The human body, body systems/structures, diet and exercise, research, inquiry, health.

In this lesson, fourth grade Physical Education teacher
and Science teachers discuss how different body systems (structures)
serve different functions and how a human’s behavior (diet and
exercise) can affect these body systems. Teachers collaborate with
the teacher librarian to begin work on a research project in which
each student will choose a body system to research. In the library,
the teacher librarian will help students to choose a topic and find
resources for their topic.

Physical Education teacher, Science teacher

60 minutes

1

• Large mystery boxes
• Computers/laptops for student use
• Information resources (books, encyclopedias, websites, etc.)
• about body systems
• “Stations” handout (SM1_MoveThatBody)
• Index cards with physical tasks written on them (for each
• station)
• “Information Resources” handout (SM2_MoveThatBody)
• Skeleton outfit
• CD Player
• “Dem Bones” song

Introduction
Direct Instruction:

When students arrive, TL will be dressed in a skeleton outfit and the song “Dem Bones” will be playing in the background. Each table in the school library will have a large box with question marks on it and a number. At each table there will
also be two computers. TL will stop the music and ask students what they’ve been learning in their science and PE classes. The TL will reveal that they will be doing research projects about different body systems.

 

Body
Direct Instruction:

TL will explain to the students that they will be working on choosing a topic today, as well as selecting different information resources. She will present the learning objectives for the day. She will also reveal that the next activity will
revolve around choosing a body system to research. This activity will be presented as a way for students to make a choice about which topic to research. Looking at resources for several different topics should help students decide which topic interests them most.

Modeling and Guided Practice:

TL will break students into groups of four and model how to travel and accomplish tasks at each station. Each group will begin at one of the stations. At each station there will be resources available about one type of body system (circulatory, skeletal, respiratory, muscular, and nervous). Students will
spend about five minutes at each station and fill out the corresponding part of the “Stations” handout by finding a fact about that station’s body system. Students will cite where they found the information in the handout.

Independent Practice:

While visiting each station, students will note the index ard (which they should not look at until TL puts the music on). When it is time to move stations, the TL will play Dem Bones” again. Students at each table/station will read
the index card together, giving them a locomotive or non locomotive movement to do. They will move in the instructed way to the next station. Once all student groups have visited  all of the stations, they will gather back together to fill out the last part of the “Stations” handout, which asks them which
body system they have chosen to focus their research on. The teacher librarian will remind them that they do not necessarily have to choose one of the body systems from the activity.

 

Independent Practice:
The TL will form a class list of resources that the library can offer for this project. Students will have about fifteen minutes to explore the information
resources in the library. Students will need to find at least three resources that were not already used in the stations activity. At least one source must be an online source. Students will fill out another handout (“Information Resources” handout) about these resources and why they chose them.

Conclusion
Sharing and Reflecting:

The class will meet together and share some of the sources they found.