The skeleton lesson plan

PROGRAM GOALS:
Increased awareness that humans would be helpless without their skeletons. Improved eating habits, because they know that good nutrition helps their bones grow stronger. Improved knowledge about their bones and the names of them.

THEME: The Skeleton

INTRODUCTION TO ACTIVITY:

Introduce our study of skeletons by playing a game of ‘Simon says'. Engage students in movements that require different parts of their body like touching their toes or clapping their hands. Then explain to the children that they could not have done what ‘Simon' requested if they did not have bones. Ask students to return to desks. When they are seated, as students to list on the board the bones the students used. The results will be a long list of bones and some insight of students knowledge of the skeleton.
OBJECTIVES:
Identify the skull, spine, ribs, hip, shoulder blades, leg, knee, elbow, writs, toe and ankle bones.
Explain why eating calcium-rich foods, like milk, cheese, and spinach helps to grow strong bones.
Describe why some bones are called protective cases. (For example the ribs protect lungs and heart)
Compare and contrast vertebrates and invertebrates.
ACTIVITY TIME:
Math: Have students graph the length of each students femur in inches. Compare with each student to see who has the longest femur and does this have anything to do with their height.
Science: Students will categorize animals as vertebrate or invertebrates. They will use pictures to categorize each species. This will be presented on the circle with the definition, that all animals belong to one of two large groups, vertebrates (animals with backbones) or invertebrates (animals without backbones)
Language Arts: Students will make a flip book which on the front will spell ‘SKELETON' but on the other side will have a picture of a skeleton and a fact about the part of the skeleton that is showing. For example, if the feet were showing then the fact would say, "There are more than 20 bones in each foot"
Cooking: Students would be supervised by the teacher. Would make a "Bone Building Brew" that would consist of milk, fruit, and frozen yogurt.
Story/Music/Movement Time: 1) Simon says game
2) B-O-N-E-S the Song, sang to the tune of B-I-N-G-O
3) Non-fiction books, Dem Bones by Bob Barner and The Skeleton, Inside You by True Kelly. Or fiction books, Funnybones, Mystery Tour by Allan Ahlberg and Boogie Bones by Kevin Hawkes.
EVALUATION:
Students will be evaluated individually by having them glue a skeleton on a piece of paper and labeling each bone and their function. If this is not mastered by the student, then it would be taught again.