table of contentsTABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .......................................................................................... I Objectives .......................................................................................... VITeaching Suggestions and Additional Activities .......................... VIIResearch and Standards .................................................................. XI

5 Senses Touch and Skin Student Lesson ........................................................................... 1 Activity Sheets ............................................................................ 6 Sight and Eyes Student Lesson ......................................................................... 10 Activity Sheets .......................................................................... 14 Hearing and Ears Student Lesson ......................................................................... 17 Activity Sheets .......................................................................... 22 Smell and Taste Student Lesson ......................................................................... 26 Activity Sheets .......................................................................... 31Nervous System Student Lesson ......................................................................... 35 Activity Sheets .......................................................................... 42Health Issues Student Lesson ......................................................................... 48 Activity Sheets .......................................................................... 54Review Review Sheets .......................................................................... 57 Assessments Quizzes ..................................................................................... 69 Unit Test .................................................................................... 83

Answer Key ....................................................................................... 88

introductionINTRODUCTION

As growing and maturing individuals, adolescents must be prepared to

care for themselves independently after graduation from high school. A

basic understanding of their bodies and how they work is an important

step in the process of moving from dependence to independence.

Learning about the body systems, particularly how they interact and

affect each other, enables students to better care for themselves and

their health.

The five binders that comprise the revised Know Your Body series now

cover ten basic systems of the human body and include updated

information. Each binder is considered a unit in the series and completely

discusses two closely related systems. Students label, organize, categorize,

associate, and relate terms and functions of these systems through various

activities. A new section in each binder, Health Issues, addresses health

problems of each system, such as how to treat common illnesses and

when to seek a doctor’s advice.

Originally conceived by LD specialist Ellen McPeek Glisan, Know Your

Body has been specifically written for struggling readers and students

with learning disabilities. It is also appropriate for English language

learners and adult learners. For this revision, contributing author Debra

J. Weltha has written material that meets the unique needs of struggling

and reluctant learners. A certified secondary science teacher and special

education teacher, she has combined solid science concepts in the

lessons with high-interest activities. While the reading level has been

kept low, the material is presented in an age-appropriate fashion.

Detailed illustrations help readers comprehend complex concepts.

Ultimately, the Know Your Body series provides learners with important

functional knowledge and helps them master concepts tested on

high-stakes assessments.

I

Student Lessons

The first three sections all begin with a

student lesson that discusses important

points and highlights interesting facts.

The system lessons begin with a labeled

diagram of the system being studied.

On the first page, important vocabulary

words used in the lesson are presented

with simple definitions. Then, to increase

students’ comprehension of the lesson,

two pre-reading activities are provided.

The first activity summarizes major points

students will learn in the lesson. The second activity asks students to

make personal connections to the content by posing several “Have You

Ever” questions.

Lessons are deliberately kept short and contain easy-to-understand

sentence constructions. In general, the reading level is 3.0–5.0. However,

key science vocabulary is retained. As various parts of the system are

discussed, appropriate drawings and diagrams are presented to illustrate

important facts and concepts. These visuals help students better

understand the text and increase the interest level.

III

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body3

Skin StructuresThe dermis contains many other structures. This layer has blood vessels, hair follicles, sweat glands, oil glands, and fatty tissue. In the dermis are the endings of sensory nerves that allow us to feel heat, cold, pain, and pressure.

Across the top of the epidermis are a series of small openings. These pores allow sweat and sebum to leave the skin.Hair grows from hair follicles or tiny pits in the skin. Only the hair in the

dermis is alive. The hairs we see are the shafts or remains of dead hair cells. Each hair follicle has a tiny muscle that contracts, or gets smaller, when you feel cold or when you experience emotions such as fear.The follicles also have oil glands that produce an oily fl uid called sebum.

Sebum keeps the hair shafts and skin soft.

pore

sweat gland

epidermis

hair follicle

oil gland

dermis

hair

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body2

What are the Five Senses?

We use our fi ve senses all the time.

The senses are touch, sight, hearing,

smell, and taste.

Without our senses, life would be

much less enjoyable. Food would not

have fl avor without taste and smell.

Without our sense of touch, sandpaper would feel the same as rabbit fur.

We wouldn’t be able to hear a baby giggle, a bird sing, or the siren of an

ambulance without our sense of hearing. If we could not see, we wouldn’t

know how many different colors there are in the world around us.

In the next several lessons, you will learn about each of the fi ve senses,

starting with the sense of touch.

The Body’s Largest Organ

Your sense of touch happens through the largest organ of the body, the

skin. Your skin can identify four different feelings: heat, cold, pain, and

pressure. In addition to the sense of touch, your skin does many other

important things. It helps control your body temperature. The skin also

acts like a sandwich bag. It keeps harmful substances like bacteria and

dirt on the outside, away from your internal organs and fl uids.

The skin has two layers. The outer layer is the epidermis. The epidermis

is made of dead cells and keratin. Keratin is a tough protein found in

skin, nails, and hair. The hardened cells of the epidermis overlap to form

a tough, almost waterproof covering. These cells are easily knocked off

when touched. This is why skin can look dry.

The inner layer, the dermis, is the living section of the skin. The living cells

in the dermis are always dividing in order to replace the dead cells in the

epidermis. New cells push the older cells upward. By the time they reach

the surface, these older cells are dead and pressed into a fl at shape.

Together, the dermis and the epidermis are only as thick as this line:_____.

Have You Ever …

• had a pimple?

• gotten sweaty when

exercising?

• had goose bumps?

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I Know Your Body1

5 Senses 5 Senses and the Nervous System

Terms to Know

• acne – clogged pores on the skin

• dermis – inner layer of the skin

• epidermis – outer layer of the skin

• hair follicles – tiny pits where hair grows

• keratin – tough protein found in the skin, nails,

and hair

• melanin – substance that gives color to the skin

• oil glands – organs in the skin that make sebum,

or greasy fl uid

• pores – small openings on the surface of the skin

• sebum – greasy or oily fl uid made by oil glands

• sensory nerves – nerves that feel heat, cold,

pain, and pressure

• shivering – contracting of the muscles to help

warm the body

• skin – largest organ of the body

• sweat glands – organs in the skin that get rid of

water from the body

Things to Look For • Why acne happens

• What causes people to have different colored skin and freckles

• How our skin controls our body temperature

TOUCH AND SKIN

IV

Activity SheetsThree or more reproducible

activity sheets accompany

each lesson. Each of these

activities has been carefully

designed to reinforce student

learning of the objectives

while providing a variety of

formats. Many activities tap

into residual skills such as

organizing, categorizing,

reasoning, and analytical

thinking. Worksheets can be

used as individual assignments or as

collaborative activities for partners or small groups.

Review Sheets

Reproducible worksheets

that review key information

about the five senses and

the nervous system are also

included. These sheets help

prepare students for quizzes

and unit tests.

touchskin

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body9

5 Senses and the Nervous System

Directions: In each pair of sentences, cross out the false sentence. 1. a. Shivering helps keep the body warm. b. Shivering helps keep the body cool. 2. a. Sweat leaves the body through hair follicles.

b. Sweat leaves the body through pores. 3. a. The skin is the largest organ of the body. b. The brain is the largest organ of the body. 4. a. Oil glands make sebum. b. Oil glands make sweat. 5. a. The outer layer of the skin is the epidermis. b. The outer layer of the skin is the dermis. 6. a. Melanin causes skin color. b. Keratin causes skin color.

7. a. The hairs we see on our arms are live hair cells. b. The hairs we see on our arms are dead hair cells. 8. a. The dermis contains blood vessels and other skin structures.

b. The epidermis contains blood vessels and other skin structures. 9. a. Pores allow sweat and sebum to leave the skin. b. Sensory nerves allow sweat and sebum to leave the skin.10. a. Sebum is sweat. b. Sebum is an oily or greasy fl uid.11. a. Freckles are caused by melanin. b. Freckles are caused by sebum.12. a. As sweat evaporates, your body is cooled. b. As sebum evaporates, your body is cooled.

TELL THE TRUTH!

touchskin

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body6

5 Senses and the Nervous SystemNAME THAT PART

Directions: Use words from the word bank to label the parts of the skin.

Word Bank

dermis epidermis

hair follicle

pore sweat gland

oil gland

1 4

5

2

3

6

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body61

5 senses5 Senses and the Nervous System

Directions: Use a word from the word bank to label each part of the web below. Then, make a sketch for each body part to help you remember what organ goes with each sense.

Word Bank ears sight taste eyes skin tongue hearing smell touch nose

t

t

t

t

t

5 Senses

REVIEW ACTIVITY 2

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body57

5 senses5 Senses and the Nervous System

Directions: Use words from the word bank in each section to complete

the sentences.

Section 1Word Bank

dermis oil glands skin epidermis

pores sweat glands hair follicles

The largest organ of the body is the (1) ______________________, which

is made of two layers: the (2) ______________________ and the

(3) ______________________. Most of the structures of the skin are found

in the dermis. Sweat is produced by the (4) ______________________

and leaves your body through the (5) ______________________.

(6) ______________________ in your skin make sebum, an oily or greasy

fl uid that helps keep hair and skin soft. Hair grows from

(7) ______________________.

REVIEW ACTIVITY 1

Quizzes and Unit TestsTwo levels of assessment

are provided for measuring

mastery of the objectives.

Quizzes test key concepts

from each lesson. The unit

test covers all of the material

in the binder.

Two different types of quizzes

are included: fill-in-the-blank

and multiple-choice. Teachers

can choose the type of assessment that best

fits their students’ needs. Alternatively, one type of quiz can be used as a

pretest and the other as a posttest.

Answer Key

An answer key for every activity sheet,

review sheet, and quiz, as well as the unit

test, is provided in the back of the binder.

V

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body70

5 senses5 Senses and the Nervous System

Directions: Circle the words that correctly complete the sentences.1. The largest organ of the body is the (skin, brain).2. The skin is made up of two layers: the (epidermis, keratin) and the (dermis, melanin).

3. Sweat is made by the (oil glands, sweat glands) and leaves the body through your (sensory nerves, pores). 4. (Oil glands, Sweat glands) in your skin make sebum, an oily or greasy fl uid that helps keep hair and skin soft. 5. Hair grows from (hair follicles, pores).6. (Sebum, Acne) is caused by clogged pores.7. The scientifi c name for the oil on your face is (sweat, sebum).8. Skin color is caused by (melanin, keratin).

9. (Sweating, Running) helps control your body temperature.

TOUCH AND SKIN QUIZ—FORM B

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body69

5 senses5 Senses and the Nervous System

Directions: Use words from the word bank to complete the sentences.

Word Bank

acne melanin

skin

dermis oil glands sweat glands

epidermis pores

sweating

hair follicles sebum

1. The largest organ of the body is the ___________________.

2. The skin is made up of two layers: the ___________________ and

the ___________________.

3. Sweat is made by the ___________________ and leaves the body

through your ___________________.

4. ___________________ in your skin make sebum, an oily or greasy

fl uid that helps keep your hair and skin soft.

5. Hair grows from ___________________.

6. ___________________ is caused by clogged pores.

7. The scientifi c name for the oil on your face is ___________________.

8. Skin color is caused by ___________________.

9. ___________________ helps control your body temperature.

TOUCH AND SKIN QUIZ—FORM A

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body86

5 senses &nervousDirections: Match the senses to their main organ. ______ 1. hearing a. eyes______ 2. sight b. ears______ 3. smell c. nose______ 4. taste d. skin______ 5. touch e. tongue

Directions: Circle the words that correctly complete the sentences. 6. The largest organ of the body is the (heart, skin). 7. (Hearing, Nerves) carry electrical signals to your brain. 8. You have almost 9,000 taste buds on your (nasal passages, tongue). 9. Your nose is made of bone and fl exible (cartilage, tendons).10. The ear has two jobs. It helps you (hear, see) and helps you keep

your (temperature, balance). 11. The (cornea, iris) controls how much (light, color) enters the eye.12. (Sweat, Sebum) is produced by the sweat glands. Sebum, an oily or

greasy fl uid, is produced by the (oil, sweat) glands.13. Light enters the eye by fi rst passing through the (retina, cornea). 14. The smallest bones in the body are found in the (eye, ear). They are

the stirrup, anvil, and (humerus, hammer).15. (Mucus, Saliva) is the sticky substance found in the nose, while

(mucus, saliva) is the liquid in the mouth.

UNIT TEST—FORM B

5 Senses and the Nervous System

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I

Know Your Body83

5 senses &nervous

Directions: Match the senses to their main organ.

______ 1. hearing a. eyes

______ 2. sight b. ears

______ 3. smell c. nose

______ 4. taste d. skin

______ 5. touch e. tongue

Directions: Use words from the word bank to complete the sentences.

Word Bank

balance iris skin cartilage

light tongue hear nerves

6. The largest organ of the body is the ___________________.

7. ___________________ carry electrical signals to your brain.

8. You have almost 9,000 taste buds on your ___________________.

9. Your nose is made of bone and fl exible ___________________.

10. The ear has two jobs. It helps you ___________________ and helps

you keep your ___________________.

11. The ___________________ (colored part of the eye) controls how

much ___________________ enters the eye.F

UNIT TEST—FORM A5 Senses and the Nervous System

Form A

Form B

answer keyANSWER KEY

Know Your Body88

5 SENSES: TOUCH AND SKINNAME THAT PART

(page 6)

SPLIT SENTENCES(pages 7–8)

1. The skin is the largest organ of the body.

2. Keratin forms a tough, waterproof covering.

3. Sweat glands help get rid of water from the body.

4. Sweating helps control body temperature.

5. Sensory nerves feel heat, cold, pain, and pressure.

6. The outer layer of the skin is the epidermis.

7. Oil glands make sebum.

8. The inner layer of the skin is the dermis.

9. Acne is caused by clogged pores.

10. Skin color is caused by melanin.

TELL THE TRUTH!(page 9)

Letters of correct sentences:

1. a 7. b

2. b 8. a

3. a 9. a

4. a 10. b

5. a 11. a

6. a 12. a

3

5

6

4

1

2

epidermis

dermis

porehair follicleoil gland

sweat gland

There are two forms of the unit

test. Form A includes word banks

and fill-in-the-blank test items.

Form B asks students to choose

and circle the correct answer from

two possible choices. Teachers

should administer the form that

best fits their students’ abilities.

VI

objectivesOBJECTIVES

After completing this unit in the Know Your Body series, students will be

able to

• list the five senses and their major organs.

• identify the structures of the skin.

• explain how acne can be prevented.

• tell what causes skin color and freckles.

• describe how sweating helps the body.

• identify the structures of the eye.

• compare a camera with the eye.

• explain how sound waves traveling through the air vibrate our eardrums to produce sound.

• identify the structures of the outer, middle, and inner ear.

• explain why we sound funny when we listen to ourselves on a tape or recorded message.

• list the four scents our noses can detect.

• identify the structures of the nose.

• explain how taste and smell are connected.

• list the four flavors the taste buds respond to.

• explain how stimuli and impulses are related to nerves.

• explain why the central nervous system is important to our bodies.

• identify the three parts of the brain and what each part controls.

• explain how to treat frostbite.

• differentiate between the three degrees of burns, and the treatment needed for each.

• explain how to prevent sunburn.

• understand the types of acne and how to treat breakouts.

• describe how to treat a black eye and a bloody nose.

suggestions activitiesTEACHING SUGGESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Teaching Suggestions

• This binder is designed to be a complete unit with basic information on

the five senses and the nervous system.

• Science is best taught in an interactive manner. Please read and discuss

the material as a class whenever possible.

• While the text maintains a 3.0–5.0 reading level in general, critical

science terminology has been included and raises the technical

reading level of the text. Scientific terms are highlighted and defined

at the beginning of each lesson. When teaching and reviewing the

vocabulary, use a variety of interactive activities to help students better

comprehend the text. For example:

a. Divide the class into two teams. Give a definition to one team.

The team must correctly identify and spell the vocabulary

word. Continue to give definitions to that team until a word is

incorrectly identified or spelled. Then, give the second team

a turn at receiving definitions. Teams receive a point for each

correct answer. The game ends after all the vocabulary words

have been matched to definitions or after a predetermined

number of points has been reached by one team.

b. Create bingo cards using a 5 x 5 grid. Label the rows 1, 2, 3, 4,

and 5. Label the columns A, B, C, D, and E. Distribute one bingo

card to each student. Read a definition and a grid location.

Instruct students to write the correct vocabulary word in the

correct grid location. The first student who completes a row

or column wins the game.

c. Play a game of vocabulary charades. Assign each vocabulary

word to a different pair of students, and have the partners

illustrate the word’s meaning on an overhead transparency.

VII

Then, provide time for each pair to show its transparency to

the class. Ask the class to guess which vocabulary word is

being illustrated. The presenting pair may not speak or give

hints to the class.

• Do a variety of high-interest, hands-on activities so students will learn

that science can be fun.

• Use hand motions and “silly” things to help students remember

important facts.

• Watch for cartoons and articles in the newspaper that can be used to

show that the different systems of the human body do have an effect

on everyday life.

Additional Activities for 5 Senses and the Nervous System

1. Create lists showing the primary function and parts for each of the

five sensory organs. Label the lists: Ear, Eye, Nose, Tongue, and Skin.

Under each organ, list its primary function and the related parts you

feel are most important for your students to know. For example:

Ear—Primary Function: hearing Related Parts: pinna, auditory canal, eardrum, 3 small bones, semicircular canals, cochlea, auditory nerve, eustachian tube

Eye—Primary Function: seeing Related Parts: lens, pupil, cornea, retina, rods, cones, optic nerve, iris

Nose—Primary Function: smelling Related Parts: nostrils, nasal passages, mucus, olfactory nerve

Tongue—Primary Function: tasting Related Parts: taste buds, sour, sweet, bitter, salty, saliva

Skin—Primary Function: touching Related Parts: epidermis, dermis, oil gland, hair follicle,

sweat gland, pore, hair

VIII

Format the lists so you can easily cut each one apart into two. The first

part should have the sensory organ name and its primary function. The

second part should include the related parts. Give small groups of

students both parts of all five original lists. Then, have the groups match

each sense organ to its related parts. For an additional challenge, cut

the lists into three parts: the name of each organ, its primary function,

and its related parts. Have the students work to match each organ to

its primary function and its related parts.

2. Point out that everyone’s eyes have a blind spot. If an object is in a

person’s blind spot, he or she cannot see the object. Have students

find their blind spots with this simple task. Tell them to draw two

symbols on a piece of paper: an addition sign on the left and a filled-in

circle on the right. Instruct them to leave about 2.5 inches between

the symbols. Then, have students cover their left eyes and look at the

addition symbol with their right eyes. Tell them to slowly move the

paper closer to their right eyes. Explain that when the dot disappears,

students will have found their blind spots. Encourage students to repeat

this activity using their left eyes to determine if their blind spots are in

the same place for both eyes.

3. Are your eyes playing tricks on you? Optical illusions are a great way to

show students that what the brain thinks it sees is not always what the

eyes are looking at. Download the picture Young Girl or Old Woman

from the Internet and show it to your students. Discuss why some of

them see a young girl and others see an old woman. For additional fun

with optical illusions, display art works by M.C. Escher and talk about

how the mind can be tricked into seeing what is not actually drawn.

4. Amaze your students with these brain-sized comparisons and facts.

Gather eight medium-sized apples, a full-sized newspaper page, a

grapefruit, and a bowl of light-pink gelatin. Display the objects in the

front of the room. Ask students to guess the answers to the following

questions. Then, share the correct answers with the class.

a. How much does the human brain weigh? (Answer: about 3

pounds, or the weight of 6 apples.)

IX

X

b. How much does a newborn baby’s brain weigh? (Answer:

about 1 pound, or the weight of 2 apples.)

c. About how big would the cerebral cortex be if laid out flat?

(Answer: about the size of a newspaper page.)

d. Name two things you think would be about the same size as

the human brain? (Answer: a grapefruit, or 2 fists put together.)

e. If you could see the brain, what would it look like? (Answer: the

pink gelatin, or a pinkish-gray, jelly-like ball.)

5. Purchase a model of a brain from an educational products store or web

site to give students an idea of the actual size and look of the brain.

Suggested Resources

A visual dictionary/encyclopedia of the human body is a useful companion

to the Know Your Body series. Such a resource will help provide answers

to additional questions. It is also a good way for students to see the details

of the body that are not covered in this program. The following books

are recommended:

William, Francis. (1997). Human Body. NY: Dorling Kindersley Ltd.

(part of the Inside Guides series).

Parker, Steve. (1992). Human Body. NY: Dorling Kindersley Ltd.

(part of the Eyewitness Explorers series).

Walls, Byrn. (1991). The Visual Dictionary of the Human Body.

NY: Dorling Kindersley, Ltd. (part of the Eyewitness Visual

Dictionaries series).

research and standards

XI

RESEARCH AND STANDARDS

The amount of learning that takes place in content areas is directly related

to a student’s level of reading skills. In general, the better the reader is,

the higher the student achievement in the content area. Students with

below-grade-level reading skills often flounder when faced with complex

sentence structures. Vocabulary becomes a major deterrent to students’

mastery of the content when the words are presented with complicated

and lengthy definitions. As Sousa states, “The students’ lack of confidence

in reading can affect all their school work” (2001). In fact, scientific

literacy is now seen as a requirement for building scientific knowledge

(Torres-Vasquez and Rodriguez, 2005).

To meet the needs of these struggling secondary readers in science, PCI

has revised the Know Your Body series. Sentences have been written

using simple structures, and sentence length has been kept to a minimum.

Vocabulary words have been given clear and concise definitions. Most

importantly, lessons have been written so that reading comprehension

skills and science content intertwine. Explicit objectives for each lesson

are provided in “Things to Look For,” which helps students establish a

purpose for reading. Prior knowledge and predictions are elicited through

discussions of the “Terms to Know” and “Have You Ever” features on the

first page of each lesson (Dimino and Kolar, 1990). By combining these

metacognitive strategies, research has shown that reading comprehension,

both literal and inferential, can be significantly improved as shown by

scores on standardized assessments (Nolan, 1991).

In addition, the Know Your Body series meets the content standards for

middle school students set by the National Academy of Science. The

following are applicable points from Content Standard F:

“As a result of activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop [an]

understanding of personal health.”

“By middle school students begin to realize that illness can be caused

by various factors, such as . . . malfunctioning of organs and organ

systems, health habits, and environmental conditions. Students in grades

5–8 tend to focus on physical more than mental health. They associate

health with food and fitness more than with other factors such as safety

and substance abuse. One very important issue for teachers in grades

5–8 is overcoming students’ perceptions that most factors related to

health are beyond their control.”

“Developing a scientific understanding of health is the focus of this

standard. Healthy behaviors and other aspects of health education

are introduced in other parts of school programs.”

Dimino, J. and C. Kolar (1990, November). Using Frames to Improve At-Risk Students' Comprehension in the Content Areas. http://searcheric.org/ericdb/ED331015.htm

The National Academy of Science. “National Science Education Standards: An Overview.” The National Academics Press, 2004. http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/overview.html#content

Nolan, Thomas E. (1991, October). Self-Questioning and Prediction: Combining Metacognitive Strategies. Journal of Reading, 35, 132–138.

Sousa, D. A. (2001). How the Special Needs Brain Learns. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Torres-Vasquez, D. and D. Rodriguez (2005). Mathematics & Science Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Paper delivered, CEC Convention, Baltimore, MD.

XII

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I Know Your Body2

What are the Five Senses?

We use our five senses all the time. The

senses are touch, sight, hearing, smell,

and taste.

Without our senses, life would be

much less enjoyable. Food would not

have flavor without taste and smell.

Without our sense of touch, sandpaper would feel the same as rabbit fur.

We wouldn’t be able to hear a baby giggle, a bird sing, or the siren of an

ambulance without our sense of hearing. If we could not see, we wouldn’t

know how many different colors there are in the world around us.

In the next several lessons, you will learn about each of the five senses,

starting with the sense of touch.

The Body’s Largest Organ

Your sense of touch happens through the largest organ of the body, the

skin. Your skin can identify four different feelings: heat, cold, pain, and

pressure. In addition to the sense of touch, your skin does many other

important things. It helps control your body temperature. The skin also

acts like a sandwich bag. It keeps harmful substances like bacteria and

dirt on the outside, away from your internal organs and fluids.

The skin has two layers. The outer layer is the epidermis. The epidermis

is made of dead cells and keratin. Keratin is a tough protein found in

skin, nails, and hair. The hardened cells of the epidermis overlap to form

a tough, almost waterproof covering. These cells are easily knocked off

when touched. This is why skin can look dry.

The inner layer, the dermis, is the living section of the skin. The living cells

in the dermis are always dividing in order to replace the dead cells in the

epidermis. New cells push the older cells upward. By the time they reach

the surface, these older cells are dead and pressed into a flat shape.

Together, the dermis and the epidermis are only as thick as this line:_____.

Have You Ever …

• had a pimple?

• gotten sweaty when

exercising?

• had goose bumps?

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I Know Your Body3

Skin Structures

The dermis contains many other structures. This layer has blood vessels,

hair follicles, sweat glands, oil glands, and fatty tissue. In the dermis are

the endings of sensory nerves that allow us to feel heat, cold, pain,

and pressure.

Across the top of the epidermis are a series of small openings. These

pores allow sweat and sebum to leave the skin.

Hair grows from hair follicles or tiny pits in the skin. Only the hair in the

dermis is alive. The hairs we see are the shafts or remains of dead hair

cells. Each hair follicle has a tiny muscle that contracts, or gets smaller,

when you feel cold or when you experience emotions such as fear.

The follicles also have oil glands that produce an oily fluid called sebum.

Sebum keeps the hair shafts and skin soft.

pore

sweat gland

epidermis

hair follicle

oil glanddermis

hair

touchskin

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I Know Your Body6

5 Senses and the Nervous System

NAME THAT PART

Directions: Use words from the word bank to label the parts of the skin.

Word Bank

dermis epidermis hair follicle

pore sweat gland oil gland

1

4

52

3

6

touchskin

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I Know Your Body7

5 Senses and the Nervous System

Directions: Make 10 true sentences about the skin. Draw a line from the

first half of each sentence in List A to the second half in List B. Write each

statement on the lines on the following page.

List A

1. The skin

2. Keratin

3. Sweat glands

4. Sweating

5. Sensory nerves

6. The outer layer

7. Oil glands

8. The inner layer

9. Acne is caused

10. Skin color is caused

List B

• by melanin.

• is the largest organ of the body.

• of the skin is the dermis.

• feel heat, cold, pain, and pressure.

• by clogged pores.

• make sebum.

• forms a tough, waterproof covering.

• of the skin is the epidermis.

• helps control body temperature.

• help get rid of water from the body.

SPLIT SENTENCES

touchskin

Name_____________________________________________________ Date________________________

R E P R O D U C I B L EP C I Know Your Body8

5 Senses and the Nervous System

1. ________________________________________________________

_ ________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

6. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

7. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

8. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

9. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

10. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

SPLIT SENTENCESpage 2