The second and last part of our Human Body Study includes the Skeletal System and a brief introduction to the Permanent Teeth Development.
The Human Bones (Skeletal System)
This year, I added some depth into our study. We started our work using our Skeletal System Nomenclature and Definition Cards. This is an independent work for him.
Next, I have this small miniature of the human skeleton which I bought from a Euro Store and I started cutting it into pieces. Here I showed Mavi the bone model and compared it to our image. We talked about the functions of each bone in the human skeleton and we also tried to compare the arm and the leg bones. I pointed out to Mavi that the bones in the legs are longer than the arms.
We played around with the bones. Making different formations. Mavi thought that this was funny LOL.
Forensic Anthropologist (A Play Pretend)
I buried the bits and pieces of the skeleton I previously dismantled in a bowl of oatmeal. Here I asked Mavi to dig, brush and put the pieces of bones back together. “Oh, just like the dinosaurs Mommy!” he exclaimed.
And much to my surprise, this was an easy task for him. He was able to complete the work in no time. Though he wasn’t challenged, he really liked digging the bones and scrubbing the oatmeal off.
The Bone Experiment
We conducted an experiment on a chicken bone. This is to demonstrate the effect of acids on bones.
What you need: Vinegar, chicken bone and a jar
After cleaning the cooked chicken bone, we placed it in a jar filled with vinegar. After 24hrs, we remove the bone from the jar and examined its texture and flexibility. Mavi observed that, the bone’s flexibility increased daily (for 5 days) until it felt like a rubber.
This is because of the loss of calcium in the bones after exposing it to vinegar which is an acid and reacts chemically with the bone. As a result, Mavi and I discussed the importance of calcium in our body specifically in our bones. How it gives the bones strength and firmness. We also talked about the foods that are rich in calcium, which we need to eat in a daily basis for maintaining healthy bones.
Books
Our book from the library the Eyewitness Skeleton (Bookdepository) was also a great help. It shows the contrast of human bones and animals bones, the structure and formation.
And that concludes our Human Body study for this year. Hope that this post will help you with your own skeleton and human body unit activities.
Learning Resources:
- FREE Teeth Development Nomenclature Cards
- Human Skeletal System Nomenclature and Definition Booklet
- DK Eyewitness Books: Skeleton
Linking to:
My bone-loving son would love this!
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