Our Muscular System

Verse:
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

Books:

"Understanding your Muscles & Bones" Usborne Science for Beginners, Rebecca Treays

In class we...

• estimated the number of muscles in our body and compared this to the number of bones (about 600 muscles and about 200 bones)
• demonstrated how we use muscles by creating various facial expressions
• identified the three types of muscles:

1. smooth (involuntary) for digestion and breathing
2. cardiac (heart)
3. skeletal (voluntary)

• determined the purpose of skeletal muscles is primarily to give power for movement
• learned that oxygen fuels the muscles and quickly reviewed the respiratory system
• realized that we need tendons to help attach the muscle to the bone
• used Pull-n-Peel Twizzlers and yarn to learn that many muscle fibers next to each other adds strength and power.
• learned how muscles (triceps and biceps) work in concert with one
  
  another to create movement using rulers, balloon and yarn
• identified our largest muscle: the gluteus maximus
• we colored, cut and paste our leg muscles to our body

Vocabulary words:

• involuntary muscles
• smooth muscles
• cardiac muscle
• skeletal muscle
• voluntary muscle
• oxygen
• tendons
• striated muscle
• muscle fiber
• triceps
• biceps
• quadriceps
• gluteus maximus

Video:

While cleaning up, we played this video in the corner of the room as review.

Things to do at home:

• We talked about how beef would be a great specimen to better observe the muscle fibers and its alignment. However, we made sure not to be caught "playing with our food."
• Sprint in place and feel the lactic acid build-up
  

Our Skeletal System

Verse:
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
Proverbs 15:30

Books:

• "Your Bones" by Terri DeGezelle
  

In class we...

• learned the components of our bone
• learned how to maintain healthy bones
• discussed the two primary functions of our skeletal system
  
• learned a new song with a familiar tune - sang cranium, clavicle, patella, metatarsals to the tune of "head and shoulders, knees and toes"
  
• identified the largest and smallest bone in our bodies
• discussed and fully appreciated bone joints
• observed calcium and phosphorus depleted bone and compared it to normal bone
• analyzed several x-rays and identified bones and other organs in our body, while observing the difference between a broken bone and a healthy bone
  
• cut and pasted our feet and leg bones onto our body

Vocabulary words:

• skeletal system
• cranium
• clavicle
• patella
• metatarsals
• ball and socket joint
• pivot joint
• door hinge joint
• calcium
• phosphorus

Video:
We did not watch any videos in class. This is a list of videos you can view if you are interested.

• a 3D visual video representation of the human skeleton
• an informative video if you can ignore the mispronunciations and understand the accent
• an Italian Halloween skeleton teaching students the names of the skeletal system
• a short skeleton dance video
• two skeletons square dancing
  
• a skeleton dancing the latino cumbia
  

Useful Websites:

• http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/bones.html
• http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/pg000124.html

Activities to do at home:
You can demonstrate the importance of the eating healthful foods that contain the minerals calcium and phosphorus for healthy bones by performing this easy experiment. We observed the end results in class.

• clean two chicken bones and let them dry overnight
• soak one in vinegar (acid that pulls calcium and phosphorus out of the bones)
• soak the other in water as a control
• after a few days of soaking observe the white calcium precipitate in the bottle containing vinegar
• observe that the chicken bone in vinegar is softer and not as rigid as the bone soaked in water

Our Spleen, Pancreas, and Gall Bladder

Verse:

Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 24:14

Book:

"Living with Diabetes" by Jenny Bryan

Things we did:

• learned the functions of the three different organs
• learned that people can live even after they have their gall bladder surgically removed
• learned the role of red blood cells and white blood cells
• learned the function of bile
• learned the function of insulin
• learned about the two forms of diabetes
• discussed alternate routes of insulin administration besides using injections
• appreciated that sugar (glucose) is important for our body
• played a game to better understand the roles of these organs in food digestion
• colored, cut and pasted our spleen, gall bladder and pancreas on to our body

Vocabulary:

• spleen
• white blood cells
• red blood cells
• gall bladder
• bile
• pancreas
• insulin
• diabetes

Helpful Websites:

http://kidshealth.org/kid/diabetes_basics/what/type1.html#

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_ccSfdyBEo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6rHYc0X0jw&NR=1

We talked about the different types of "sugars" and the other "-ose" in class. We did not watch this video, but I thought this would be a humorous way to learn more about glucose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJvAL-iiLnQ&NR=1

Our Urinary System

Verse:
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 51:2

Books:
"The Human Body" by Mary Elting

Things we did:

• learned that it is essential that we have at least one kidney to survive
• located our kidneys
  
• learned that kidneys, particularly the nephrons, filter waste out of the blood and that it flows through at least 400 times per day
  
• learned that kidneys create homeostasis or creates balance of water and minerals
• learned that kidneys send out chemicals informing the body when it needs new red blood cells
• learned that water in = water out
  
• discusses several different ways to ingest water and lose water
• learned that lighter colored urine means it contains more water and that is good!

• identified the parts of the urinary system and pathway of urine
• urinary tract infections can be common. Another reason why it is good to drink a lot of water.
• colored our kidneys and bladder, cut and pasted it on our body
• recreated the urinary system using fruit slices gummy candy for the kidneys, shoestring twizzlers for the uretha and ureters, and a bulging grape for the bladder
  

Vocabulary Words:

• kidneys
• nephrons
• filtration
• ureters
• bladder
• uretha
• homeostasis

Video:
We didn't watch this in class, but I thought this would be a nice re-cap
http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?lic=1&article_set=59257&cat_id=20607

Useful Websites:
http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/kidneys.html#

Note: Today we had an usually high number of students needing to visit the restroom - all but two.