Download Human Body Skills and Concepts

Concepts
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A human body can move in many ways.
A skeleton is a system of bones.
There are about 206 bones in the human skeleton.
Bones have several functions: support, protection, and shape of the
organism.
Each bone in the body has an identifiable shape, position, orientation
and function.
The skeletons of humans and other mammals have many similarities.
Bones have different shapes depending on where they are what their
purpose is.
The number and kinds of bones in an organism are characteristics
inherited from the parents of the organisms.
The place where two bones come together is called a joint.
Articulated means jointed or joined in sections.
An opposable thumb is positioned opposite the other fingers.
Articulated hands with opposable thumbs are essential for performing
intricate tasks.
The human skeleton has three basic types of joints: hinge, ball-andsocket, sliding/gliding joints.
Joints allow the body to move in many different ways.
Human, rodent, and chicken leg bones have general similarities and
specific differences.
Muscles contract when they work.
Muscles attach across joints to move bones.
Muscles attach to bones with tissue called tendon.
Some muscles that move the fingers and thumb are in the arm. These
muscles have long tendons that stretch down to the thumb.
Ligaments attach bone to bone. Some ligaments serve as guides
through which the tendons run.
Coordination is when parts work together to complete a task.
A stimulus is something that triggers (starts) a response. A stimulus
is often information received through the senses.
A response is a reaction of a living thing to a stimulus.
Response time is the length of time it takes for a person to respond
to a stimulus.
Practice increases muscle strength and reinforces neural pathways.
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Coordinated humans generally respond to visual stimuli in less than a
quarter of a second.
Skills
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Observe and investigate the human skeletal and muscular systems.
Become aware of the versatility of movement provided by an
articulated skeleton.
Gain experience with the use of photographs, diagrams, and model
bones 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 skeletal and
muscular systems.
Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build
explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, and organizing
Family Activities
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Do the “Hokey Pokey.” As you sing and dance the “Hokey Pokey” use
the scientific names of the body parts. For example: Put you cranium
(head) in.
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Vocabulary Word Box- As your child learns the vocabulary words,
write each word on a note card and its definition on the back. Place
the cards in a box. Each night pull out one card. Have your child
either give the definition to the word, or you give the definition and
the child identifies the word.