Topic: How do we move

Author: Zyta Sendecka

Note! It is best to organise the lesson on two subsequent lessons (preferably in a block).

Target group

Students of the 4th grade of an elementary school.

Core curriculum

4th grade

IV. Me and my body. The student:

1) lists the systems that build the human body: skeletal, respiratory, digestive, circulatory, reproductive and nervous systems, and gives their basic functions;

2) shows the systems that build the human body and the sensory organs on a board, a model and own body.

The general aim of education

The students identify basic elements of the skeletal system (skeleton) and describe the functions of the skeleton and muscles.

Criteria of success

• Name the organ systems necessary to move;

• show and name 10 skeletal bones in the human body;

• build a hand/finger model;

• indicate joints: shoulder, hip, elbow and knee;

• describe muscle work and the role of tendons when bending the upper limb.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue;

• communication in a foreign language;

• mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Methods / techniques

Conversation, work with text, and workshop work.

Individual work.

Teaching aids

• abstract;

• interactive or traditional board;

• tablets/computers;

• human skeleton.

After the „Your body” lesson, the teacher asks the students to bring the hand‑drawn figures with the human body systems to the lesson.

Before the lesson, the teacher prepares a table with eight organ systems that build the human body on a whiteboard.

What is more, the students bring lined paper, scissors, a ruler, a sticker, two paper clips, 45 cm of string.

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher asks the students to look closely at the figures and choose the system/systems that are necessary for a person to move. Then, the teacher asks the students to come to the board and mark the selected system/systems in a table. The teacher saves the filled table.

2. The teacher gives the topic, the goal of the lesson in a language understandable for the student, and the criteria of success.

Realization

1. The teacher uses the graphic entitled „Human skeletal system” to familiarize the students with the basic elements of the skeleton.

2. Then, the students perform an interactive task themselves.

3. Then, the teacher asks the chosen student to indicate the selected bone on the skeleton model or name the bone the teacher indicates.

4. The teacher asks the students to build a finger/hand model by themselves according to the instructions presented in the film.

5. The teacher asks the chosen student to demonstrate the model and explain the role of tendons and muscle functions during movement. In case of doubts, the teacher refers the students to the content of the abstract.

Summary

1. The teacher displays the table with the eight organ systems that build the human body and marked student indications. The students discuss if the indications are correct.

2. The teacher asks the students to do the exercises themselves: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

3. The teacher asks the students to finish the sentence:

On today's lesson I liked...

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

How do we move?

For many years, robot designers have been trying to create a machine that would walk on two legs with equal agility and efficiency as humans. We are able to walk and run thanks to a complicated and precise machinery – the musculoskeletal system.

When we talk about movement, we usually mean getting from one place to another. In reality, bending your finger or nodding your head is also movement. All these actions would not be possible without the musculoskeletal system. It consists of the skeleton, i.e. the bones, and of muscles. This design enables us to move from place to place and to grab various objects.

An adult person’s skeleton comprises of 206 bones. Some of the substances they are built of – like mineral salts – may also be found in rocks! This composition enables bones to withstand big loads and support the whole body. At the same time they are flexible, which makes them hard to break. All bones combined form a system: the skeleton. It comprises of the following elements: skull, spine, ribcage, pelvis, upper limbs and lower limbs. Skeleton supports the entire body, provides its shape and protects internal organs, e.g. the skull protect the brain and the ribcage protects lungs and heart.

Bones in human skeleton may be fused together, e.g. in the skull, or mobile, e.g. in limbs. Mobile bone connections are called joints; joints are connections of two or more bones that enable certain movements. Some joints, such as elbow and knee joints, allow only bending and straightening of the connected bones, whereas others allow to perform rotational movements, e.g. the hip and shoulder joint (which consist of the ball and socket joints).

In order for us to move, the bones must be set in motion. We need muscles to do this. Muscles enable various parts of the body to be moved and also enable other movements, e.g.:

• neck muscles keep out head straight;

• chest muscles enable breathing;

• muscles of the back and abdomen help us keep upright posture;

• abdominal muscles also let us bend and rotate our torso and move our hips.

Muscles can flex, but they are unable to extend. Therefore, they usually work in pairs where flexing of one muscle extends the other. Such pairs are called antagonistic muscles. One muscle in a pair is called flexor, and the other extensor.

• Man moves thanks to the locomotor system.

• The locomotor system is formed by the skeleton (skeletal system) and muscles.

• The skeleton consists of: skull, spine, chest, pelvis, skeleton of upper limbs and skeleton of lower limbs.

• The bones can be joined together or connected in a moveable way by means of joints.

• Muscles are responsible for moving various parts of our body.