Here is our lesson plan for this week. Please remember to send me a head shot of your creator, about 2-3 inches high would be great!

A suggested at home activity is included below.

Lesson 2

The Skeletal System

1. Review Cell Anatomy

2. Boneless Body activity

3. What do bones do?

a. Support and give shape

b. Protect organs

c. Make blood cells (red bone marrow)

d. Store lipids (fats) and minerals

e. Movement – joints

4. Bone anatomy

a. Outside layer is a thin, tough membrane called the periosteum.

i. nerves that sense pain.

ii. Blood vessels that take in nutrients and take out trash.

iii. Helps build new bone.

b. Thick, hard layer called compact bone.

i. When you see bones at the museum this is what you are looking at!

ii. It is smooth and hard.

iii. Made of calcium rich minerals and tough fiber called collagen.

iv. Very few things on earth are as strong as bone.

c. Spongy bone

i. Pores and tunnels interconnected in a pattern that makes bone strong and resilient (able to bounce back after being compressed.)

d. Hollowed-out cavity with fluid inside (bone marrow)

i. Red bone marrow is where blood cells are made.

ii. Yellow bone marrow stores lipids (fats).

Activity Idea for at home study:

Analyze a chicken bone.

Chicken bones are similar to our bones!

Supplies:

Cooked chicken wing

Gloves

Parent with a knife

Put on your gloves and remove all the meat from the bone (mom or dad might need to help with a knife for this part). Be observant. Do you see anything besides meat? Meat is muscle but bones are connected with ligaments and there is cartilage at the end of bones.

Look at the bones. There is one thick, long bone that connects to two thinner long bones. This is like your arm bones. Cut or break the largest bone in half and look inside. What do you see? That red stuff is the red bone marrow where the blood cells were made!

Draw a picture of what the bones look like. Use different colors to draw any ligaments or cartilage you might have found. See if you can remember the names of the bones in your arm. Bring your picture to class to share!