Unit Project-Matching Bone, Muscle, and Brain Power

Purpose and Background

One of the units the fifth grade class examines is "Movement and Control".  This unit examines three body systems: the skeletal system, the muscular system, and the nervous systems.  As a unit project, the students will plan and coordinate activities that demonstrate how the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems work together.

Learning Targets

Students will work cooperatively to develop competitive athletic events that demonstrate how the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems work together. 

Students will practice public speaking skills by presenting their events to the class with clarity, eye contact, and good voice projection. 

Students will practice using references to help plan a competitive athletic event.

Task Description for Students  

Our school is sponsoring The Bone, Muscle, Brain Triathlon - which will have three categories of events: Movement Events, Coordination Events, and Impaired Coordination Events. Your task is to select and plan the events for the triathlon.

 1.      Choose the category you wish to plan an event for

• Movement Events

• Coordination Events

• Impaired Coordination Events 

2.      Research the body systems needed for your event

• You must have a minimum of three sources

• At least one source must be an Internet website

• Only one source may be an encyclopedia

3.      Write a detailed description why this event is relevant

• Description must be typed and double-spaced

• Be sure to include title of event and materials that will be needed

• Include a bibliography on your sources  

4.      Sample Advertising

• Create posters or slogans about the activities.  Be creative!

 5.      Presentation

• Must be 10 minutes in length

• Summarize your competitive athletic event and explain the body systems used

• Discuss how exhibits and activities at Liberty Science Center (LSC) helped you in completing your project

• Index cards may be used

• Must have one visual aid (poster, picture, drawing, etc.)

Step-by-Step Procedure

1.  The first class period students will complete the following Pre-Activity.

You and a partner will create a card game using drawings of the parts of the human body studied in this unit.  As you play the game you will measure your partner's "learning curve" by timing how long it takes your partner to make the correct matches.

Materials

• Index cards

• Markers

• Timer

Procedure

1. List ten parts of the body discussed in this unit - five parts from the skeletal and muscular systems (The Frame) and five parts from the nervous system (The Brain).  Include a description of each part and how it works.  Write your list on a separate sheet of paper.
2. Choose a task.  One partner should be the Brain.  The other should build the Frame.  Each player will take a stack of ten blank cards, two cards for each body part listed for their task.  On the first card of each pair, write the name of the body part and make a drawing of the part.  On the second card, describe the part, tell how it works, and explain how it is affected by drugs and alcohol.
3. Play the game.  Shuffle your deck of ten cards and spread them face down for your partner.  Set the timer.  Your partner must turn over two cards at random.  If the cards do not match, the player puts them face down again and tries two more cards.  When there is a match, note the time and write it down.  When all the cards are matched, the sum of the five times listed will be that player's score.  Now reverse roles.  Shuffle and spread the cards again.  Continue the play until both players have had three chances to play.  Then compare your times.
4. Play the game with all twenty cards.  Spread all the cards face down.  Take turns over two cards at a time.  When you make a match, remove the cards and go again.  The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins!  

2.  Students will spend two class periods in the library gathering research.

3.  Our class trip to Liberty Science Center.  Students will explore various exhibits and activities at LSC.  The following two exhibits must be visited by the students:

      The Rock Wall

• Observe the rock wall and the people climbing it

• Try climbing the rock wall

• Observe how you use your body and how other climbers use their bodies

• Consider what body systems are being used

       X-Ray Imaging

• Look at the x-rays

• Guess what the person did to injure himself or herself

• Read the descriptions on the x-rays

• Consider how will your athletic event provide for the safety of the participants

4.  The next class meeting, students will share and discuss the exhibits observed at LSC. 

Using "The Muscular System" handout students will identify the muscles of the human body they used in climbing The Rock Wall

Students will use the knowledge learned in the X-Ray Imaging to answer the following:

Suppose you joined a bicycle club that will be riding long distances.  What precautions can you take to prepare for these rides?  What can you do to avoid injury?             

5.   Students will spend a class period in the computer lab gathering research for their project. 

6.   Students will be given one week to hand in a copy of their competitive event description and keep a second copy to use for their presentation. 

7.   Students will be given two class periods to work on their posters or slogans. 

8.   Students will be given one class period to work on index cards for their presentation.  The teacher will spend some time explaining how to use index cards in a presentation. 

9.   Students will present their projects two days a week over a period of three weeks. 

10.  Post-Activity: Students will be asked to think about what they have learned about "Movement and Control".  In a journal entry, students will comment on what they have enjoyed the most in this lesson and explain why.  Also, students will be encouraged to express any concerns or questions about the topic.                         

Teacher's Role

• The teacher will provide assistance on the three research days to students who need help finding sources.
• The teacher will also provide opportunities for the students to submit a draft of all materials for grammar correction and offer suggestions for improvement.
• All recommended resources will be available to the students during and after class periods.
• The teacher will be available during school hours and after school at least two days a week.

Materials

Recommended Resources

• Peak Performance by Emily Isberg   

• http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/health.htm  

• http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson065.shtml

• http://www.bennygoodsport.com/

• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/heart/heartmap.html

• http://KidsHealth.org/kid/body/index.html

• http://www.intelihealth.com/

Poster board

Art supplies (markers, color pencils, scissors, glue, eraser, etc.)

Access to a word processing unit (Computer Lab)

 

Scoring Procedures

The students will be given two individual grades for this project: one test grade for the selected event and poster/slogan and one test grade for the presentation. 

Writing & Poster/Slogan Rubric 

4 Points = A     3 Points = B     2 Points = C     1 Point = D      0 Points = F

 _____ 4 Shows both varied sentence structure and word choice; details are written in a well-organized manner; free of grammatical and punctuation errors; poster/slogan is exceptionally informative, attractive, clear and highlights the events properly; title is creative. 

_____ 3 Shows varied sentence structure or word choice; details are written in an organized manner; has few minor grammatical and punctuation errors; poster/slogan is informative, relevant, attractive, clear and highlights the events; title is somewhat creative.  

_____ 2 Shows little varied sentence structure and word choice; details are somewhat organized; has some grammatical and punctuation errors; poster/slogan is somewhat attractive and clear and highlights the events to some degree; title is creative to some degree. 

_____ 1 Shows no variation in sentence structure or word choice; details are scattered; has several major grammatical and punctuation errors; poster/slogan has little information, lacks clarity and attractiveness and does not highlight events; title is not creative. 

Presentation Rubric 

4 Points = A     3 Points = B     2 Points = C     1 Point = D      0 Points = F 

_____4 Exhibits extensive preparation and timing; shows enthusiastic and interesting delivery; uses both varied sentence structure and word choice efficiently; clearly attends to audience with good eye contact and gestures; speaks articulately and pronounces scientific words correctly; uses appropriate vocal volume. 

_____3 Exhibits good preparation and timing; maintains audience attention through delivery; uses varied sentence structure or word choice efficiently; attends to audience with eye contact and gestures; speaks somewhat clearly and pronounces scientific words well; uses some vocal variation. 

_____2 Exhibits some preparation and timing; has some awareness of audience with minimal eye contact and gestures; has little varied sentence structure and word choice; does not speak clearly and pronounces scientific words somewhat correctly; little voice variation. 

_____ 1 Shows little preparation and timing; exhibits little or no awareness of audience; has no varied sentence structure or word choice; does not speak clearly or pronounce scientific words correctly; has little or no voice variation.

 

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