Body System: Our Skeletal System Exploration

Monday, November 3, 2014 - Leave a Comment

Friends~Today I jumped into the word of body systems!

At my new school, I am using a new curriculum called Core Knowledge. It has taken some work to get a handle on it but I am really feeling good about our body systems unit this week.

In first grade, we just touch on many subjects to help build prior knowledge for more complex study in older grades. Body systems is one of those subjects that we get to introduce our little learners to.

Today we focused on the skeletal system. I of course wanted to bring this unit alive for my students!

I started by collecting my supplies. Rubber gloves, masks, and Dr. hats. I created baggies for each student and labeled each piece with my student's numbers.

I also grabbed these skeletons from the Dollar Store last week! Just before Halloween! They worked perfectly.

The skeletons were placed in my teammate's room on large tables while our students discussed what a system was in my room.

Look at these cuties!

The best part about this activity is the only real teaching before my students observed the skeletons was about a system. A set of things or parts forming a whole. We brainstormed some systems and I was amazed with what they came up with.

Just as we finished our discussion on systems, my phone rang. I answered it and put it on speaker. One of our awesome 2nd grade teachers called to let us know ALL doctors were needed in the other room.
You should have seen their faces! One of the kiddos said, "This is serious!"

Watch my kiddos in action below! They were directed to only observe what was on the tables. They made a sketch of what they saw and then wrote about their observations. They were also looking for the important parts of the system and tried to name it.