Download Smart Art Body Systems - Delaware Access Project

Smart A
rt:
Body Sys
tem
Created by Andrea Knight ©2012
Fonts by www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts
s
Overview:
This Smart Art activity is a fun, creative, hands-on way for students to represent the different systems of the body they’re
learning about during your study of the human body. Your students will make a “Body Systems” accordion book
complete with six different systems:
• the nervous system
• the circulatory system
• the respiratory system
• the skeletal system
• the muscular system
• the digestive system
Because this activity combines science with art, it is multisensory and connects to several of the multiple intelligences.
Timeline:
I suggest doing this project with children over time, adding new pieces as students learn about them in class. I start this
project with the children at the beginning of our body science unit and we build upon it throughout the study. By the
end of the unit, the children are excited to see the whole accordion book they’ve created.
Integration:
The creation of the body systems accordion book doesn’t have to occur during your science block. One way to make
time for this project is to use your independent center time. Also, if you’d rather have your students write the labels for
the body parts instead of using the pre-printed labels included in this packet, you could use your word study time to
stretch out the word or write them during small group instruction (depending on the level of your students). In this way,
the labels do double duty for phonics instruction.
Preparation:
You will need to prepare one accordion book, body templates, and labels for each student. You will also need to
gather art supplies for constructing the systems. A complete list of materials and set of patterns are included in this
packet. Your students’ parents may be willing to donate the items needed... they’re common and easy to find.
Making the Accordion Books:
For each accordion book, you will need a black piece of bulletin board paper that measures approximately 54” across
and 13” high. Fold the paper (back and forth, accordion style) into six even sections, as shown below. If you have
excess after the final fold, just cut off the remaining piece. The finished book size will be about 9” x 13” when folded up.
Making the Bodies:
Use the body outline on the following page to make your body templates. You can make a set of templates on card
stock (or poster board) if you want the children to trace and cut out their own, or you can precut five (5) white bodies
and one (1) gray body per student (see above).
Materials Needed:
silver glitter
red glitter
blue yarn
red yarn
yellow yarn
brown yarn
pink sponges
blue pipe cleaners
red pipe cleaners
Q-tips (white)
small balloons
flexible straws
liquid glue
glue sticks
markers
Body Template
Make tracing templates for the
students to use OR precut 5 white
ones and 1 gray one per student.
SKuLLS
Each child will need one skull for the skeletal system.
Titles for the Pages
The Nervous System
The Circulatory System
The Respiratory System
The Skeletal System
The Muscular System
The Digestive System
LaBeLs for the Pages
brain
nerves
heart
arteries
veins
nose
windpipe
lungs
skull
spine
ribs
femur
bones
muscles
tongue
esophagus
stomach
intestines
The next page is the cover of the
accordion booK. Students will glue
this page to the outside cover
when it’s all foLded up.
By:
My
Body
Systems
Book
The Nervous System
Directions
On this page, silver glitter is used to represent
the electrical nature of the nervous system.
Show the children how to use their liquid glue
bottle tip to “draw” the branches of the
nervous system. A glue stick will work for the
“brain.” Use a marker to add facial details.
A title and labels will complete this page. If
desired, have your students write their own
labels instead of using the preprinted labels in
this packet.
The Circulatory System
Directions
On this page, red glitter is used to represent the
heart and blue and red pipe cleaners
represent the heart’s major blood vessels. Blue
and red pieces of yarn make the veins (blue)
and the arteries (red). Use markers to add
facial details.
A title and labels will complete this page. If
desired, have your students write their own
labels instead of using the preprinted labels in
this packet.
The Respiratory System
Directions
On this page, the straight piece of a straw is
used as a model of the windpipe. Because
healthy lungs are described as being pink and
“spongy,” small pieces of pink sponges have
been used. Use markers to add the nose and
other facial features.
A title and labels will complete this page. If
desired, have your students write their own
labels instead of using the preprinted labels in
this packet.
The SKeLetaL System
Directions
On this page, white Q-tips have been cut and
arranged to represent the bones of the skeletal
system. Liquid glue works best for the “bones.”
With a glue stick, glue the skull template into
the appropriate spot.
A title and labels will complete this page. If
desired, have your students write their own
labels instead of using the preprinted labels in
this packet.
The MuscuLar System
Directions
On this page, your students will have a lot of
fun untwisting strands of red yarn to make thick,
stringy “muscles.” We even used red yarn (a
“muscle”) to represent the mouth because we
learned it takes 23 muscles just to smile! Use
markers to add facial details.
A title and labels will complete this page. If
desired, have your students write their own
labels instead of using the preprinted labels in
this packet.
The Digestive System
Directions
This page is our favorite. The bent section of a
flexible straw is used to represent the
esophagus and a small balloon is used as the
stomach because of the way your stomach
expands and shrinks. Coiled yarn represents
both the large and small intestines. Use markers
to make a tongue and other facial details.
A title and labels will complete this page. If
desired, have your students write their own
labels instead of using the preprinted labels in
this packet.
Other Ideas
for OLder Kids
• Divide the class into teams and assign each team a body system to
research. This same activity can be constructed on large pieces of
poster board instead of on the small pages of the accordion book.
• As students research and discover facts about their assigned system,
they can add informational text to their poster and use it as an aid
during a team report to the whole class.
• As you are making your lesson plans and teaching about the body,
you may envision different materials for representing the parts/organs.
Be creative... the possibilities are endless!