Flashcards...word cards...sorting cards... Call them what you want, they are my go-to hands-on learning material. Too much? Perhaps. But my boys never complain about it. So I shall continue using this method.
Over several days, we did the following:
- We discussed vocabulary words like bones, joints, and cartilage.
- The boys matched up the word cards to the pictures.
- Then I let them stick the word card to the proper spot on the skeleton.
I have this great poster that came with the book Explore and Learn: Me and My Body. (Volume 5, The Southwestern Company, Nashville, TN, 2011) It is continually displayed on our wall. It was a great opportunity for the boys to match the name to the correct spot on the boys' body, via sticky tack.
[If you're interested in finding this book--part of a set of 6--you can find used and new copies on the internet. Try Amazon for starters. This book set is typically sold by college students during summer vacation as part of Southwestern's program, which is how I found it.]
I also drew sketches on the board to help the boys understand joints and cartilage. [I explained ligaments but didn't expect them to learn that word. They simply asked if our bones were connected. They asked; I answered.]
Teachers Pay Teachers
While I had managed to put together a small packet of my own for the skeletal system, I knew I needed something bigger and better for the rest of the body. I simply didn't have the time to delve into it myself.
This is the wonderful thing about the website Teachers Pay Teachers. There are so many teachers out there who have created fantastic products! So I went to my fellow teachers and found a great hands-on packet to supplement our lessons.
Ashlyn Ellsworth from The Creative Classroom has this wonderful Body Systems packet for a very reasonable price. Trust me, you'll get your money's worth out of this! My boys love their Doctor's Bag Folders (step-by-step instructions are provided). They enjoy the different booklets and fact sheets they get to put inside.
My Skeletal System Packet
In the following days, I'll put the finishing touches on my Skeletal Systems packet and add it to my TpT store. Your students will be able to match the Word Cards to the Picture Cards, label their My Skeleton worksheet, and review the Skeletal System Vocabulary via a worksheet.