Science Update

Our unit on Body Systems is finally coming to an end this week on Friday! By now I hope you have been told and saw for yourself in your child's planner we have a test on this Thursday and Friday. Due to the length and depth of this unit I decided to break this test up into 2 parts. On Thursday the students will take part 1, which covers the Skeletal, Muscular, Respiratory and Circulatory systems. On Friday they will take part 2, which covers the Digestive, Excretory, and Nervous systems. Each student received a pink study guide that needs to be signed acknowledging that they have studied.

Thanks for your cooperation!

Teaching this unit has been so amazing! I had not thought about the functions of many of these systems since my college courses. I think that the students had as much fun as I did discussing the miraculous events that happen simultaneously in our bodies everyday. Hopefully your child has shared some of the fun facts they have learned.

For each system we labeled the main parts of that system. They made detailed drawings of some of the major organs, such as the heart.

We also made other tools to help the students better understand the system and how it works. We made circulation wheels.

We conducted taste tests to better understand how our taste buds work.

We ate different foods to see how the enzymes in our saliva break down the foods we eat to make them more easily digested in our intestines.

We experimented with water and vinegar to better understand how water and gastric juices further break down food and prepare it for digestion.

We did an experiment with our breath rate to help us better understand how a relaxed breathing rate differs from an active breath rate. We also applied some of our knowledge of algebraic equations to determine an average of how many breaths we take in a minute, a hour, a day, and a year.

We made study packets to help review and organize all the fascinating information we have learned! Be sure to look through and enjoy your child's packets on Body Systems!