Teacher Tips	Questions & Answers	Science Links	Resources	Hotline Help	Suggestion Box

Contents

• Introduction
• Kit Topics
• Objectives
• Themes and Concepts
• District Standards
• Assessment

Introduction

The Human Body Module is a Full Option Science System (FOSS) kit created by the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley. It is published and marketed by Delta Science. This unit consists of four activities that engage students in thoughtful activities about the form and function of a most remarkable machine, their own body.

Kit Topics

Activity 1: Bones

Part 1: Counting Bones

Part 2: Mr. Bones Puzzles

Activity2: Joints

Part 1: The Joints Work Sheet

Part 2: Joint Tasks

Part 3: Naming Joints

Activity 3: Muscles

Part 1: The Model Leg

Part 2: The Model Thumb

Activity 4: Stimulus/Response

Part 1:Stimulus/Response

Part 2: Response and Practice

Objectives

Students are expected to:

• observe and investigate the human skeletal system and muscle system.
• become aware of the versatility of movement provided by an articulated skeleton.
• gain experience with the use of photographs and diagrams to gather information.
• build mechanical models to demonstrate how muscles are responsible for human movement.
• compare the bones and muscles in their own bodies to photographs and models.
• investigate response time of hands and feet.
• develop an awareness of human bone and muscle structure and function and an appreciation for the versatility of the human body.
• acquire the vocabulary associated with the human skeleton and muscle systems.
• gain experiences that contribute to their understandings of several pervasive themes that point out connections among scientific ideas and processes: Pattern, Structure, Interaction and System. 

Themes and Concepts

Activity 1: Bones

Themes:

• Pattern
• Structure
• System

Concepts:

• The human skeleton is made up of about 206 bones, some of which are fused.
• The skeleton provides the functions of support, protection, and movement.
• Bones are living tissue and come in many sizes and forms.
• Humans are in a group of animals called vertebrates.

Activity 2: Joints

Themes:

• Pattern
• Structure
• Interaction

Concepts:

• The ability of the human body to move in many ways is attributable to complex jointing, or articulation.
• Joints are where two bones meet and movement occurs.
• Different kinds of joints provide different kinds of movement (hinge joints, ball-and-socket joints, sliding motion joints).

Activity 3: Muscles

Themes:

• Pattern
• Structure
• Interaction
• System

Concepts:

• Muscles power the movement of the body.
• Muscles attach across joints to move bones.
• Muscles attach to bones with tissue called tendons.
• Ligaments are tissues that connect bone to bone and can provide guides for tendons.
• Pairs of antagonistic muscles contract to provide movement.

Activity 4: Stimulus/Response

Themes:

• Pattern
• Interaction

Concepts:

• A stimulus is something that excites a nervous impulse.
• A response is an action that happens as a result of a stimulus.
• The smooth, predictable action of bones, muscles, and central nervous system is called coordination.
• Practice and concentration can reduce response time.

District Standards 

The Human Body kit meets the following State/District Standards:

Standard 1: Students understand the processes of scientific investigation and design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigations. (1.a., 1.b., 1.c., 1.d.)

Standard 3: Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with each other and their environment. (Focus: biology -- anatomy, physiology, botany, zoology, ecology). ( 3.1.b., 3.1.c., 3.3a., 3.4.a.)

Standard 5: Students know and understand interrelationships among science, technology, and human activity and how they can affect the world. (5.d.)

Standard 6: Students understand that science involves a particular way of knowing and understand common connections among scientific disciplines. (6.a., 6.e.)

Assessment

 To provide appropriate methods, the FOSS researchers and developers have created and tested a set of three assessment devices -- a Hands-on Assessment (pp.3-8), a Pictorial Assessment (pp.9 -10) and a Reflective Questions Assessment pp. (11-12). You will find these materials in the Assessment section of the teacher's guide.

This web page is maintained by Leanne Graves.