate blood throughout the body.
o Circulatory System
o Blood contains nutrients and oxygen that allow the
different parts of your body
o When you are calm you need fewer nutrients and less
Presentation Style: All
over the place
Classroom
Organization:
Students sit on the
floor during discussion
periods. They spread
out in the room during
dance periods. Push
desks against the wall
if necessary.
Notes: Reference
Sheet on how
different systems of
the body work
together:
http://www.rsd.edu/s
chools/carmichael/ma
sters/pdf/hwsystmswr
ky.pdf
Authors: Kevin Flannery
Time (total): [1 hour 10 minutes ]
oxygen so your blood pumps slowly, but when you are
active and moving fast you needs lots of oxygen to keep
your body moving so the heart pumps faster
Instructor A tells students that they can also feel their circulatory system at
work by taking their pulse. Instructor A explains that medical professionals
take patients’ pulses to help determine their level of body activity. Taking a
pulse indicates how fast blood is moving through the body. Instructors take
pulse with students.
o How to take your pulse
o Two fingers on wrist vein (left side of left wrist)
o Count the number of pulses in 15 seconds
o Multiply by four
Time to dance.
Instructor A tells students that they have to start out with a somewhat
simple dance. Instructor A teaches students Head, Shoulders, Knees, and
Toes. The class sings a few verses of the game, getting faster as it goes on.
When the class is ready to move on, Instructor A has the class take their
pulse again. Instructor A then polls the class asking whose pulse increased,
decreased, stayed the same. Instructor A asks students why they think
their pulse increased. Instructor A confesses to class that he or she picked
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes on purpose. Instructor A explains that
these four body parts are part of another body system. Instructor A might
ask the class if they know what body system that is. Instructor A explains
that they are part of the skeletal system and that they all actually have
other, scientific names.
o Head = Skull
o Shoulder = Clavicle (though there are quite a few other bones in the
region, including the Collar Bone)
o Knee = Patella (Reminds you of Nutella, doesn’t it?)
o Toes = Phalanges (Both the toes and the fingers are known as
phalanges
Instructor A explains that theses are only four bones in the skeletal system,
which is quite large. Instructor notes that an adult body contains 206 bones
and a child’s body has approximately 300 (one of the Instructors will
probably want to write this on the skeleton poster). Instructor A explains
that the skeleton provides structure to the body and protects important
body parts like the brain and the lungs among others. Instructor A asks
students what they think about the other four body parts in Head,
Shoulders, Knees, and Toes: eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Does the class
think these are bones too? Nope.
Time to dance.
Instructors teach the students the Macarena. After the class is done
dancing, Instructor A has students take their pulse again and has another
quick conversation about their pulse. Instructor A also asks if anyone is
breathing harder. (If no one is, one of the Instructors should admit to
breathing harder after the Macarena.) Since our heart is moving faster, our
blood is bringing more oxygen to the rest of our body, which means we
need to bring more oxygen into our body. Instructor A explains that
breathing is part of another body system, the respiratory system. Instructor
A gives the rundown on the respiratory system.
o Respiratory System
o Airways, lungs, some muscles
Authors: Kevin Flannery
Time (total): [1 hour 10 minutes ]
o Principal function of the lungs is to pull oxygen out of the
air and put it in our blood
Instructor A moves on to the topic of movement. Yes, our skeletons give us
structure, but we wouldn’t be able to do anything if we were just some skin
covered bones. We have joints in between our bones that allow them to
move. There are many different types of joints. Importantly, we also have
a system of muscles that give our bodies strength, balance, and postures.
Instructor A tells students they might be most familiar with biceps
(Instructor A flexes), but there are muscles all throughout the body.
Time to dance. Cha Cha Slide. [50 minutes]
Scope:
Closure: Instructor A leads a quick reflection on the complexity of the body,
pointing out how cool it is that the different parts of the body can work
together to allow us to do so many different things. Instructor A will then
review the material with the students. Instructor A will ask students
questions about the lesson. After the correct answer is said, the whole
class will repeat it. [13 minutes]
Goals: Students Lead Out: []
should recognize
the complexity
of the body and
the cooperative
functions of
different bodily
systems.
Students should
learn how to
take their pulse
and pick up a
few dance
moves.
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/lesson_plan/
Differentiated
Instruction:
Evaluation: Questions
with individual and
group response
Authors: Kevin Flannery
Time (total): [1 hour 10 minutes ]
Review Questions
1. What system of the body runs the body and responds to what is going on in the world?
a. Nervous System
2. What are the three parts of the nervous system?
a. Brain, Spinal Chord, Nerves
3. What does the body use to transport and process information?
a. Nerves
4. The heart and blood are parts of which system of the body?
a. Circulatory System
5. What is the name of the bone that forms the head?
a. Skull
6. What is the name of the shoulder bone?
a. Clavicle
7. What is the name of the knee bone?
a. Patella
8. What are the toe bones called?
a. Phalanges
9. How many bones does the adult body contain?
a. 206
10. About how many bones are in a child’s body?
a. 300
11. Breathing is part of which system of the body?
a. Respiratory system
12. Which of the body’s organs pull oxygen out of the air and put it in the bloodstream?
a. Lungs
13. Lungs are part of which system of the body?
a. Respiratory system
14. Which system of the body gives us strength and balance?
a. Muscular system