Inside of Me

1. On the exterior, the human body looks pretty simple: face, skin, and hair. But inside, WOW! So many systems work together to keep us alive and healthy. Pose these questions to students: What questions come to mind when you look in a mirror? Why can we stand up? Where does the blood go? How do muscles work?
2. Students look at a model of the insides of a human body. Discuss how the systems work together. One way to imagine how the systems are organized inside the body is to show them in layers.
3. Encourage students to work in small groups to research a selected human system, such as the cardiovascular, muscle, etc. Once research is complete, the group will create an electronic presentation of their findings to share with classmates. Additionally, each team will create an outline of the researched human body system on acetate using Crayola® Washable Window Markers. Encourage students to use the entire acetate sheet in order to have plenty of space to draw. Corrections can be easily made by wiping the color off with a damp paper towel, drying the sheet, and drawing again.
4. Combine all groups' acetate sheets in a designated order to create a visual pull-apart of the human body. After layering the sheets on top of each other, punch a hole at the top of the group and use a brass paper fastener to hold the layers together. Display in the classroom in an area that affords easy access for students.

LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

LA: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

LA: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

LA: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

SCI: Design and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to support explanations that the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells working to form tissues and organs specialized for particular body functions, and that scientific advances in understanding of those systems have led to improvements in nutrition, health, and medicine.

VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of experiences and ideas.

VA: Select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of ideas.

Possible classroom resources include: The Lucky Escape: An Imaginative Journey Through the Digestive System by Dr. Heather Manley; Battle with the Bugs: An Imaginative Journey Through the Immune System by Dr. Heather Manley; A Heart Pumping Adventure: An Imaginative Journey Through the Circulatory System by Dr. Heather Manley; Human Body: An Illustrated Guide to Every Part of the Human Body and How It Works by Martyn Page; The Human Body Book by Steve Parker; Human Body Systems, 2nd edition by Daniel D. Chiras; The Muscular System by Helen Frost; The Digestive System by Rebecca Olien

Invite a local medical professional to speak with the class about the workings of the human body. Prior to the meeting, students write questions for the expert. After the visit, students post learning to a class blog.

Working in small groups, students select a single system to study in-depth. In addition to the visual art component of this lesson, students prepare an electronic presentation focused on their system.

Students groups use research to prepare a creative skit focused on sharing knowledge about their focus system. Students create costumes for the skit presentation and a background, using recycled materials. Students should prepare their skit to share their new knowledge with a younger groups of students.