| HUMAN
BODY MODULE MATRIX |
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SYNOPSIS |
SCIENCE
CONTENT |
THINKING
PROCESSES |
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1. |
BONES
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Students
observe the movements of the body while jumping rope. They work
in groups to determine the number of bones in their own bodies.
By studying skeleton photos and diagrams, students find over
200 bones. They assemble a paper articulated skeleton. Finally
they compare the bones of a human to those of a rodent. |
•
There are about 206 bones in the human skeleton.
• A skeleton is a system of bones.
• Bones have several functions: support, protection, and
locomotion.
• The skeletons of humans and other mammals have many
similarities.
• Bones have different shapes depending on where they
are and what their purpose is.
• The number and kinds of bones in an organism are inherited
characteristics. |
•
Observe and describe the movement of the body while jumping
rope.
• Compare one’s own body to skeleton photos and
diagrams.
• Organize and communicate findings. |
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2. |
JOINTS |
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Students
investigate the articulated skeleton by immobilizing certain
hand joints and then performing everyday tasks. Students categorize
the types of joints in the body and compare the movement of
mechanical devices to the function of human joints. |
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The place where two bones come together is called a joint.
• Articulated hands with opposable thumbs are essential
for performing intricate tasks.
• The human skeleton has three basic types of joints:
hinge, ball-and-socket, and gliding joints.
• Hinge, ball-and-socket, and gliding joints allow the
body to move in many different ways. |
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Observe joints found in the hand.
• Investigate different kinds of joints in the human skeleton.
• Compare the movement of the hand with and without joints.
• Organize and communicate observations.
• Compare human skeletal joints to analogous mechanical
structures. |
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3. |
MUSCLES |
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Students
observe the action of muscles that cause the body to move. Given
a number of facts about muscles, students build operational
models to demonstrate how muscles move legs, thumbs, and arms. |
•
Muscles contract when they work.
• Muscles attach across joints to move bones.
• Muscles attach to bones with tissue called tendon.
• Ligaments attach bone to bone. Some ligaments serve
as guides through which tendons run. |
•
Observe the workings of muscles to move bones.
• Compare the muscle/bone functions of a model leg to
a human leg.
• Compare the muscle/bone functions of a model thumb to
a human thumb.
• Organize and communicate observations. |
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4. |
COORDINATION |
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Students
investigate hand and foot response time by using a falling-cup
device. They take turns releasing the cup and trying to move
their hand (or foot) from the path of the cup. Results are recorded
and compared. Students repeat the coordination investigations
to evaluate the effect of practice on response time. |
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Coordination is when parts work together to complete a task.
• A stimulus is something that triggers a response. A
stimulus is often information received through the senses.
• A 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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Observe the bones, joints, and muscles that move when the hand
and foot respond.
• Compare the response time of the right hand, left hand,
right foot, and left foot.
• Organize and communicate results, using a bar graph.
• Investigate the effect of practice on response time. |
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