Download - The Human Body - Ontario Science Centre
■ About The Human Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pre-Viewing Teaching Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
■Activity 1. Name That Part
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
■Activity 2. Pumping for Life
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
■Activity 3. Be a Brain
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
■Activity 4. The Brain Team
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Post-Viewing Teaching Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
■Activity 5. It’s a Cell Call
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
■Activity 6. A World of Sense
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
■Activity 7. Tasty Aromas
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
■Activity 8. Bone Basics
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
■Activity 9. On the Other Hand
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
■ Activity 10. The Living System
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
■Activity 11. My Personal Body Inventory and Health Profile
Teaching Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Activity Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
■ Letter to Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
■ Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Dear Teacher:
Discovery Pictures and the Brit ish Broadcast i ng Corporat ion
have partnered to bring you The Human Body, a
rema rkable la rge - format film that bri ngs a fasci nat i ng new
d i mension to the ex plorat ion of the miracle of life in its mo st
personal of sett i ngs—our own bod ies. For the fi rst time ever,
students will view their int i mate, everyday world from some
a mazi ngly int ricate and novel perspect ives.
The film uses ground-breaking photographic techniques and
state - of - t he - a rt tech nology to tra nsport viewers on an
incredible voyage into the workings of the human body.
Th is Teacher’s Resource Guide, wh ich
was prepa red with the help of pro -
fessional educators like yourself, will
furt her your students’ understa nd i ng of
t he body’s organ systems and how they
work together, and the relationship
b etween a hea l t hy lifestyle and a hea l t hy
b ody. The material is designed for use
w ith students between ages 8 and 14.
Act iv ity 1 includes space for a Body
Ma i ntena nce Plan for student self -
assessment and for track i ng inform -
at ion lea rned as students work on the va rious act iv ity masters. Be
sure to send copies of the letter on page 24 home with your
students so they can sha re it, as well as their Body Ma i ntena nce
Pla ns, with their pa rents, gua rd ia ns or ca regivers.
The material is designed to be flexible. Please feel free to modify
and duplicate the copyrighted materials to suit your students’
needs. And, please share these materials with other teachers in
your school.
I hope you and your students en j oy view i ng The Human Body as
much as we enjoyed making the film and bringing it to you!
Sincerely,
Jana Bennett
Executive-in-Charge
Discovery Pictures
Contents Page
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Heart strings
1
“ The film ex plores the complex it ies of the human body by
i nvest igat i ng, in great detail, the funct ions the body per forms
rout i nely every day,” notes execut ive producer Ja na Ben nett. “We
i nvest igated and port rayed the human body in ways never seen
b efore. Th is film bri ngs images to
t he aud ience on a sca le never before
captured in the history of ci nema . ”
To ma ke The Human Body come
a l ive took not on ly the ma rriage
of the latest developments in
med ical imagi ng with cutt i ng - edge
ci nemat ic tech n iq ues and ca meras,
but also a good measure of
i ngenuity as well. As a result, T h e
Human Body is an inc red i ble
tech nological ach ievement for
D iscovery Pictures and the BBC.
The fi l m’s open i ng seq uence — a
clo se track i ng shot over the
b ody — is just one insta nce where
“ i ngenuity” played a ma j or role.
“ You had to light the body with an
enormous num b er of big film la mp s
to accompl ish that [track i ng shot over the body],” ex pla i ns writer -
producer Richa rd Da le. “The lights gave off tremendous heat and
u l t rav iolet light, wh ich cou ld have been very da magi ng to the sk i n .
The com mercia l ly ava i lable UV fi l ters were not adeq uate to stop
t hat much light, so our photographers developed litt le aq ua ri ums
t hat cou ld fit in front of the la mp s. They had cold water, wh ich is
q uite a good absorb er of UV, consta nt ly run n i ng through them . ”
Ultimately, The Human Body shows us more than a biological
wonder at its best; the film also shares the emotions of life. From
the joy of learning and the anxiety of puberty, to the potential
wonder of pregnancy and birth, The Human Body tells us the
amazing story of our own lives—through our own bodies. “Large
format has traditionally climbed mountains and gone to the
bottom of the ocean, but we have turned the camera on ourselves
and looked to our own bodies as a place for exploration,”
observes Dale. “Technology makes it possible to think about our
lives differently and to suddenly realize how marvelous the
human body is.”
The Human Body is a presentation of The
Learning Channel and BBC Worldwide of a
Discovery Pictures / BBC co-production in
association with the Maryland Science
Center and the Science Museum, London
with major funding provided by the
National Science Foundation and distributed
by nWave Pictures Distribution.
Three years in the making, The Human Body
reveals the incredible story of life. In
astonishing detail, this large-format film presents a
look at the biological processes that go on without
our control and often without our notice. Throughout
the film we follow a family from dawn to dusk as
they go about their daily routines. But this is no
ordinary story. This is the tale of what takes place
beneath the skin—a tale that allows us to see the
extraordinary accomplishments of our everyday
lives.
The everyday biological processes that keep us tick i ng
a re all in a day’s work for the human body. Fi nd i ng a
way to film and illust rate tho se act iv it ies for a sc reen
seven stories tall req ui red a ci nemat ic invent iveness
t hat was any t h i ng but rout i ne. Co - produced by
D iscovery Pictures and the BBC, The Human Body
i ncorporates ground - brea k i ng computer graph ics wit h
stun n i ng rea l - l i fe images to create a day in the life of a
human body. “Th is film is one of the mo st tech n ica l ly
complex la rge - format fi l ms ever made,” states director -
producer Peter Georgi. “To get the su b j ect matter on
t he la rge sc reen, we’ve pushed the bounda ries, ta ken
adva ntage of the mo st adva nced sca n n i ng elect ron
m ic ro scopes, the latest thermal imagi ng and high -
defi n it ion digital video ca meras, the cutt i ng edge in
med ical computer graph ics … whatever we thought
cou ld prov ide the best po ssi ble images. ”
And provide images it does! The Human Body will
provide a glimpse of:
■ the 100 billion new red blood cells the body
generates each morning;
■ t he 40 ya rds of new hair that sprouts every day ;
■ a human egg nestling into the folds of a
fallopian tube;
■ a thermal image of a child riding a bicycle;
■ a trip on a tomato from mouth to stomach;
■ babies able to hold their breath under water, and
■ the inside of an ear as cells actually dance
to music.
Play at monitor-image of
Luke's eye
About
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Student Objectives: To develop an understanding of where the
various body parts are located in relation to one another and to consider
what it takes to create—and maintain—a healthy body.
Materials: None
Teaching Tips Part A. Have students research any needed information about the
functions of body parts in preparation for the diagram matching
activity below. To play Body Trivia, divide your students into “teams” of
3 to 5 students each. Each student should find at least 5 interesting facts
about his or her team’s chosen body part, then teams should combine
facts into a master list and develop true/false and fill-in-the-blank
questions based on them. Teams take turns quizzing other teams, with
the team that first responds correctly winning a point. When all teams
have asked their questions, the team with the most points wins.
2
Name T h a t P a r t
lungs
take in oxygen (O2) and expel
carbon dioxide (C02)
diaphragmmuscle that helps us breathe in
and out
kidneyhelps filter waste from the blood
brainthe body’s “control center”
liversecretes bile that helps digestion
heartpumps blood through the body
stomachbreaks down the food that we eat
large intestineremoves the liquid and “leftovers”
from digested food
small intestineabsorbs the nutrients from
digested food
Part B. First talk with your students about the
importance of living a healthy lifestyle—proper
diet and exercise, avoiding smoking, drugs and
alcohol, etc. You might want to have students add to
their Body Maintenance Plan as the unit progresses
and as they learn more about different aspects of
their bodies.
Add-on Activities ■ Students might work in their
original groups to identify
and demonstrate a
“mechanical body
part”—something
that performs the
same function as
the part they
studied (i.e., a
computer as the brain,
a pump as the heart). As
a class, they could link
their parts together to
form a machine that
works like parts of the human body. You might
want to share The Robot Zoo: A Mechanical Guide
to the Way Animals Work, by Philip Whitfield
Obin (Turner Publishing, 1994) with students. The
book contains detailed, tongue-in-cheek
illustrations that transform 16 different creatures
into complex machines.
■ Younger students could use fabric paint to
draw “body shirts” showing major organs, the
skeletal system, the circulatory system, etc., on
white T-shirts.
Pre-Viewing Teaching Strategies
Digestion
1. Review with students the words appearing in italics on
the teaching strategies pages in this guide (the left-hand
pages) and the activity masters (the right-hand pages).
Explain that these are just some of the things they will
learn more about during the film and from the activities
they will do after viewing the film.
2. Use the synopsis of The Human Body on page 1 to give
students a brief summary of the film. Review with them
the major body parts and their functions.
3. Reproduce and distribute the Letter to Parent/Guardian
on page 24 for students to take home.
■ Activity 1
Pre-viewing
Activity
3© 2001 DCI/BBC
The new large-format film, The Human Body, will
take you on the most fantastic trip you’ve ever
experienced—inside an actual human body. You’ll meet a
family—parents-to-be Heather and Buster, their teenage
nephew Luke, 15, and his sister Zannah, 8. You’ll go inside a
cell—the body’s basic building block. You’ll see the many
miracles we live through each day as—hidden from us and
often unnoticed—our bodies are achieving incredible things.
In this film, you will see how all of those parts you have
work together as a remarkable interdependent system. You’ll
learn that regardless of the differences in how we look on
the outside, and although we may live very different lives, we
all share the same basic structure. But first, before we begin
this journey, let’s find out what you already know!
Part A. The human body below is like a car that is made
up of different kinds of parts—together they make the body
“hum” at top speed. As the “body mechanic,” it’s your job to
identify where those parts are located. Draw a line from the
name of the part to its correct location, and write on the line
below each what that part does.
Now you’re going to become a specialist! You
and your team will pick one of the body parts
you’ve identified. Each member of your team will do some
research and develop a list of interesting facts about your
part. Then, combine your lists and try to stump your
classmates in a game of Body Trivia. (Your teacher will
explain the rules.)
My team’s body part is: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Use the back of this sheet for your list of interesting facts.
Part B. Like any complex machine, your body needs proper
care and maintenance to work well. In the space below, begin
your own Body Maintenance Plan. (An example has been
given.)You can finish it on another page.
My Body Maintenance Plan
New Facts New Facts New Facts
Using your choice of
building materials
(anything from toothpicks
to bricks!), build a class exhibit that
shows how the body is put together.
lungs
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _diaphragm
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _kidney
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _brain
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _liver
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _heart
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _stomach
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _large intestine
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _small intestine
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Add-on
Activity
Name That PartActivity
1
Diet
Exercise
I will also
do this:
I won’t
do this:
Eat 5
fruits and
vegetables
a day.
Reproducible Master
Pumping f o r L i f eStudent Objectives: To learn about the respiratory system
and how the heart works.
Materials: Tennis balls, modeling clay, toothpicks or tacks
Teaching TipsPart A. Review with students the following background:
The diaphragm—the muscle that separates the chest and
the abdominal cavity—helps us to breathe in and out as
it expands and contracts, exchanging carbon dioxide for
oxygen. Blood carries the oxygen and nutrients through
the left side of the heart and from there, via the
arteries, to all of the body’s cells, as carbon dioxide and
other waste products are returned to the blood. This
blood flows through the body’s veins to the right side of
the heart and from there to the lungs. The lungs release the
carbon dioxide and waste products and pick up oxygen—
repeating the cycle.
A fter doi ng the ten n is ball ex peri ment, have students discuss
t he resu l ts. Then talk with them ab out the effects of cha nges
in altitude on how the respi ratory system works. When you
cha nge altitudes too quick ly your body isn’t able to ad just fast
enough to the cha nge in the air pressure. The higher you go,
t he “t h i n ner” the air
b ecomes and the
less oxygen there is.
That mea ns you
ta ke in less oxygen
each time you
breat he. Mo st
people begin to
not ice the effects of
h igher altitudes at
7,000 to 8,000 feet
ab ove sea level (at a
ski resort in the Colorado Rock ies or the Sw iss Alps, for
exa mple). The sy mptoms of this cond it ion — k nown as
a l t itude sick ness — i nclude headaches, short ness of breath and
nausea. They genera l ly go away within a few days, after your
b ody has ad justed. A n o x i a ( mea n i ng “no oxygen”) is one of
t he mo st com mon problems mountain cl i m b ers face. Along
w ith a shortage of oxygen, there is a si mu l ta neous inc rease in
t he amount of ca rb on diox ide in the blood, wh ich causes us
to breat he faster in an effort to el i m i nate it .
Part B. Demonst rate for your students the correct
ways to ta ke a pu lse — by placi ng their index and midd le fi ngers
toget her at the pu lse poi nt on the neck or
w rists. (To ma ke it easier for your
students to see and count their pu lse,
you might have them use a
toot h pick inserted into a sma l l
lump of clay and have them
rest the clay on their wrist
pu lse poi nt with the toot h pick
poi nt i ng up. Anot her met hod
is to use a metal thumb tack
placed on the wrist with the
poi nted end up.) Tell your students
t hat the average pu lse rate for a
young person can ra nge from 90 to 12 0
b eats per minute. The average pu lse rate
for an adult (the rate they approx i mated in their ten n is ba l l
ex peri ment) is ab out 72 beats per minute. A word of caution:
Students’ physical abi l it ies may va ry widely, and some may not be
able to safely underta ke even limited exercise. All students shou ld
be mon itored ca refu l ly duri ng any kind of physical act iv ity.
Add-on Activities ■ Students might learn more about the diaphragm and
investigate the causes and various “cures” for hiccups.
■ Students might interv iew someone they know who has
ast h ma to lea rn what can trigger an ast h ma attack, what it feels
l i ke to have an ast h ma attack and what doctors can do to hel p.
■ Students can do some research to learn about the
stethoscope, which was invented almost 200 years ago. They
could compare the early model to the one used today to see
how similar or different they are.
■ Older students might check out the American Heart
Association Web site (www.americanheart.org) to research
heart-healthy nutrition, and plan a week’s worth of heart-
healthy meals.
■ Students might research and report on the pioneers of heart
surgery and the technological advances that have occurred in
this field. As a starting point, students might want to review
“Pioneers of Heart Surgery,” NOVA Online,
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/heart/
pioneers.html.
4
Pre-viewing
Activity
■ Activity 2
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Heart
Blood in vein
The human heart really doesn’t look much like the
heart on a Valentine’s Day card. Actually, it looks
more like an upside-down pear.
The heart is part of the circulatory system. It works
together with the lungs and diaphragm, which are part of
the respiratory system. The respiratory system causes
oxygen to be inhaled into the body and removes waste such
as carbon dioxide as air is exhaled.
Part A. In the film The Human Body, you’ll see Luke’s
heart and lungs working together to keep his body moving
on the basketball court.
Try this ex peri ment. Put
a ten n is ball in your
ha nd and sq ueeze it as
ha rd and as quick ly as
you can. Your goal will
be to compress it 70
t i mes in one minute —
t hat’s clo se to the
num b er of times your
hea rt cont racts in
one minute.
How many times did you open and close your
hand? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
What did your hand feel like at the end?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
What you just did for one minute, your heart does all day
long! Imagine how strong your heart must be to pump
constantly without stopping, 24 hours a day.
Part B. The pulse you feel when you put your fingers
on the pulse points in your neck or on your wrist is the
blood being pumped through your body—kind of like water
being pumped through a hose and a garden sprinkler.
Your pu lse rate cha nges as you become more act ive and
your hea rt beats ha rder to inc rease the flow of oxygen
t h roughout the body. The average rest i ng pu lse rate for a young
person ra nges from 90 to 110 beats per minute. As you get
older, the pu lse rate slows to an average of 72 beats per minute.
What is your resting pulse rate?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Now raise your arms over your head 10 times. What is your
active pulse rate?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Pumping for Life
Now that you know how to take your pulse, keep a log of the different activities you do for one full day and take
your pulse at six different points during the day. Use the space below to keep a record of your pulse rate during
various activities. Some examples are listed.
In bed on awakening_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Brushing your teeth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Walking _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Playing sports_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ After eating_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Just before going to sleep_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Other _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Now, make a bar graph of the changes in your pulse rate as you went through the day.
Interview the school nurse, your doctor or another local health professional to learn about
high blood pressure and how a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent or manage it. Use what
you learn to add to your Body Maintenance Plan.
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
Activity
Red blood cells
5
Activity
2
Add-on
Activity
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Reproducible Master
Be a B r a i nStudent Objectives: To identify the major parts of the
brain and their functions and to learn about brain preference.
Materials: None
Teaching TipsPart A. Brain Structure. Provide this background: Today, we
k now a great deal ab out how the brain works. For exa mple, we
k now that different pa rts of the brain cont rol different abi l it ies and
funct ions — but that wasn’t always the case. That idea was
i nt roduced 200 yea rs ago by an Aust rian doctor na med Fra nz
Jo seph Gall, who also bel ieved he cou ld diagno se what was
happen i ng in the brain by “read i ng” the different bumps on the
head. Gall’s theory, p h r e n o l o g y, quick ly beca me very popu la r.
However, today we know that Gall’s theory has no true scient i fic
basis. With the help of today’s tech nology, we can actua l ly look
i nside the skull and see the brain as it works. [Answer key to the
brain matching quiz: 1. E, 2. D, 3. C, 4. A, 5. B]
Now review this information with students before they do the
lobe quiz: The biggest part of your brain is divided into two
equal parts—the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere. The
two hemispheres work together and share information through
a thick band of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum, which
divides them. Each hemisphere is further divided into four
lobes, each responsible for certain functions and senses.
[Answer key to the lobe function quiz: 2–vision; 3–hearing,
memory; 4–pain, touch, pressure, sensation of temperature]
Part B. To determine which eye is dominant,
students should cut a one-inch circle in a sheet of
paper and hold it about one foot in front of their eyes.
With both eyes open, they should focus on a distant object and
hold the index finger in line with the center of the hole and the
distant object. First, they should close the left eye—if
everything is still lined up, the right eye is dominant. Then, they
should close the right eye—if everything is still lined up, the left
eye is dominant. To determine which ear is dominant, students
should cup the left ear and listen as you whisper a phrase, then
cup the right ear and listen as you whisper from the same
location. Students can determine dominance according to which
ear heard the phrase more clearly. Check out the site at
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html for
more information.
Brain Dominance. Ex plain to your students that the right side
of the brain cont rols the muscles on the left side of the body
a nd the left side of the brain cont rols the muscles on the right
side of the body. Although the two sides of the brain sha re
ma ny funct ions, they also have un iq ue specia l t ies. The right
side cont rols spat ial abi l ity and intuit ive thought; the left side
cont rols verbal la nguage and ana ly t ical abi l ity. Scient ists today
a re lea rn i ng more ab out brain dominance. A left - bra i n -
dom i na nt person is ana ly t ical, verbal and logical. Left - bra i n -
dom i na nt people are good at logic and word problems and
genera l ly not so good at creat ive, non l i near thought. A right -
bra i n - dom i na nt person tends to be creat ive and hol ist ic in
t hought. Right - bra i n - dom i na nt people tend to see the whole
picture but may miss the deta i ls. They may need help wit h
ex pressive la nguage and logic. Be sure to st ress to students
t hat, wh i le they may tend to be right- or left - bra i ned, they
need to develop both their ana ly t ical and creat ive sides to be
a wel l - rounded ind iv idua l .
[Answer key to the brain dominance quiz: Students who
answered “true” for questions 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8 tend to be right-
brained. Students who answered “true” for questions 3, 5 and 6
tend to be left-brained. Since many people exhibit some of both
tendencies, student scores could be inconclusive.]
Add-on Activities■ Students can research why we yawn or laugh, how we
understand language, or why we need sleep.
■ Working in small groups, students might pick one disease or
condition that affects the brain. Each
group could prepare a class report on the
disease’s causes, symptoms, affects,
treatments available, and how the disease
might affect other body parts.
Cerebrum
Cerebellum
Brain Stem
Pituitary Gland
Hypothalamus
Pre-viewing
Activity
■ Activity 3
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Frontal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
6
7
A. Cerebrum 1.__ Are you too cold? Too hot? Should you
shiver or sweat? This “body thermo-
meter” will let you know what to do!
B. Cerebellum 2.__ It may be tiny, but those hormones it
makes are sure a big deal.
C. Brain Stem 3.__ Th is con nects the brain and the spi nal cord
so you won’t lo se your mind !
D. Pituitary Gland4.__ If you think it or say it, it starts in this
part of the brain.
E. Hypothalamus 5.__ Got rhythm? You’ve got this!
Be a Brain
Your brain is faster and more power ful than the mo st
power ful computer you’ve ever seen. As you lea rn in T h e
Human Body, it cont rols every t h i ng your body does. To do so, it
uses nea rly a fi fth of all the ca lories you eat or dri n k — more tha n
a ny ot her pa rt of your body !
Part A. Each pa rt of your brain has a very dist i nct and
i mporta nt role to play. See how much you already know by
match i ng the na me of the pa rt to its desc ri pt ion below. Then, lab el
t he pa rts in the draw i ng.
Part B. There are several ways to test wh ich side of
your body is dom i na nt. Try the exercises suggested by
your teacher to see how you measure up :
Which hand do you normally write with? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Which foot do you use to kick a ball? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Which eye is dominant? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Which ear did you
use to hear better? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Have you ever hea rd someone say they are right -
bra i ned or left - bra i ned? What do you think that mea ns?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Test yourself to see which side of your brain you
would tend to use by answering true or false to
these questions.
True False
1. I’d rather think of a theme for a
party than actually plan one. ˜ ˜
2. If I get lost, I’d rather have a map
than a list of directions. ˜ ˜
3. Don’t tell my teacher, but I do better on
mu l t i ple - choice tests than writ i ng ess ays. ˜ ˜
4. W hen I’m study i ng for a test, I need
music to get my brain in gear because
si lence is too “q uiet .” ˜ ˜
5. In a debate, it’s hard for me to accept
the side of the issue I don’t agree with. ˜ ˜
6. I like to do my homework right away
i nstead of wa it i ng until it’s almo st due. ˜ ˜
7. When I lose something, I try to “see”
where I was when I lost it. ˜ ˜
8. I usually can tell what people
are thinking. ˜ ˜
Remember that—even though some things may be
easier for you depending on which side of the brain
you favor—you couldn’t function as a “whole person”
without both sides!
Cerebrum
Cerebellum
Brain Stem
Pituitary Gland
Hypothalamus
Now see if you can fill in the correct functions of the lobes from
the clues provided below. The first one has been done for you.
1. Frontal Lobe—You need this to make things happen and to
react to them when they do. This controls: planning, speech,
movement, problem-solving, emotions.
2. Occipital Lobe—It may be 20/20 or 20/200.
This controls: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3. Temporal Lobe—Listen and you’ll remember.
This controls: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4. Parietal Lobe—Ouch! That’s hot and it hurts!
This controls: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Activity
3
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Reproducible Master
W hat if your bra i n
were a computer?
Do some resea rch to
const r uct a display that shows the
pa rts of the brain that correspond
to funct ions of the computer.
Add-on
Activity
8
T h e Brain TeamStudent Objectives: To consider how learning happens and
to encourage students to consider how they learn best.
Materials: None
Teaching TipsFirst, provide your students
with this background
information about the brain,
then have them label the parts
on the drawing: The bra i n
on ly weighs three or four
pounds — ab out the weight of
an average text b ook — but it is the mo st complex ob j ect in the
world. N e u r o n s receive, process and relay all the specia l iz ed
i n format ion needed to go ab out your da i ly life. But it isn’t the
num b er of neurons alone that ma kes this complex system
work — it’s the way they are orga n iz ed and con nected .
There are many different kinds of neurons, but they all have
some things in common. Like other cells, they all have a cell
body with a nucleus that contains the cell’s genes. The nucleus is
surrounded by cytoplasm—a liquid that contains all the
materials the neuron needs to function. But unlike other cells,
neurons also have dendrites and axons. Dendrites are like an
antenna system that receives signals from other neurons. An
axon is the channel that sends signals from one neuron to
another. The axon of one neuron is connected to the dendrites
of the next neuron by a synaptic terminal.
Part A. Lead a
class discussion
about learning
styles (see activity
sheet) and
preferences before
your students
complete the
learning preference
survey.
Part B. In
preparation for the
activity, put 12 small objects in a box on your desk. Set a time
for three subsequent viewings to test students’ recall—the first
time at the end of the same class, the second time at either the
beginning or end of class the following day, and the third time
two days later. Each time the students view the box, they
should write their new list on a new sheet of paper without
referring to previous lists (have them keep their lists for later
comparison). You can find additional information on this topic
at http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html.
Add-on Activities■ Students might research the
damage that can be done to the
brain and various other organs—
such as the liver, kidneys or lungs—
by smoking cigarettes or using
alcohol or illegal substances to
achieve a chemical high.
■ Students might create their own
neuron models using pipe cleaners or
some other material of their choice. You can find directions for
this activity at http://faculty.washington.edu/
chudler/chmodel.html.
■ Students might do some research to learn about the “natural
high” exercise can induce because of the body’s release into the
brain of endorphins, which then are broken down to create a
short-lived feeling of euphoria.
dendrites
nucleus
cytoplasm
axon
synaptic
terminal
Profile of a neuron
Brain cell dying
Pre-viewing
Activity
■ Activity 4
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Structure of a neuron
Rev iew with your teacher these terms ab out neurons :
■ Cy t o p l a s m—a liq uid that surrounds the cell nucleus
■ A x o n—a cha n nel that allows signa ls to pass between neurons
■ Synaptic terminal— a l lows the axon of one neuron to
con nect to the dend rites of anot her
S ee if you can lab el the pa rts of a neuron on the draw i ng below.
The more you pract ice what you have lea rned, the st ronger these
con nect ions (dend rites) become. And the con nect ions you form at
t h is time in your life are the mo st importa nt ones because they
b ecome the plat forms you will bui ld on to ma ke even more
complex con nect ions later on .
Part A. Have you ever stopped to think ab out how you
lea rn? Some people (visual learners) lea rn best by look i ng at
t h i ngs, or read i ng ab out them. Some people (a u d i t o r y
l e a r n e r s) lea rn best by hea ri ng ab out things. And some people
(kinesthetic learners) lea rn best by actua l ly doi ng things.
In the space below, list 10 things you have lea rned in your classes
duri ng the last two days. Next to the item, desc ribe how you
lea rned each. We’ve given you one exa mple to help you get sta rted .
Example Learning Style
A new Visual (if you read about it
computer program in a manual)
Auditory (if you listened to
a lecture about it)
Kinesthetic (if you
performed tasks using it)
Things I Learned How I Learned Them
Part B. The more links the
neurons in your brain create, the
b etter your memory becomes.
Try this exercise to see what
happens as your neurons go to
work. Look at the ob j ects your
teacher has placed in the box .
Then return to your seat and list
as ma ny of them as you can on the back of this paper.
How many items did you list? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Look at the objects again at the end of class. Then take a new
sheet of paper and make a new list. How many objects are
on your list? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Look at the ob j ects the fol low i ng day and ma ke anot her new
l ist. How many objects are on your list? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Now look at them one final time. How many objects did
you list? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9
dendrites
nucleus
cytoplasm
axon
synaptic terminal
The body is made up of bi l l ions of cel ls. In the
nervous system these cel ls are ca l led n e u r o n s.
They are specia l iz ed to ca rry “mess ages” to the brain, and
t hey con nect to ot her neurons through bra nch - l i ke
st r uctures ca l led d e n d r i t e s.
Every time you learn something new—a new word, how to
ride a bike or play the flute—your neurons develop new
connections to other neurons. In fact, your brain eventually
will form trillions of connections—that’s more connections
than there are stars in the entire universe!
Activity
4The Brain Team
Work in groups to create
other exercises that
demonstrate how
repetition increases memory. Then
create graphs that illustrate what the
exercises demonstrate.
Add-on
Activity
Brain cell
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Reproducible Master
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Part B. Gauge how much your students already know about genetics
and how much background information they will need. You might
discuss Gregor Mendel’s research with dominant and recessive genes in
pea plants and explain that researchers have
known about DNA since Mendel’s time, but
it wasn’t until 1953 that two English
scientists—James Watson and Francis
Crick—discovered how DNA is
actually put together. DNA is
composed of building blocks called
nucleotides. Nucleotides are made
up of deoxyribose sugar, a
phosphate group and one of four
nitrogen bases: adenine (A), thymine
(T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C).
Alternating deoxyribose sugar and
phosphate molecules link together to
form something like the side supports on a ladder. Complementary pairs
of nitrogen bases form the rungs of the ladder. Adenine is always paired
with thymine and guanine is always paired with cytosine. The technical
term for the DNA ladder (see diagram on activity sheet) is a right-handed
double helix, because the strands twist to the right. Everyone’s DNA has
the same basic chemical structure, but the way its components are
arranged differs from person to person. Each person’s DNA is unique to
him or herself. (Identical twins, however, have identical DNA, although
their fingerprints are different.) Information on building DNA models
can be found here: http://biology.about.com/science/biology/library/
howto/htcandydna.htm.
Add-on Activities■ Many people have concerns about the possibility of manipulating
DNA as a way to genetically engineer humans. Older students might
develop position papers on genetic engineering or hold a debate on the
ethics and/or possible consequences of such practices.
■ Students might research news articles about the
use of DNA to solve crimes to learn the arguments
for and against this technology, then develop their
own positions on this issue. For example, should
there be limits on how and where it is collected, or
how it is used?
It’s a Cell CallStudent Objectives: To learn how cells function
and to understand the structure of DNA.
Materials: Uncooked eggs, vinegar, distilled water,
(golden) corn syrup, unbreakable containers, plastic
food-handling gloves, safety glasses
Teaching TipsPart A. Have your students work in groups of 3-4
students each for this activity. Each group should de-
shell two uncooked eggs by soaking them in
household vinegar for a day or two, until the shell
dissolves completely. After soaking, the eggs will be
very swollen, rather firm and easily broken. Caution
your students to handle the eggs carefully and to keep
a tray underneath them to contain spills. Note: Have
students wear inexpensive plastic food-handling gloves
so they do not touch the raw eggs directly. Because
vinegar is an acid, students also should wear eye-
protection glasses.
Tell students that water is one substance that can
permeate the egg’s membrane, in the process called
osmosis. When the egg is soaked in a solution in which
the concentration of water is lower than that inside the
egg (corn syrup), the liquid inside the egg passes
through the membrane into the solution and the egg
looks like a flabby bag. When an egg is soaked in a
solution where the concentration of water outside the
egg is higher (distilled water), the water tries to reach
equilibrium by passing through the membrane into
the egg, and the egg becomes larger and firmer.
Results of Experiment
Egg 1–Corn Syrup Egg 2–Distilled Water
10
Post-viewing
Activity
Red blood cells
Post-Viewing Teaching Strategies
1. Lead students in a discussion of the film, encouraging
them to share their impressions of both its content and
the impact of the large-screen format on the presentation
of the content.
2. Ask students if what they think and know about having a
healthy lifestyle has changed since viewing the film.
3. Refer to Resources on page 24 for additional information
and ideas.
■ Activity 5
You can’t see them, but they’re everywhere. In fact,
every single living thing on this planet is made up of
them. Cells may be tiny, but they play a big role in the
human body! In fact, in The Human Body, we see the cells of
the mother’s unborn baby grow and change.
Part A. Healthy cells are essential for a healthy body. Just
like other living things, cells need to take in oxygen and
nutrients and get rid of waste products. Every human cell is
surrounded by a cell membrane that controls what the cell
takes in and what it lets out. What’s really amazing is that it
allows in and out only the things it’s supposed to!
Be sure to handle the de-shelled
eggs carefully (the membrane
can tear easily). The membrane
on your de-shelled eggs is very
similar to the membrane that
surrounds a human cell.
Cover egg 1 with corn syrup.
Cover egg 2 with distilled water.
Use the chart below to record what happens to your eggs
during a 24-hour period.
Why do you think each egg changed the way it did?
It’s a
Cell Call
Part B. The cell is the smallest living unit in our bodies, and has a language and
structure all its own. An entire world exists inside the cell:
■ power houses to create energy
■ places to store energy
■ places where energy is used
■ a place where things (like proteins) are made
■ a place where our physical characteristics are stored (genes)
■ a place where all of these processes are controlled (the nucleus)
Let’s build a model to help explain what is going on, starting with
the nucleus. Inside the nucleus we will find DNA. DNA is the reason
you look the way you do—your hair, eyes, height, skin type, skin
color, and so on. DNA is found in genes, and genes are responsible
for how similar you look to your parents in some ways or like your
grandparents in others and even like your brothers and sisters. If
we opened up a gene, took out the DNA, and gently stretched it
out, we would find that it is shaped like a spiral. Scientists call that
a double helix. There are two strands of DNA wound around and attached to
each other by units called bases, named aden i ne (A), thy m i ne (T), gua n i ne (G),
a nd cy to si ne (C). The strands are made up of a sugar (deoxyribose) and a
phosphate molecule.
The DNA st ra nds join toget her as fol lows: A on one st ra nd will always pair with T
on the ot her, and G will always pair with C. It looks somet h i ng like this :
C T C A C A G C G T A C C
G A G T G T C G C A T G G
The bases form the ladder, and the sugar-phosphate
molecules form the outside spiral form. Follow your teacher’s
instructions to make your own DNA strand.
Describe the egg at the Describe the egg at the
beginning of the experiment. end of the experiment.
Egg 1
(corn syrup)
Egg 2
(distilled water)
Names and Words to Know
■Adenine, thymine, guanine,
cytosine: The chem ica ls, or nit ro-
gen bases, that are found in DNA .
■DNA (deoxyribonucleic
acid): The genetic material that is
contained in every cell in the
human body. Every person’s DNA
is unique, except for that of
identical twins.
■Double helix: The structure of
DNA. A double helix looks
something like a twisted ladder.
■Human Genome Project: A
project that identified every gene
present in human DNA.
■Mendel: The August i n ian mon k
who se work formed the foundat ion
for the science of genet ics.
■Watson & Crick: The Engl ish
scient ists who discovered how DNA
is put toget her.
Activity
5
11© 2001 DCI/BBC
Do an Internet search to
learn about the Human
Genome Project, the
progress it has made and why it is
so important.
Add-on
Activity
Reproducible Master
A World of SenseStudent
Objectives: To
consider how the eye
and ear work and to
learn about visual
perspective and sound
waves.
Materials: Tuning
fork, broad plastic bowl
or other unbreakable container, empty shoe boxes
or other similar containers, various sizes and
widths of rubber bands
Teaching TipsTalk with your students about the different parts
of the eye and how they work together. The optic
nerve in the back of the eye sends what the eye
sees to the brain. When the light passes through
the eye’s lens and the image hits the retina, the
image is upside down. Therefore, the image that
travels through the optic nerve to the brain also is
upside down. The brain has to flip the image over
so it’s the right way up and makes sense.
You might want to have your students make a
pinhole camera (camera obscura)—showing what
an image looks like when it reaches the retina of
the eye—then sketch the images they see through
it. For directions on how to make a very simple
pinhole viewer, go to http://www.exploratorium.
edu/IFI/activities/pinholeinquiry/viewer.html.
For information about making an actual pinhole
camera that can take pictures, go to
http://www.kodak.com/global/
en/consumer/education/lessonPlans/
pinholeCamera/pinholeCanBox.shtml.
Part A. Here are some Web sites that contain
additional examples of optical illusions:
http://www.justriddlesandmore.com/illusion.html
http://www.aoanet.org/jfk-optical-illusions.html
Part B. Talk with your students about the three different
parts of the ear. Explain that the outer ear is the part you
can see. It collects the sound waves. The sound waves
travel through the outer ear canal to the middle ear, where
they strike the eardrum. The eardrum begins to vibrate, and the vibrations
pass through three tiny bones—the hammer, the anvil and the stirrup—
which transfer the vibrations to the inner ear. There they enter a small curled
tube known as the cochlea, where they are turned into nerve signals that
allow the brain to understand the sound.
Tuning-fork experiment: Strike a tuning fork so the students can hear
the sound. Explain that the sound was caused by vibrations. Then, have
students take turns dipping the tuning fork in a broad
plastic dish or bowl or other unbreakable
container of water. The vibrating fork sets up
little waves in the water, just as it sets up
waves of molecules in the air.
Rubber-band experiment: Have
students st retch several different widt hs of
r u bb er ba nds over an empty box, in the
order of thick ness, then pluck each one wit h
t heir fi nger. (Be sure that they protect thei r
eyes in case the ba nd snap s.) Have students
desc ribe the sounds the ba nds made and rate thei r
compa rat ive pitch ( h igh ness or low ness of the sound). They will see that the
t h i n ner rubb er ba nds vibrate faster than the thick ones, causi ng them to have
a higher pitch. Now have students pluck one rubb er ba nd, immed iately touch it
w ith their fi nger, and listen to the sound. When they touch the vibrat i ng
r u bb er ba nds, the vibrat ions stop and the sound stop s.
Add-on Activities■ Students cou ld do a si mple ex peri ment that allows them to “fi nd” their bl i nd
spot, the area on the ret i na that has no receptors. For direct ions on how to
conduct this act iv ity, visit htt p : / / facu l ty. wash i ngton . edu / chud ler / chv ision . ht m l .
■ Students might work in tea ms to prepa re presentat ions ab out vision —
b egi n n i ng with the eye patterns of a newb orn who is lea rn i ng how to see.
■ Students can try this ex peri ment to ex perience the direct ion of sound: One
student sta nds at arm’s length beh i nd a bl i nd folded classmate and snaps his or
her fi ngers in va rious direct ions. The bl i nd folded student poi nts in the
d i rect ion the sound is com i ng from. Next, the ex peri ment is repeated with the
bl i nd folded student wea ri ng a pair of ea rmu ffs. Fi na l ly, with the bl i nd fold st i l l
in place, the student removes the ea rmu ffs and places a ca rd b oa rd tube from a
roll of paper towels over one ear before the fi nger - snappi ng exercise is
repeated. Students shou ld be able to detect the direct ion of the sound wit h
t heir ea rs uncovered. It will be more difficult to determ i ne the direct ion when
t he sound is mu ffled by the ea rmu ffs. Putt i ng the ca rd b oa rd tube over one ea r
causes the sound to travel a greater dista nce to reach that ea r, so the student
will perceive the sound as com i ng from the oppo site direct ion .
■ Students might work in teams to research and report back to class the
causes of earaches and ear wax, how cold germs can be spread to the ear,
and how the ear controls balance.
■ Activity 6
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Post-viewing
Activity
Ear cochlea
The human eye
12
13
The eyes may be the windows to your soul, but it
takes both your eyes and ears for you to sense
your world each day. Together, they allow you to see a
friend’s face or hear your favorite music.
Your Eyes. When you first open your eyes, your top
layer of sense cells is actually scorched away by the bright
light. But, happily, beneath them, a fresh layer is
revealed—new sensors with which you’ll see the new day.
Let’s learn how your eye works, and how it can fool you—
because seeing isn’t as simple as it looks.
Your cornea focuses light, and the iris controls just how
much light passes through the pupil. The lens helps focus
this light on the retina, which contains a layer of light-
sensitive cells. If your eyeball is too long or your cornea is
too curved, you will be nearsighted (objects that are close
to you are clear but those in the distance are blurry). If
your eyeball is too short or your cornea isn’t curved
enough, you will be farsighted. This means you can see
distant objects clearly but things that are close are blurry.
Part A. Sometimes, your brain makes you see things that
aren’t really there. For example, if you look down a long
straight roadway, the sides of the road seem to come
together in the distance. This is because of perspective—
the way two objects appear in relation to each other. Try
this optical illusion. Which flower has the bigger center?
If you picked the flower on the left, you’ re wrong! Actua l ly,
b oth centers are the same siz e. (Measure them with a ruler
to ma ke sure.) You can fool your brain into thinking that an
ob j ect is bigger or sma l ler by placi ng it next to ob j ects of
d i fferent siz es.
Your Ears. If you’ve ever been to a very loud rock
concert, you may have experienced a ringing in your ears
afterward. Your ears are sensitive to sound and can be
easily—and permanently—damaged if you expose them
to loud noises like this without protection. Your ears are in
charge of collecting sounds and turning them into nerve
signals that your brain interprets for you. Without your
ears, your brain wouldn’t have anything to interpret and
you wouldn’t be able to hear or dance to music! Next time
you’re enjoying your favorite CD, take a moment to thank
those hairs in your ears. They are part of a built-in
amplifying system that’s better than anything you can find
in your local electronics store.
Part B. S ound is produced by vibrat ion. Try this: Feel your
t h roat as you place your fi ngers light ly on it and say, “My
na me is _ _ _ _ _ _ _.” Do you feel the vibrat ions? Vi brat ions that
come from the sources of sound cause air molecu les to move,
sett i ng up sound waves. Your ea rs contain the three tiniest
a nd mo st del icate bones in your ent i re body. They’ re located
right beh i nd your ea rd r um, and they’ re ca l led the h a m m e r,
t he a n v i l a nd the s t i r r u p. Their job is to tra nsfer sound
v i brat ions that reach your outer ear into your inner ea r.
Now, fol low your teacher’s inst r uct ions as you ex peri ment
w ith a tun i ng fork, a bowl of water, and some rubb er ba nds,
to see what a sound wave looks like and why some sounds
a re high and some low.
Look at this
illustration at right.
What do you think
you see? Take a class poll on
the results.
Your eyes may fool you, but
you can’t fool your ears—if you
damage them when you are young,
your hearing will get worse as you
get older. Research the harmful
effects of loud sounds and where
you might find them in your
everyday life.
A World of SenseActivity
6
Add-on
Activity
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Hammer, anvil and stirrup
Reproducible Master
14
Tasty AromasStudent Objectives: To learn about the sense of smell, the
relationship between taste and smell, and the “taste centers” on
the tongue.
Materials: Part A—small paper bags; small cups of water;
odorants such as cinnamon, garlic, ginger, onions, vanilla
extract, chocolate, rosemary, mouthwash, orange peel; small
containers such as empty film canisters; lemon, grape and
cherry mini-jelly beans. Part B—small glass containers, sugar,
lemon juice, salt, tonic water or onion juice, toothpicks, water
Teaching TipsPart A. The materials to be smelled (see list above) should be
placed in containers that students can’t see through (35mm film
canisters with holes in the lids or clear containers that have
been covered with tape, etc). Containers should be numbered
from 1 to 10. Keep a log of what is in each container. Select
four odorants and put some of each in two different
containers. Put some of two additional odorants in one
container each.
Students should pick up each container and sniff
it. What odors were most easily identified? Most
difficult to identify? How many students identified
all the odors? How many were able to match all
four odors and identify the two that did not have a
pair? How well did the boys do compared to the
girls? You might ask your students to create graphs
that illustrate the results of the smell test. Note: Be
sure to ask about allergies before having your
students participate in this activity. Discard all foods assembled
in this unit after they have been used in classroom testing.
Smell-taste activity: You will need six small paper bags and
scoops of lemon, grape and cherry mini-jelly beans. (If students
work in groups, use one set of bags per group.) Label the bags:
#1 taste, #1 smell, #2 taste, #2 smell, #3 taste, #3 smell. Put
several crushed jelly beans in each of the “smell” bags. Put the
remainder of the jelly beans in the “taste” bags. Be sure that the
same flavor jelly beans are placed in the bags with the same
number (i.e., #1 bags contain the lemon jelly beans, etc.).
Students should close their eyes, hold their noses and chew a
jelly bean from each taste bag. Tell them to take a small sip of
water between each test, then record the tastes on the chart.
Next, have students close their eyes and sniff each of the “smell”
bags, recording their findings on the chart. Finally, have them
repeat the taste test, but this time without holding their noses.
Discuss the findings as a class.
Part B. Prepare small glasses that contain
solutions of (1) sugary water (sweet), (2) lemon
juice (sour), (3) salty water (salty), and (4) tonic
water or onion juice (bitter). Have students dip
clean toothpicks into each solution. Then, they should lightly
touch different parts of the tongue and record what they taste
on their chart. Be sure to have students use a clean toothpick
each time they dip and take a drink of water each time they
change taste categories. They also may want to nibble a piece of
bread in between the taste tests.
Explain to your students that their taste buds are located on the
papillae, the little bumps they can feel on their tongue. Each
papillae contains between 1 and 15 taste buds. Each of the taste
buds is made up of a cluster of between 80 and 100 cells,
including receptor cells that are attached to nerves. Different
receptors are sensitive to different tastes. (This experiment also
could be done as a take-home activity.)
Add-on Activities■ Lead a discussion on eating disorders and poor
nutrition, based on student findings in
researching the USDA food pyramid
recommendations.
■ As people age their sense of smell gets
worse. Students might conduct “smell tests” to
identify differences in the ability to smell
among family members, older neighbors and
friends, etc.
■ Students might create their own “odor charts,”
identifying as many different kinds of odors as
they can, and categorizing them by type (sweet,
minty, sour, etc.).
■ Heat and climate affect the diffusion of gas molecules that
cause odors. Students could research why odors are different in
intensity in the summer than in the winter, and why odors are
so readily associated with tropical climates.
■ Younger students might create taste charts by cutting pictures
of food out of magazines and organizing them according to
taste categories.
■ Just as in other areas of biological science, what we know
about taste changes as researchers make new discoveries (for
example, researchers recently discovered a fifth basic taste
called Umami. This taste occurs when foods that contain
glutamate—like the MSG used in much Oriental food—are
eaten). Students could do some research
to learn more about glutamate and why it
is used predominantly in certain cuisines.
■ Students might construct a model of
the digestive system.
Post-viewing
Activity
■ Activity 7
© 2001 DCI/BBC
The nose
15
As you breathe in, odor molecules in the air enter through
your nostrils, pass into the nasal cavity, and then go to the
olfactory bulb. That’s where special nerve cells (receptors)
determine just what the odor is. The nerve cells send signals
to the brain, which lets you know what you’re smelling.
Part A. Some people have a better sense of smell than
others. Although the average person can identify between
3,000 and 10,000 different odors, some people who have a
condition called anosmia have no sense of smell at all.
Follow your teacher’s directions to identify the odorants in
the containers prepared for you. Hold the container in front
of your face and waft your hand over it toward your nose to
get the best whiff.
Which containers are the same? Identify them on the third
line below each pair:
# ____ # ____# ____ # ____
_______________________ ________________________
# ____ # ____# ____ # ____
_______________________ ________________________
Which containers are not the same? Identify them below:
# _ _ _ _ is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and
# _ _ _ _ is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
When you have a bad cold, does everything “taste the same”?
That’s because you’ve lost the ability to smell what you’re
eating! Use the chart below to record the results of a test that
will show you how important that smell/taste partnership is.
Smell Only Taste Only Smell & Taste
Bag 1
Bag 2
Bag 3
Part B. All tastes come from different
combinations of four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty
and bitter. Different taste buds interpret these
tastes. Follow your teacher’s directions to find the
different “taste centers” on your tongue. Record
your findings below as “3” if it is a strong taste, “2” if it is
neither strong nor weak, or “1” if it is weak.
Part of Tongue
Tip
Middle
Left side
Right side
Now, use the information above to draw a “taste map” of your
tongue, using a different color for each type of taste and
shading to show how strong the tastes are in each area. How
does your taste map compare with those of your classmates?
Everything our body does for us takes fuel.
Getting the food to fuel our bodies into our
mouths, as we see in The
Human Body, is one thing. What
happens next is not quite as tidy.
Biting into that great-tasting pizza is
the first step on an amazing journey
through your digestive system.
After your molars grind it up,
chemicals in your saliva begin to break down the
pizza as your tongue pushes it to the back of your throat.
Like squeezing a tube of toothpaste, your muscles squeeze it
down your esophagus and into your stomach. That’s where
some serious action takes place. The mushy stuff that used to
look like pizza is mixed with acid and digestive chemicals
until it is broken down into tiny bits, which move into the
small intestine. There, chemicals and liquids continue the
process, until all the nutrients are absorbed.
The final stage of your pizza’s journey takes place in the large
intestine, which is a kind of drying chamber. The liquid is
removed from the leftovers and absorbed back into the body.
All that’s left now is the stuff you don’t need. And you know
what happens to it! Your body’s “team” approach to this
process should make it a little easier to understand the
problems that can occur when you don’t get enough to eat or
eat the wrong kind of food.
Use resources to check out the USDA’s
food pyramid and compare what you
usually eat with what it recommends.
Where can you improve your diet?
T a s t yA r o m a s
Add-on
Activity
W hat do the aroma of pizza when you enter the
school cafeteria and the stench of sweaty socks in
the locker room have in common? It’s your nose, of course!
Everything you need to smell with is inside your nose. It
alerts you to those socks and tempts you with that aroma—
then it even helps you enjoy the taste of the pizza!
Sweet Sour Salty Bitter
Activity
7
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Reproducible Master
16
Bone BasicsStudent Objectives: To learn about bones—how
to build healthy bones and how to protect our bones.
Materials: None
Teaching TipsPart A. Provide this background information for
students: The spine (also known as the spinal column
or backbone) is a collection of 33 bones known as
vertebrae that are stacked up and held together by
connective tissues called ligaments. The spine is what
allows us to stand upright and to be flexible—to twist
and turn and bend. The spine also provides
protection for the spinal cord—the group of nerves
that helps to send information from the brain to
other parts of the body. Moving joints allow for
flexibility, too.
If students are having difficulty finding examples of
hinge joints and ball-and-socket joints, you might
want to provide them with a few examples. (Hinge
joints could include the hinges on a door or a lift-top
desk; many swivel desk lamps have ball-and-socket
joints. Students might relate best to the example of a
computer joystick.)
Part B. Exa mples of protect ive eq ui pment used in
sports include: bicycle hel mets, batt i ng hel mets for
baseball and soft ball, hel mets for rid i ng scooters, knee
a nd el b ow pads for inline skat i ng, and skateb oa rd i ng.
Th is act iv ity prov ides an excel lent int roduct ion to a
d iscussion of sports safety in genera l .
Use the activity about calcium in food as the basis for
a discussion about good nutrition. To extend the
discussion, you might want to have students plan a
week’s worth of lunches that are well balanced and
supply significant amounts of calcium. Explain that
the body’s need for calcium changes with age. For
example, the National Academy of Sciences
recommends that adults under age 50 should have
1,000 mg of calcium daily, while people over 50
should have 1,200 mg daily.
Add-on Activities■ Just as good nutrition is important to good health,
environmental factors can affect our health, too—even
that of unborn babies.
Students might investigate
environmental hazards such
as smoking and discuss
solutions to deal with them.
■ Students might explore
how the shapes of different
bones relate to the amount
of force they must
withstand.
■ Students might ex plore the
a mazi ng “engi neeri ng” that
a l lows the spi ne to support
t he human body. For
exa mple, they might
ex peri ment with a ball of
model i ng clay and four
coffee - st i rrer st raws placed
vert ica l ly to see how the head sits on the litt le vertebrae in the neck .
■ Students might do research to see how the skeletal systems of other
animals are designed to provide different kinds of mobility.
■ Students might do observational research to see how different types
of shoes affect posture and balance. Why are high heels so bad for the
female foot?
■ Students can make a “rubber
bone” by soaking a chicken
bone in vinegar for several
days. Because vinegar is an
acid, it dissolves the calcium,
leaving the bone thinner and
vulnerable to breaking, much as
it would be if it were diseased
from osteoporosis due to a
loss of calcium. Refer to
www.flinnsci.com/homepage/
bio/rubbone.html.
■ Have students invest igate
ot her uses for t h e r m a l
i m a g i n g, the tech nology that
showed Lu ke’s image in the film (for exa mple, fi re fighters can locate
v ict i ms overcome by smoke who have hidden in a burn i ng house by
poi nt i ng a thermal imagi ng ca mera at the house ) .
Can students think of how this tech nology might
be med ica l ly usefu l?
Post-viewing
Activity
■ Activity 8
© 2001 DCI/BBC
X-ray of a skeleton
Hand bones
17
In The Human Body, we see Luke pedaling his
bike—or, more specifically, it’s the thermal image
of Luke, surrounded by thermal images of people
walking thermal images of pets. Thermal imagers are
instruments that create pictures of heat. So, we’re
looking at the heat Luke’s body is generating. (He’s a
pretty colorful guy, don’t you think!)
W hat wou ld Lu ke look like if all you saw were his
b ones? Skeletons or fo ssi ls in a museum are dry and
britt le, but Lu ke’s bones, like tho se in your body, are
very much alive. Liv i ng bones contain m a r r o w, the
soft tissue that ma nu factures red and wh ite blood cel ls
a nd produces nut rients vital to your body. The 206
b ones in your body hold you up, allow you to move
a nd protect your internal orga ns. They’ re grow i ng and
cha ngi ng just like ot her pa rts of your body.
Part A. The place where two bones meet is called a
joint. And, while many joints move, some—like those
in your skull—are fixed.
One kind of moving joint, a
hinge joint, allows the bones to
bend and straighten. Your
elbows contain hinge joints.
Another kind is called a ball-
and-socket joint, because the
round end of one bone fits into
a cuplike area on another bone.
Ball-and-socket joints allow the
bones to swivel and turn in all
directions. Your hips have ball-and-socket joints.
People who build things use joints, too. How many
examples of hinge joints and ball-and-socket joints
can you find in things you might encounter every
day? Make your lists in the space below.
Hinge Joints Ball-and-Socket Joints
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Bone BasicsActivity
8
Part B. If you have ever broken a bone, how long did it
take to heal? Professional athletes, such as hockey and
football players, wear equipment to protect their bones. What
are other examples of protective equipment in sports?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Calcium Clues. You need more than equipment to protect
your bones, however—it’s also important to eat a diet rich in
calcium. Calcium is a mineral that helps bones harden and
become strong. If you don’t get enough, you could be at risk
for osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to fracture easily.
And if you don’t have enough ca lci um, your body will actua l ly stea l
it from your bones. Your risk of developing osteoporosis
depends in large part on how much bone mass you attain
between the ages of 25 and 35.
B one mass is determ i ned by :
■ your genes (the bone st rength you inherit from your pa rents )
■ t he amount of ca lci um in your diet
■ t he amount of exercise you get
Da i ry products such as milk, cheese and yogurt are high in
ca lci um. What are some ot her good food sources of ca lci um?
List them below and add them to your Body Ma i ntena nce Pla n .
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Move It or Lose It! Weight - b ea ri ng exercise done on your feet —
wa l k i ng, run n i ng, sk i i ng, ten n is, etc . — a lso can help to bui ld st rong
b ones as well as muscles. D id you eat any foods yesterday that
had ca lci um in them? Did you exercise? Fill in the informat ion
b elow. Compa re what you ate to the ca lci um sources you listed
ab ove. Do you need to improve in any areas?
Yesterday I ate: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Yesterday I did this exercise: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Here’s where I could improve my diet and exercise plan:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Build a model spine by stringing
spools or other circular objects
together to represent the
different vertebrae.
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Add-on
Activity
Reproducible Master
18
On t h e
Other HandStudent Objectives: To experiment with the
sense of touch and to learn how fingerprints are
classified.
Materials: Small paper bags, rice, small paper
clips, index cards, unpopped popcorn, sugar,
seeds, sand
Teaching TipsPart A. Paper clip/bag activity: Partially
fill the bags (enough so that each small group of
students has one bag) with rice. Add several
small paper clips and mix well. Students should
close their eyes, reach into the bag, and try to
pick out the paper clips.
Identification activity: Coat the index cards
with glue and cover each card with one of the
materials. Place each coated card in a numbered
bag. Students should reach into the bag and try
to identify the material they are feeling. You can
use this activity as a springboard to a discussion
of the role of the hand as a sensory organ. Have
students ever used their hands to feel their way
down a dark hall? To pick an object from a
drawer without looking? Have they ever noticed
the Braille “bumps” next to the buttons in an
elevator? You also might include a discussion of
Braille, and even let students experience touching
the letters in the Braille alphabet, or invite
someone from the local Braille association to
speak to the class about Braille.
Part B. Provide students with this background:
Fingerprints are ridges on our skin that make it easier for
us to hold onto things. Just as everyone’s DNA is different,
no two people have the same fingerprints. Even identical
twins have different fingerprints. Fingerprints can be classified by patterns—
arches, loops and whorls—by the size of the patterns, and by the position of
the patterns on the finger.
Have students work in pairs. Each
student should take a #2 pencil and
make an “ink pad” by coating a
small area (about 1 inch square)
of the card with pencil lead.
Each student should then take
an impression of the pad of
their index finger and pinky
finger of the hand they write
with. After the student rolls one
finger over the pencil lead, his or
her partner will carefully “lift” the
fingerprint onto a piece of transparent
tape and attach the tape to a blank
index card. The second print should be
placed next to the first print. Students should label each print (e.g., left index
finger) and write their name on the reverse side of the card.
Designate one desk for loop s, one for whorls and one for arches, and have
students place their ca rds on the appropriate desk. Which is the mo st
com mon pattern? (Use a magn i fy i ng glass if needed to see better.) N o t e : As
a safegua rd of their ident ity, have students dest roy the fi ngerpri nts after
t hey have created them .
Add-on Activities■ Modern fingerprint identification techniques date from 1880, when the
British journal Nature published letters by Henry Faulds and William James
Herschel that described the uniqueness of fingerprints. Have students do
research to learn more about fingerprint classification as
a crime-solving technique. What other purposes can
fingerprinting serve (for example, identification of
missing children)?
■ Students might do some resea rch to fi nd out how ha nds
sweat and what triggers that response.
■ Ask if students have foot pri nts from their bi rth in the
ho spital. They cou ld call the ho spital to ask why
fi ngerpri nts aren’t ta ken instead; cou ld a foot pri nt rea l ly
ident i fy a baby?
Post-viewing
Activity
■ Activity 9
© 2001 DCI/BBC
The hand
Loop Whorl Arch
Have you ever
wondered why your
thumb is stuck down
there on the side, all
by itself? Try this
experiment to find
out. First write your
name on the first line below. Then have your
partner tape the thumb to the index finger
on the hand you write with. Write your name
on the second line. What does your signature
look like this time?
Signature #1
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Signature #2
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
While taped, try the following: Pick up a
penny, comb your hair and button a shirt.
After you are untaped, write a description on
the back of this paper of how you felt and
what happened.
Part B. Follow your teacher’s directions
as you take your fingerprints. Then,
answer the following questions:
What kinds of patterns do you see in your
index fingerprint?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
In your pinky fingerprint? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
How different are your prints from the
prints of your partner’s hand? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Create a display that shows how
our hands are different from the
paws of
animals, and how those
differences reflect our
varied needs.
19
Your hands are truly amazing things. They help you pick up a pen
and write. They help you throw a baseball, comb your hair and do
so much more. As you saw in The Human Body, they were formed when
cells died off from the original paddle-shaped structures you had as an
embryo. Imagine trying to pick up a pen with paddle-shaped hands!
Part A. Your sense of touch
originates in the dermis, or bottom
layer of your skin. Some areas of
your body—like your fingertips—
are more sensitive than others
because they have more of the
nerve endings that send signals to
the brain.
Place a penny on your desk. Close
your eyes and pick it up. Is the side on the top heads or tails? Now open
your eyes. Did you guess correctly?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __Describe what you felt: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Close your eyes again. Reach into the bag prepared by your teacher and try
to pick out a paper clip. Open your eyes. Were you successful? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _What did you feel? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Now reach into each of the bags and try to identify what it contains.
How did you do?
Bag 1. I guessed: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _It really was:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Bag 2. I guessed: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _It really was:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Bag 3. I guessed: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _It really was:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Bag 4. I guessed: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _It really was:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
On the Other HandActivity
9
Add-on
Activity
Surface of a fingertip
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Reproducible Master
Loop Whorl Arch
20
T h e L i v i n gS y s t e mStudent Objective: To consider how the different body
systems work together.
Materials: Advertising brochures for new cars (optional)
Teaching TipsPart A. In preparation for this activity you might want to
have students review ads and flyers for new cars, collected from
dealer showrooms, to see how ad agencies promote the features
of the various automobile systems in their sales brochures. For
example, if students were to visualize the human body as if it
were a new car with “loaded” features, they could use the
following as a sample:
Redesigned for 2001! 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty!
Look What You Get!
Automatic Power Windows
Power Locks Air Conditioning
Power Steering Power Disc Brakes
CD Player Power Mirrors
Rear Defroster Tinted Glass
Intermittent Wipers Tilt Wheel
The various features can be equated to those of the human
body; for example, intermittent wipers function like eyelashes,
which keep our eyes clear of irritants. Our ears give us stereo
sound like the car’s sound system, and a V8 engine might
equate to a strong, healthy heart.
Encourage students to have fun and engage their imaginations
as they write their brochures, but remind them that their copy
must contain factual information. They might use the classroom
computer to create their brochure’s layout and design.
Part B. Have students write a plan for their Web site and
create drawings to show what it would look like. Alternatively,
each team might focus on one aspect as they work together to
develop an actual class Web site.
Systems of ImagingThe Human Body gives us a remarkable glimpse of the
amazing things that go on, hidden in our bodies. Today’s
medical technology can provide high-resolution pictures of any
organ or area of the body, avoiding exploratory surgery in
many cases.
You may choo se to sha re the fol low i ng wit h
students: X - r a y s, developed in 1895, use rad iat ion
waves to form images of orga ns and ot her ob j ects
i nside the body that show bones as wh ite and
softer tissues as different shades of gray. U l t r a s o u n d, developed in
19 57, uses high - freq uency sounds to create images of interna l
t issues. C T ( or C A T) s c a n s ( computeriz ed ax ial tomography ) ,
developed in 19 67, use a high ly sensit ive X-ray beam that passes
t h rough the body and feeds informat ion into a computer, creat i ng a
picture. M R I s ( magnet ic resona nce imagi ng), developed in 19 74, use
computer - cont rol led rad io waves and a magnet ic field to create
t h ree - d i mensional pictures of the inside of the body.
Add-on Activities■ Students might use dry pasta shapes, pipe cleaners, wire and
other small objects to construct small models of the human
skeleton—the backbone, for example.
■ Students might do online research and compile an annotated
directory of Web sites about the human body.
■ Students might research and report on an
athlete of their choice who has been
in the news because of an injury,
how the injury was diagnosed
(MRI, CT scan, etc.), and the
medical treatment he or she
received. How different do
they think the athlete’s
chances for recovery are
today compared to that of a
past era or decade?
■ Wi l helm Con rad Röntgen, a
G erman physicist who discovered
t he X-ray, refused to patent his
d iscovery or rea l ize any fi na ncia l
gain from it, preferri ng instead that the world benefit from his
resea rch. You might have students discuss the et h ics involved in
profit i ng from med ical resea rch .
■ Med ical science has made tremendous progress in the field of
organ tra nspla nts, but wa it i ng lists for donors are long (as of
spri ng 2001, they num b er 75,000 in the U. S. alone). Not every
pat ient who needs a tra nspla nt will get one, and difficult choices
somet i mes must be made. How wou ld students feel if the choice
for a tra nspla nt were between a clo se relat ive they loved, a
celebrity they great ly ad m i red, and a bri l l ia nt scient ist who se
work cou ld potent ia l ly cha nge the world? They cou ld form a
po sit ion pa nel to debate how tra nspla nt
reci pients shou ld be selected — t he person
who needs it the mo st, the person who ca n
pay the mo st, or the person who has the
mo st to cont ri bute to society. Or shou ld
t here be some ot her way to choo se?
Post-viewing
Activity
■ Activity 10
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Lung cells
21
An eyeball or a big toe by itself wouldn’t be worth very much. But,
when you put them together with other body parts in a complete
human body, you have one pretty incredible organism!
Part A. Imagi ne that you’ve just been na med as a mem b er
of the lead copyw rit i ng team at the Beaut i ful Bodyworks
Agency. Your job is to write the copy for a new brochure
t hat’s designed to sell the human body as a fi rst - class
system. Work with your team to develop sales copy or a
slogan of 50 words or less to promote each of the fol low i ng
b ody systems. Next to the system, write the na me of an
ob j ect you think best represents it (see fi rst exa mple ) :
■ The Digestive System (wastebasket)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
■ The Skeletal System ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
■ The Respiratory System (_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
■ The Circulatory System ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
■ The Nervous System ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
■ The Endocrine System (_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Now, pull it all together in brochure copy that will make every reader want to
own a genuine human body.
Your brand
new human
body will need the best body parts to
make it zoom along in top form. What
parts will you need to “hire” so that your
body can eat, play sports and so on? List
as many body parts below as you can and
name their functions (see first example):
Heart—pumps blood throughout the
body; the engine that keeps me going
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Part B. Now, use the information
you gathered in Part A of this
activity as the foundation for the
Beautiful Bodyworks Web site, to
promote the human body. There are
lots of other things you might
do, too.
■ Create a body-parts puzzle that
has an outlined body and major
parts that Web users must put in the
right places.
■ Develop an interactive display that
shows how the parts of a disposable
camera work like a human eye.
How will you tie all the body parts
and systems together? This is your
chance to show how creative you
can be. Get those neurons going!
The Living System
Work in groups to develop
model mini-ecosystems that
show how humans and other
living things are linked in a web of life.
Show how the sun, water, oxygen and
other factors are
part of how we
function as people
in our environment.
Add-on
Activity
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Activity
10Reproducible Master
Student Objective: To create a personal health profile.
Materials: None
Teaching TipsThis is a personal profile. Your students should take this activity
master home along with the “Dear Parent” letter on page 24 of
this guide, and complete it with their parents. Suggest that, if
your students do not know some of the information (for
example, blood type, blood pressure, and so on), they can have
the tests done the next time they visit their doctor or at a free
community screening, etc.
Add-On Activity■ Now that students have completed the unit
activities and have seen the film of The Human
Body, you may wish to have fun with the quiz below. Photocopy
this page, clip the quiz along the dotted line, and distribute it to
students. After they have tested themselves, you may wish to
have them take copies home to family and friends, so everyone
can see who is the smartest “brain” of all!
Answers: The statements are all true with the exception of:
2. Over half the body’s bones are found in the hands and feet.
6. The brain weighs roughly three pounds.
7. Dolphins can hear 14 times better than humans.
8. Taste is the weakest of the senses.
11. The bone marrow manufactures red and white blood cells.
15. Your nose can tell the difference between 3,000 and
10,000 different odors.
2 2
My PersonalBody Inventoryand Health Profile
Did You Know That?
Interesting Facts About the Human Body
True False
1. The average person has about 10,000
taste buds in his or her mouth. ■ ■
2. One-fourth of your body’s bones are in
the hands and feet. ■ ■
3. You’ll grow an average of 35 yards of hair today. ■ ■
4. Your heart will pump about one million barrels
of blood during your lifetime—enough blood to
fill more than three supertankers. ■ ■
5. You’ll make over 200 billion new red blood
cells today. ■ ■
6. The brain of an average adult weighs 9 ounces. ■ ■
7. Animals can hear better than humans, and
dolphins have the best hearing of all. They can
hear five times better than we can. ■ ■
8. Taste is the strongest of the five senses. ■ ■
9. In three months, the
average person grows over
five inches of fingernails. ■ ■
10. The aorta is the largest artery in your body.
It’s almost as big as a garden hose. ■ ■
11. Your pancreas manufactures red and
white blood cells. ■ ■
12. If you laid all the DNA in your body end to
end, it would be more than 10 billion miles long. ■ ■
13. Your brain uses up nearly a fifth of all the
calories you eat or drink each day. ■ ■
14. When your ears “pop,” it’s actually the eustachian
tube opening to make sure the air pressure is
the same on both sides of your eardrum. ■ ■
15. When your nose is at its best you can tell the
difference between 1,000 and 5,000
different odors. ■ ■
16. Your heart beats about 100,000 times |
in one day. ■ ■
17. The longest bone in your body is the femur. ■ ■
1 8. You get dizzy after spinning around fast because
the liquid in the semi-circular canals in your
ears is still moving after you stop. ■ ■
True False
The Human Body is full of amazing information about the human body! Test your knowledge by
answering true or false to each of these statements. After you’ve checked your answers,
take another copy of the quiz home and test your family and friends. Who is the smartest “brain” of all?
Post-viewing
Activity
■ Activity 11
© 2001 DCI/BBC
After seei ng The Human Body, you have a better
appreciat ion for the da i ly miracles that ma ke you
who you are today and who you can be tomorrow, next year and
for the next eight or nine decades.
To help keep your future body in top physical and mental
form, fill in the chart below. You may want to ask family
members for help with some of this information. When you
complete it, put it in a safe place and add to it from time to
time to keep it current.
My name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
My birth date:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Physical Characteristics
I am _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ tall and I weigh _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
I am _____________ -handed.
My skin color is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
My eye color is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
My hair color is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
Left thumb print Right thumb print
My blood type is ______. My blood pressure is ______.
My resting pulse is ______ and my active pulse is ______.
Check one of each choice:
■ I think I am ___ left-brained ___ right-brained.
■ I am a ___ visual ___ auditory ___ kinesthetic learner.
■ I am ___ nearsighted ___ farsighted ___ neither.
■ I still have my (check if yes) ___ tonsils ___ appendix.
I have (number) ______ wisdom teeth.
Vaccination Record
I have been vaccinated against the following diseases:
Type of vaccination Date of vaccination
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Injuries/Illnesses
I have had the following injuries or illnesses (other than
common colds):
Injury/Illness Date
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Allergies
I am allergic to:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Physical Activities
I participate in the following sports or activities:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
My Personal BodyInventory and Health Profile
23
Activity
11
© 2001 DCI/BBC
Reproducible Master
© 2001 DCI/BBC2 4
ResourcesWeb Sites
■ The Human Body: www.thehumanbodyfilm.com
■ Cells Alive: www.cellsalive.com
■ Discovery Communications: www.discovery.com
■ Discovery School: www.school.discovery.com
■ Exploratorium: Brain Explorer:
www.exploratorium.edu/brain_explorer/index.html
■ Maryland Science Center: www.mdsci.org
■ Oregon Museum of Science and Technology: Life
Science Lab: www.omsi.edu/explore/life
■ Science Museum of London: www.nmsi.ac.uk
■ Science Museum of Minnesota: Science of Sound
and Sight: www.smm.org/sound/nocss/
activity/top.html
■ The Learning Channel (TLC): www.tlc.com
■ Yucky Gross & Cool Body: http://yucky.kids.
discovery.com
The Brain
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/split.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/what.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/lobe.html
Mouth, Taste Buds, Etc.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/tasty.html
Nerve Cells, Synapses, Etc.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chmodel.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/cells.html
Olfactory System
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nosek.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chems.html
Books
■ The Robot Zoo: A Mechanical Guide to the Way
Animals Work, by Philip Whitfield Obin. Turner
Publishing, 1994.
■ Human Body Explorations: Hands-On
Investigations of What Makes Us Tick, by Karen
Kalumuck and the Exploratorium Teacher Institute.
Kendall/Hunt, 2000.
Dear Parent/Guardian:
As a special addition to this year’s
classroom curriculum, your child’s class
is planning a visit to the ___________________Theater to view The Human Body.
The Human Body large-format film is co-produced
by Discovery Pictures and the BBC. Discovery
Pictures is a unit of Discovery Communications,
Inc., which includes The Learning Channel (TLC), Discovery Channel,
Animal Planet, Travel Channel, and Discovery Health Channel. As co-
producers of the film, Discovery Pictures and the BBC are extending
their commitment to providing the quality, educational entertainment
they are known for worldwide.
The film uses state-of-the-art photographic techniques and the large-
format landscape to present an incredible journey into the body.
Students will journey down the
ear canal and into the caverns of
the middle ear, where they will
learn how our brains make
sense of the sounds around us.
They will follow a pizza lunch on
its journey to the stomach and
beyond. They will travel
through the bloodstream and
into the most spectacular muscle
in our body—the heart. They
will learn how the body’s
systems and organs work
together.
Pre-viewing and follow-up activities reinforce the concepts
presented in the film. These activities are designed to help students
understand how the body works and—perhaps most important—how
essential a healthy diet and lifestyle are to creating and maintaining a
healthy body.
After viewing the film, your child will be encouraged to talk with you
about it and to share the activities and experiments he or she will have
conducted in class. Be sure to take this special opportunity to review
your child’s Personal Body Inventory and Health Profile, so he or she
begins now to track important medical records and information needed
in the years ahead.
Sincerely,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
X-ray image
The trachea
Credits
Teacher’s Resource Guide for The Human Body was created by
Youth Media International, Ltd., Easton, CT
Roberta Nusim, Publisher
Writer: Carol A. Bruce
Editor: Jane E. Fieberts
Production Manager: Beth E. McNeal
Art Director: Kathleen Giarrano
Cover Design: Aspect Ratio Design
Reviewers
C. Ralph Adler, RMC Research Corporation, Portsmouth, NH
Mary Rebecca Bures, Health Sciences Director, Discovery Place, Charlotte, NC
Dianne Koval Butler, Marketing Manager, Discovery Pictures, Bethesda, MD
Jim Heintzman, Educational Resources Manager, Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
Mark E. Katz, President, nWave Pictures Distribution, Greenwich, CT
Alex Patrick, Education Officer, BFI London IMAX Cinema and Science Museum, London
Pete Yancone, Director, Education, Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, MD
The Human Body is a presentation of The Learning Channel and BBC Worldwide
of a Discovery Pictures / BBC co-production in association with
the Maryland Science Center and the Science Museum, London with major funding
provided by the National Science Foundation and distributed by nWave Pictures Distribution.
Youth Media International Ltd.
P.O. Box 305, Easton, CT 06612(203) 459-1562
www.youthmedia.com