LESSON 5: The Body Systems Game

LESSON: The Body Systems Game
HEALTH STANDARD:

Students will:

comprehend health promotion and disease prevention concepts. (1)

OBJECTIVES:

For fifth grade students to describe how body systems are interrelated, so that when playing the body systems game, they will be able to identify the system and its’ components with 100% accuracy.
For fifth grade students to define the circulatory system, digestive system, respiratory system, nervous system, and skeletal system, so when given a multiple-choice test on these body systems, they will be able to respond with 100% accuracy.
While working in groups, fifth grade students will define each system and state the parts within each, so when asked to verbally group the parts by system, they will be able to do so with 100% accuracy.
For fifth grade students to compose/create a song about ways to care for their bodies.

MATERIALS:

Body systems/parts 4x6 index cards
Definition posters
Tape
Outline of lesson/Directions
Chart paper
Pens, pencils and markers
Examples of songs

VOCABULARY:

Body System- a group of body organs that work together to perform certain functions.

Circulatory System- the body system that provides all body tissues with a regular supply of oxygen and nutrients and carries away carbon dioxide and waste products. Included in this system are the heart, arteries, veins, and blood.

Digestive System- the body system that breaks food down into chemicals that the body can use for energy and to maintain cells and tissues. Included in this system are the stomach, liver, small intestine and large intestine.

Respiratory System- the body system responsible for carrying oxygen from the air to the bloodstream and for expelling the waste product carbon dioxide. Included in this system are the lungs, bronchial tubes, alveoli, and bronchi.

Nervous System- the body system that gathers information from the external environment, stores, and processes it, and initiates appropriate responses. Included in this system are the brain axons, dendrites, and neurons.

Skeletal System- the body system to support the body and to help protect internal soft tissues of the body. Included in this system are the bones, kneecap, ribs, and skull.

PROCEDURES:

Introduction:

Review vocabulary terms with the students.

Introduce the name of the game: The Body Systems Game.

Explain that the game is a tool for them to learn about 5 different body systems and their parts.

Tell the students the objective of the game is for them to guess what is printed on the card on their backs.

Game:

Have the students form a single line on one side of you.
When they come up to you, they are to turn their backs so that you can hang a card with a name of a body system or the name of a part of that body system on their backs.

Explain that they will not know what part of the body system is taped on their backs.
When they approach other students, they are to turn their backs so the person can read the card.
Then the person will turn and ask a question.

However, only a question that receives a "yes" or "no" response can be asked.

For example, a student cannot approach another student and ask, "Am I above or below the waist?" Rather, the student is to ask, "Am I above the waist?"
After receiving an answer, the student must then approach another person.

Explain that only one question is allowed to be asked each person.

Explain that when the word on the back is correctly identified, that student is to move the card to the front of his/her body. (This will indicate to others that the student guessed what was printed on his/her card.

However, this student must still be available to help others who have not guessed what is on their backs.

When most of the students have guessed what is on the card on their backs, stop the activity.

Ask the students who have not guessed what is on their backs to now take their cards and move them to their fronts.

Explain to the students that they each belong to one of five groups.
Without being allowed to talk, have students sort themselves into the groups to which they belong.

Have the students assemble across the room so that the groups are distinct.

After the students assemble into groups, explain that you helped them assemble themselves into body systems by printing the names of the body systems in red and the names of the parts of each body system in green.

Have the students tell the rest of the class what parts are in each body system group.

Conclusion/Additional Activity:

Explain that each group is going to have a task to perform.
Tell students that they are going to look at ways to care for the body system their group represents.

They can introduce any health facts they desire but these facts must be presented as lyrics to a song.

For example, students may sing about a body system using the lyrics they have written and singing to the tune of a popular song or nursery rhyme.

Tell the students that they will have fifteen minutes to prepare.

Explain that they are to think of a name for their group and a title for their song.

For example, "The name of our group is Denny and the Dendrites and we are here today to sing the newest single from our CD titled ‘I’m Nervous About That Impulse.’"

Their song is to be from eight to ten lines in length.

An example of lyrics may go:

The nervous system has a brain.
If I touch something sharp, I’ll feel the pain
Hot and cold, soft and rough.
When my nervous system is healthy, I sure am tough.

Have each group present its song.

Use the information with the class to review facts about the care of the different body systems.

EVALUATION:

Play the game again but, this time, make sure students have different cards. Compare the length of time it took for students to guess what was on their backs and get into groups the second time you did this activity with the first time. Assess how ac curate the students were in selecting into groups. This will give you the opportunity to determine how familiar students are with the different body parts and the body systems to which they belong. Additionally, you can also assign students another body system. Have them write at least five facts about that body system and include at least one way to care for that body system.

Multiple choice questions can be developed to assess the students’ knowledge of the body systems and parts.

Have the students verbally define the body systems and state the parts of the systems.

Have the students present the songs that they created/composed. Assess the students on their ability to follow the song/lyric guidelines.

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