Websites
Biodigitalhuman
Grades 7-12+
Biodigitalhuman.com has a full 3D human body where you can
dissect the body and create cross sections, create labels for quizzes, zoom in
and rotate body parts to see things easier. This site even has a quiz engine
where students can test their knowledge of the human body. This is a free site,
but it does require that you sign up for the service. This is a wonderful site
that could be used by grades past 7th grade. You may be able to use
it for earlier grades in demos, but in order for students to use this site by
themselves I would not go younger than that. I would use when teaching students
about the human body and show them how the skeletal system works in combination
with other organ systems.
Hillendale Health
Grades 5-12+
This site is great for student’s young as fifth grade. It
has a lot of great information on how many bones are in the human body, how
each bone was named, what the bones are made, etc. It has a lot of great
diagrams of various bone structures and cross sections. This site also has a
basic quiz for students to practice and assess their knowledge. I would use
this site in addition to other materials I give them.
Inner Body
Grades 8-12+
This site is really good for older students. I like that
this site allows you to choose which organ system you want to focus on and then
has anatomy terms for students to highlight and read more information on. It
also has a diagram of the organ system with various green focal points. When
the cursor highlights the green point it gives the student the full name of the
bone and which bones it connects to. I would use this as a supplemental material
for students to use on their own or in a project.
Skeletal System
Grades 8-12+
This is a wonderful website that has a lot of wonderful pictures.
This website would be useful for additional pictures of various bones and ways
to see the skeletal system. It has the bones separated between upper and lower
limbs as well as the vertebral and thoracic bones. I would use this with older
students as younger ones would just look at the pictures.
NeoK12
Grades 7-12+
This website does not have a lot of new information. However,
it does have a lot of videos, quizzes, pictures, and even games for students to
see and play. This could work with younger students if structured properly.
Games
Learn the skeletal
system/ label the bones
Grades 5-12+
This is a fun online game where students can create a
skeletal system or label the bones. I found the games to be pretty fun. Older
students would see it as a review type activity, while younger students would
see it as a game. The controls are simple and the results seem to be great for
the ages.
Skeletal System Game
Grades 5-12+
This is a simple game where students click and drag bone
structure names to their corresponding pictures on a skeleton. It would be
useful when used as a review for older students and as an activity for younger
students. When you get an answer right it makes a jingle and a little fairy
flies in with a sign saying you were right. It also makes a negative buzz when
you get an answer incorrect.
Skeletal System
Grades 8-12+
This game is amazing. You press start and a timer starts.
Then the game tells you which bones on a skeletal system diagram you are supposed
to identify. It will give you hints if you get the answers wrong. The game keeps
track of you correct percentage and your time. At the end of the game, when you
correctly identify all the skeletal parts the timer stops and it ranks your
skills with others around the world. Overall, I found this game extremely fun
and I wanted to keep playing to increase my time and score.
Whack-A-Bone
Grades 7-12+
This is a fun game that has students build various bone
collections. I built an arm using the various bones in the arms. It is timed and
also keeps track of your score. Once you reach 80% score on one part of the
game you unlock other areas and you can keep playing. I found this game to be a
lot of fun. I would use this with students who know what the bones are and their
relative position in the human body.
Skeletal System Jigsaw
puzzle
Grades3-12+
This is a fun game for visual learners who love puzzles. You
rearrange puzzle pieces until you complete the puzzle. The pieces are jumbled
up very nicely in a way that requires the person to think and even rotate pieces
on occasion. The skeletal system diagram also has the names of the bones so
students can use that to determine where pieces should go.
Books
Bones: our skeletal
system
Grades 5-12
This is a wonderful book for younger students and ELL
students. There are a lot of wonderful pictures and some good information. I
would use this with lower grades and ELL students. I really like this book and
it serves as an excellent introduction to the skeletal system to younger
students.
Simon, S. (2000). Bones: Our skeletal system.
New York: Morrow Junior Books.
The muscular system
manual, the skeletal muscles of the human body
Grades 7-12+
I really like this book. It can be good for younger
students, but it should probably accompany an activity. Older students would
benefit the most from this book as it has a lot of information, but also has a
lot of pictures regarding various skeletal structures and functions.
Muscolino, J. E. (2010). The
muscular system manual, the skeletal muscles of the human body. Mosby.
Video
The Skeletal System:
Skeletal Joints
Grades 8-12+
This is a great video for older students. It is a vodcast on
the skeletal system and focuses on joints. There is a lot of information in the
video, but it would be very effective with guided notes to go along with the
video. It has video for visual learners and audio for auditory learners.
The Skeletal System
Grades 9-12+
This video would be best used with high school students. The
content is wonderful, but may be too advanced for middle school students. The
author also has a vast number of videos on various other scientific concepts
such as photosynthesis and Hardy Weinberg problems. This is a good video that
would be great with guided notes.
Bill Nye the Science
Guy – “Bones In My Body”
Grades 3-12+
This is a fun video/song that is catchy and includes a lot of
information that can be good for all student levels. High school students may
find it cheesy but will enjoy it as much as younger students. This was a lot of
fun and catchy! Did I mention I found it fun and catchy?
I think the more pictures, animations, and interactions that students can have with the skeletal system, the better they can understand it. Using some of these resources in the classroom would thoroughly enhance the students knowledge and make the system come alive.
ReplyDeleteI like that you have a variety of books, games, websites and videos. There is a lot of really interactive stuff going on in this text set. I really like the 3D dissection tool. It takes me back to my undergrad days and my short foray into the world of forensic anthropology. I really enjoyed this sort of stuff until I realized that these people were alive at one-time. I'm okay as long as it all stays abstract and theoretical, but once it becomes too realistic, I'm done. I think that this could be a challenge for science teachers since teachers are supposed to be relevant, authentic, and real-world but you don't want to lose students if they can't deal with the gross stuff. But I didn't get grossed out once looking through here. (That's supposed to be a compliment.)Thanks for reminding me that this sort of stuff can be fun!
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