G7 physiology and G8 anatomy Teaching G7 physiology and G8 anatomy is a challenge in the Waldorf classroom! There really are not many resources on it. I have had to myself compile ideas from various sources such as my own textbooks and online journals. Then, I added my own layer of ideas and imaginations - after all, that is what Rudolf Steiner had expected we would do in our teaching! Whether you are teaching in a classroom for your students or in a home school for your children, you might find this post with an outline for blocks useful as a starting point. I have included in this post the five key elements of the physiology or anatomy blocks. I then list four concepts within each of the four systems for physiology and anatomy. In this way, you will have a guideline for a four-week block. Most likely, you will conceive of your block in your own special way to meet your beautiful students. I have updated this blog post to include a link to an eBook I wrote that addresses the topic of reproduction. You might find it helpful in opening a conversation with your teen! The eBook contains illustrations and a week's worth of ideas for a lesson on the reproductive system. Click on the photo here. "Let's Talk Biology and Biography" eBook Be Authentic, Enthusiastic, Interested, Open, and Understanding. Tie in the Artistic, Musical, Performance, Language Arts. Use your own brand of teaching and skill set to infuse the science blocks with vibrant life! THE FIVE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE BLOCK 1. THEME. In the arc of your year, each block has some kind of underlying theme or message you want to convey. With anatomy, for instance, my theme combined the geometry of the cylinder and the social value of standing on solid ground. The umbrella themes for the upper grades are WELLNESS, SELF-IDENTITY, and HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. 2. PERSONAL RELEVANCE. Draw the children in with how learning about their bodies is important to each of them specifically. 3. HISTORICAL OR BIOGRAPHICAL CONNECTION. Acknowledge the work of historical figures who have contributed to the study and progress of the concepts, and those where anatomy or physiology play an important role in their lives. 4. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS. These are the actual science concepts you wish to introduce to the students. 5. PATHOLOGY, DISORDER, or SOCIAL CONCERN. Offer examples of the social impact of disease occurrence related to the body. SEVENTH GRADE PHYSIOLOGY LIST OF MAIN LESSON CONCEPTS G7 student main lesson page WEEK ONE: Digestive System - Flow of EARTH 1. The Five Core Values of Food 2. Anatomy and Function of the Digestive Tract - including the idea that digestion happens before the first bite 3. Healthy Choices (Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats) 4. Biography of an Olympic athlete, or someone you might know who is struggling with a nutrition disorder. WEEK TWO: Circulatory System - Flow of WATER 1. Components of Blood (Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, and Platelets) 2. Blood Flow through the Vessels and the Heart 3. Blood Typing, Blood Transfusion 4. Biography of Hippocrates or Galenus WEEK THREE: Respiratory System - Flow of AIR 1. Tree and Human Relationship 2. Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, and the Alveoli 3. Healthy Lungs, Unhealthy Lungs (Smoking) 4. Biography WEEK FOUR: Reproductive System - Flow of FIRE 1. Male and Female Parts 2. Eight-Petal Flower 3. Female Fertility 4. Spermatogenesis An extra note regarding the Reproductive System: In the week, it was beneficial for the boys and girls to have a break out discussion with the boys and a male teacher, and the girls with a female teacher to discuss more gender-specific concerns. Another option is to have students anonymously place questions in a box for the teacher to answer in a whole group situation. EIGHTH GRADE ANATOMY LIST OF MAIN LESSON CONCEPTS G8 student main lesson page WEEK ONE: Skeletal System 1. Bone Shapes and Function of Protection and Action 2. Bone Growth 3. Bone Structure - Compact Bone with Osteons, and Spongy Bone with Marrow 4. Joints and Fulcrum Action WEEK TWO: Muscular System 1. Three Types of Muscle (Skeletal, Smooth, and Cardiac) 2. Muscle Structure 3. Sliding Filament Model 4. Biography of Olympic Athlete WEEK THREE: Nervous System 1. Central Nervous System - the Brain and Spinal Cord 2. The Neuron 3. Peripheral Nervous System - Somatic and Autonomic (Rest/Digest vs. Fight/Flight) 4. Biography: Ivan Pavlov WEEK FOUR: Reproductive System 1. Review of Eight Petal Flower of Seventh Grade (This will soon be an eBook!) 2. Fetal Development 3. Maternal Health 4. Biography or Invite someone in your community who is a midwife or who is pregnant! An extra note on Fetal Development: One of our more memorable activities was using a balloon during my presentation and I blew it up to match the size of the uterus as I talked about fetal development. When the uterus was at term, I had the students put their own balloons under their shirts to mimic being pregnant - it was fun and silly. But....serious too - one of the girls whose balloon she wore under her shirt was adjusting it when it slipped out. One of the boys in class, thinking he was funny, grabbed the balloon, and popped it. My female student was visibly upset to lose her baby. So a lesson there for all of us - these things we do for our students really do matter. NOTE: For the G8 Anatomy participants: soon, I will post the illustrations as promised that tie in the different systems. Dr. Rick Tan

G7 physiology and G8 anatomy Teaching G7 physiology and G8 anatomy is a challenge in the Waldorf classroom! There really are not many resources on it. I have had to myself compile ideas from various sources such as my own textbooks and online journals. Then, I added my own layer of ideas and imaginations - after all, that is what Rudolf Steiner had expected we would do in our teaching! Whether you are teaching in a classroom for your students or in a home school for your children, you might find this post with an outline for blocks useful as a starting point. I have included in this post the five key elements of the physiology or anatomy blocks. I then list four concepts within each of the four systems for physiology and anatomy. In this way, you will have a guideline for a four-week block. Most likely, you will conceive of your block in your own special way to meet your beautiful students. I have updated this blog post to include a link to an eBook I wrote that addresses the topic of reproduction. You might find it helpful in opening a conversation with your teen! The eBook contains illustrations and a week's worth of ideas for a lesson on the reproductive system. Click on the photo here. "Let's Talk Biology and Biography" eBook Be Authentic, Enthusiastic, Interested, Open, and Understanding. Tie in the Artistic, Musical, Performance, Language Arts. Use your own brand of teaching and skill set to infuse the science blocks with vibrant life! THE FIVE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE BLOCK 1. THEME. In the arc of your year, each block has some kind of underlying theme or message you want to convey. With anatomy, for instance, my theme combined the geometry of the cylinder and the social value of standing on solid ground. The umbrella themes for the upper grades are WELLNESS, SELF-IDENTITY, and HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. 2. PERSONAL RELEVANCE. Draw the children in with how learning about their bodies is important to each of them specifically. 3. HISTORICAL OR BIOGRAPHICAL CONNECTION. Acknowledge the work of historical figures who have contributed to the study and progress of the concepts, and those where anatomy or physiology play an important role in their lives. 4. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS. These are the actual science concepts you wish to introduce to the students. 5. PATHOLOGY, DISORDER, or SOCIAL CONCERN. Offer examples of the social impact of disease occurrence related to the body. SEVENTH GRADE PHYSIOLOGY LIST OF MAIN LESSON CONCEPTS G7 student main lesson page WEEK ONE: Digestive System - Flow of EARTH 1. The Five Core Values of Food 2. Anatomy and Function of the Digestive Tract - including the idea that digestion happens before the first bite 3. Healthy Choices (Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats) 4. Biography of an Olympic athlete, or someone you might know who is struggling with a nutrition disorder. WEEK TWO: Circulatory System - Flow of WATER 1. Components of Blood (Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, and Platelets) 2. Blood Flow through the Vessels and the Heart 3. Blood Typing, Blood Transfusion 4. Biography of Hippocrates or Galenus WEEK THREE: Respiratory System - Flow of AIR 1. Tree and Human Relationship 2. Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, and the Alveoli 3. Healthy Lungs, Unhealthy Lungs (Smoking) 4. Biography WEEK FOUR: Reproductive System - Flow of FIRE 1. Male and Female Parts 2. Eight-Petal Flower 3. Female Fertility 4. Spermatogenesis An extra note regarding the Reproductive System: In the week, it was beneficial for the boys and girls to have a break out discussion with the boys and a male teacher, and the girls with a female teacher to discuss more gender-specific concerns. Another option is to have students anonymously place questions in a box for the teacher to answer in a whole group situation. EIGHTH GRADE ANATOMY LIST OF MAIN LESSON CONCEPTS G8 student main lesson page WEEK ONE: Skeletal System 1. Bone Shapes and Function of Protection and Action 2. Bone Growth 3. Bone Structure - Compact Bone with Osteons, and Spongy Bone with Marrow 4. Joints and Fulcrum Action WEEK TWO: Muscular System 1. Three Types of Muscle (Skeletal, Smooth, and Cardiac) 2. Muscle Structure 3. Sliding Filament Model 4. Biography of Olympic Athlete WEEK THREE: Nervous System 1. Central Nervous System - the Brain and Spinal Cord 2. The Neuron 3. Peripheral Nervous System - Somatic and Autonomic (Rest/Digest vs. Fight/Flight) 4. Biography: Ivan Pavlov WEEK FOUR: Reproductive System 1. Review of Eight Petal Flower of Seventh Grade (This will soon be an eBook!) 2. Fetal Development 3. Maternal Health 4. Biography or Invite someone in your community who is a midwife or who is pregnant! An extra note on Fetal Development: One of our more memorable activities was using a balloon during my presentation and I blew it up to match the size of the uterus as I talked about fetal development. When the uterus was at term, I had the students put their own balloons under their shirts to mimic being pregnant - it was fun and silly. But....serious too - one of the girls whose balloon she wore under her shirt was adjusting it when it slipped out. One of the boys in class, thinking he was funny, grabbed the balloon, and popped it. My female student was visibly upset to lose her baby. So a lesson there for all of us - these things we do for our students really do matter. NOTE: For the G8 Anatomy participants: soon, I will post the illustrations as promised that tie in the different systems. Dr. Rick Tan

Cranium, noodle, melon, noggin...the human skull has been called a lot of things over the years. Here are the proper names for each part.

Keep The Level, Color And Temperature The Same In A Leaky Cup Of Yellow Yellow Water - Maintain Homeostasis To Keep 'homer' Alive. Keep the level, color and temperature the same in a leaky cup of yellow water - maintain homeostasis to keep 'Homer' alive! Homeostasis is traditionally a tricky concept to teach. This is a memorable and successful way to finally get this central need of life across to students with a fun challenge. It's tried and tweaked, easy to resource and links the lab to the way their bodies work. It can work as the starting activity to any level of physiology course, within the characteristics of life unit at the start of middle school life science, or toward the end of a unit on cells.

intersection of physiology and physics a visit to Benner Creek near Chester, CA When I had studied the human body in medical school, we spent much time naming every single bone, muscle, and organ in the body, we diagrammed metabolic processes, and we learned about disease and pharmacological treatments. Along with studies of the biological sciences as an undergrad at UC Davis, I came away with knowledge of other life forms as lesser species. It seemed that in our efforts in learning more about ourselves and our world, we are actually creating a widening rift between us and everything else. They are unicellular, we are multicellular with specialized cells. Their behavior is only instinct, while our cortical functions help us think things through. This is air, water, and fire, we are humans who can control the elements. Rarely in our academic studies in the sciences do we appreciate the relationships of us and the universe. Rarely are we given entrance into modes of thought that are more enlightened. It is no wonder that many systems today (economic, healthcare, environmental, government) are deteriorating. We are in need of new paradigms of thought that will lead to new ways to be responsibly and joyfully active in our work on this earth. A physics block with the serendipitous addition of some physiology for grade eight at East Bay Waldorf gave me a new paradigm of thought. It not only gave me that good teachery feeling of bringing something special to the students, but it gave me that awesome feeling of an aha moment! In physics with grade eight, we had been talking about heat, light, water, air, and electromagnetism. They can be regarded as the fundamental elements of fire, earth, water, and air. These elements are omnipresent around us, carefully balanced in nature. In terms of their movement and the way we experience them, they exist as a physical presence through flow and force. Flow and force. Like the yin and yang, flow and force is like male and female, death and birth, night and day. Equal and synergistic, like a magnetic field. The elements surge with power and grace, with strength and restraint, with awe and subtlety. We appreciate and interact with the elements everyday. The heat of the sun on bare skin, the crunch of river rock during a stroll along the river, water on the fingertips, a breeze to cool the nape of your neck. And as humans of high cortical function, we even go a step further and try to control the elements. In our study of physics, we gained knowledge of elemental properties, and often this knowledge allows us to control them for human use. The convection of air conditioning systems, refraction of light for corrective lenses, hydraulics, pneumatics, electric motors, and mag lev trains. I will not argue that our technology serves us and the world in some fantastic ways. But let's view the elements from a different light. In thinking of the elements (the physics) through the human body (the physiology), we discover a much deeper relationship with the elements. Charles Kovacs, in his book Muscles and Bones, touches on this relationship. And forgive me for this non-Waldorfy reference: Yoda, the Jedi Master, also shares this view. The force and flow of the elements are not only outside of us, and they are also more than something we can manipulate, they are within us. We are the elements. The fire element, the Sun, the magma that flows within the earth's core, is present in us. To maintain optimum metabolism, our bodies stay heated at 98.6 degrees F, and many chemical reactions in our bodies need heat and produce heat. We have a heat body. The water element, the oceans, the polar ice caps, Mars with its frozen tundra, is present in us. We are essentially water, as our bodies are about 70 % water and share the same density as water. We have a water body. The air element, the earth's atmosphere, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, is present in us. With every breath we take, air flows through our lungs and our blood, and every cell of our bodies. Our bones, as strong as they are, have air pockets. We have an air body. The earth element, stones, seashells, minerals, magnetic fields, bones and nerves, is in us. Like the electromagnetic force of the universe, our nervous system is powered by the flow of electricity and ions. Like the minerals of the earth, our bones are as tough and seemingly inert, the solid material of our bodies. We have an earth body. In this perspective, with humility, we are of the elements, without which, the human organism would not exist. We are one with the universe in this regard. The flow and the force of the elements surge within us. The new paradigm of thought that may allow us to live in harmony with our earth is to know that nurturing earth is the same as nurturing humankind. As we proceed with our human needs, we must encompass the needs of the earth. Physiology and physics must be studied and applied together. Thinking, feeling, and doing for us. Us, as in all things.

physiology block for grade seven still life by Paul Cezanne This first week of Advent, I began teaching as a guest teacher the physiology block on the digestive system for grade seven at East Bay Waldorf in El Sobrante, CA. While the rhythm of the week included preparations for an Advent assembly, my grade seven students and I had a wonderful week learning about the journey of food through our bodies. Here is a brief recap of our week: Day One I introduced the topic of digestion by bringing samples of food to the classroom - a good place to start! Food is valued by us as humans for several reasons. I cut an apple in half and showed the children the five-pointed core. From it, I created a drawing on the board to show the five "Apple Core Values of Food." At each point of the apple star, I worte: Combustion, Nutrtion, Tradition, Recreation, and Inspiration. Food is important to us because we use it for energy (combustion), for nutrients (nutrition), for culture and family (tradition), for social gatherings (recreation), and to inspire art such as in Cezanne's still life of fruit (inspiration). I said that the balance of these core values of food leads to happy, healthy lives. I also posed an idea for them to think about: in going from origin to table, the less steps in food processing it takes, the healthier the food is. We compared an apple, a potato, a bag of trail mix, and a Lunchable. Just in attempting to read the ingredients on the Lunchable box was enough to convince us that some of those chemicals listed should not be ingested! We figured it took lots and lots of step to bring the Lunchable to the table. In contrast, the apple simply was planted from seed, grown, picked, washed, and eaten! Day Two The second day of the lesson we started with a discussion of how we engage our senses to start the process of digestion even before we take the first bite. Not only is this important physiologically, but it brings the whole human into the realm of the lesson (the core values of food also brings this holistic approach). Then I drew the anatomy of the human as I talked about the path of the food. Day Three On this day, I traced for children the path of the food using a schematic diagram of the digestive tract I drew on the board, and talked about what was happening to the food as it passed through the different parts. As a visual aid, I put some crushed crackers in a sandwich bag to show how the food looks in the mouth, then I added some water and flour to show how it looks as a bolus, then chyme, then took some water out to show undigested matter. Day Four For their main lesson book, I had them copy this table to show the functions of each part and organ. This tabular form helped to recap the lecture from the day before. The colored bars represent the five processes: motility, digestion, secretion, absorption, and elimination. Day Five On the last day, I emphasized some important points. I also brought the material back out of the parts to the larger picture of our place in the world. I commented that I believed how truly amazing it is to know that our bodies have been designed to perfectly break down the foods that are available to us from our earth. We are of this world, made of this world.

Use this "Basic Human Anatomy" sheet to see how blood carries nutrients through your body.

I taught 2 days of Human reproduction to the 7th grade. Here are my board drawings

We have begun our unit on living systems in science (thank GOSH because Earth and Physical science have quite literally killed me this year...seriously, I feel like the most incompetent teacher when I teach science...but I digress...). Our main focus for the past week before Spring Break was the circulatory and respiratory systems. I thought I would share some of the things we have been doing, in case some of you are in the same unit yourselves. To get us started, we watched a few BrainPOP videos about circulation and blood. I found these in the HEALTH section, not the science section. The kids were very enthralled with these videos (they ALWAYS are really) There was quite a lot of information in them, which got us started on the right foot. The videos mentioned how the circulatory system was the delivery system of the body and that all systems were connected to this one. After some discussion, the students created this Circulation Data Disk from the Easy Make & Learn Projects: Human Body (Grades 2-4) (affiliate link) book. The idea of this circular disk was to show how all of the organs in the body played a very special part in relation to the circulatory system. I purposefully whited out the info on the disk so that the kids could do the research themselves. Using our health and science books, the students discovered the role of each organ in circulatory system. We then used the Easy Make & Learn Projects: Human Body (Grades 2-4) (affiliate link) book and created a model of the heart. The kids diagrammed the model to up the rigor a bit. They then placed these in their science journals. Another great find (that the kids had a blast playing) was the Circulation Game from Ellen McHenry's homeschooling website. This is a free download and I am so glad I found it! It took a while to set up and explain, but once they were going, the kids really were into the game. They learned quite a bit about how blood travels through the body and how it disposes of waste. (just a little note, I printed out 5 of these and had each table play. That way, there weren't as many people playing on one game board) Finally, the kids watched the School House Rock video, "Do the Circulation". (I have the actual DVD Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition), (affiliate link) but you can get it on YouTube if the school doesn't block it....like mine does) I gave them the words and, combining language arts with science, we looked for all of the facts and opinions (as well as figurative language) in the song. We discussed why the writers would put opinions and figurative language in a song intended to teach us about the Circulatory system. The students decided that it was because without the opinions and figurative language, the song would be B.O.R.I.N.G! We also began working on our Body Systems project on Google Drive. I made a template for each body system and the kids all began filling in the information about the circulatory system. This worked out perfect here because the kids had so much background knowledge at this point. They didn't really need to do as much research since we were learning so much as it was! (click here to get the project for your own class!) This is a screenshot of the slide before the kids actually did any work. I forgot to take pictures of them working! To explore the respiratory system (a bit further, as we really were talking about it all along with the circulatory system), we first diagrammed the organs involved. Then, the students did a little experiment to measure their vital lung capacity (how much air can be forcibly taken in and blown out) and the tidal lung capacity (how much is taken in and out during normal breathing). The kids has SO much fun with this one! They really were surprised at how much air they *couldn't* blow. I think they all thought they would pop the balloons in one breath when, in actuality, they hardly inflated them at all! You can find the exact experiment and printables here. So there you have it. Our basic introduction to the systems of the human body. Up next is the digestive system. Wish me luck ;) What experiments have you conducted in your class to teach your students about the circulatory and respiratory systems? Follow me on Snapchat for even more teaching ideas!

Teaching your students about mitosis? This lesson details how a cell divides in a way your students can easily understand. Students will read through the science text to learn the phases of cell division ( interphase, mitosis, and cytokinesis ). Then, they will answer comprehension questions and complete a graphic organizer to sequence a cell's cycle during mitosis. This lesson includes printable worksheets and a digital Google Slide file to allow easy differentiation in your classroom. Like this lesson? Check out the meiosis and mitosis bundle and save 20% by clicking here. Students will learn: Basic functions of cell division Cell cycle Interphase Mitosis Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase Cytokinesis This mitosis print and digital activity includes: Teacher instruction sheet to easily distribute student links for the Google Drive file 4 page printable science text Google Drive digital reading Checkpoint and overall comprehension questions Google Forms assessment Graphic organizer to sequence the cell cycle How to use this activity in your classroom: Introduction of mitosis Review cell division Sub plans Homework assignment Independent practice Reading packet: Use this to introduce this concept to your students. Check-in and comprehension questions allow you to assess student comprehension Graphic organizer: Perfect way to summarize information and later use it to reference how cells divide. Teacher feedback: We used this to review mitosis, and it was factual, accurate, and helpful for my students. Great resource. The article and questions worked well to help clear up misconceptions about mitosis. This resource is AWESOME. I used it at the station to reinforce the process. Very engaging Love how questions are embedded to check for understanding as students are reading Bought this and the Meiosis one, and it's very thorough...hopefully, it will help the kids understand the concept better when we get to that topic! Are you looking for meiosis? Check it out here! Kindly Note: If you have questions, do not hesitate to email me at Teaching Muse Email PLEASE PREVIEW BEFORE PURCHASING __________________________________________________________________ Thank you for visiting Teaching Muse. I would love for you to become a follower.  Teaching Muse followers receive new product information and discounts on any new items! __________________________________________________________________ All rights reserved by Teaching Muse. This product is to be used by the original downloader ONLY. Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. Additionally, this product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). They are intended for classroom and personal use ONLY.

A fun and interactive way for your Anatomy students to learn the major muscle groups of the body! Play doh and little skeletons!

THE BEST HANDS ON LEARNING HUMAN ANATOMY ACTIVITIES, SENSORY PLAY, FREE PRINTABLES, MONTESSORI, and so much more. Perfect for a Unit Study & Biology Lessons

Homeschool anatomy and physiology with a Biblical worldview and Charlotte Mason style of learning. Audio version is perfect for auditory learners!

Waldorf physics and meteorology in the 8th grade. Every year I'm surprised by how much I love the sciences. This year will be no different!

A friend of mine requested a copy of The Great River Chart from our training the other day. When I pulled it out I realised it was a black and white one and quite blurry so I decided to recreate it. I have made a blank (mute) chart: And a labelled chart: These are just black and white masters, I intend to paint my copy in the near future (and if it turns out well I will share it). My friend decided to colour hers with pencil: If you are looking for the story to go with this chart, or wish to read others to help you make it your own, there are several on the internet - you can simply Google "Montessori Great River Lesson" and several good links come up - there used to be a good one from Jean K Miller on a 4shared page, but I cannot see it any more. I still stick to the one from my training, but it is starting to evolve. One day, once I feel I have made it my own, I will share my version.

Life in our household continues to be pretty busy with work. I've been in Washington, DC, all week so have no fun activities to share. I th...

We’re having such a fun time with our current Physics block! This week’s main lessons included lots of water squirting everywhere. When you’re studying water pressure, it’s bound to happen, I suppose. I figure it’s a pretty memorable experience and completely appropriate for the topic at hand. Some students were a little disappointed that water inadvertently […]

The human body is the physical substance of the human organism. Characteristic of the vertebrate form, the human body has an internal skeleton with a backbone, and, as with the mammalian form, it has hair and mammary glands. Learn more about the composition, form, and physical adaptations of the human body.

week four of grade eight physics The topic of electromagentism was covered in three days between the third and fourth week of the physics bl...

I have been busy making another summary sheet. A quick reminder for Cellular Respiration. Wouldn't you rather study this one page rather than reading pages and pages of notes? What would you have differently? If you are interested in having a pdf of this summary sheet check it out at our new Teachers Pay Teachers Store it is available in black & white or in color. (Both are free).

physics and physiology meet The last few days of our physics block with grade eight of East Bay Waldorf in El Sobrante culminated in a discussion about the human skeletal system. I had placed a real human skeleton on a table draped with a blue veil and a gray wool cloth. We gathered around the skeleton, and I felt it was important to have approached the learning with much reverence. I simply asked the students to make observations, prompting them to think about the shape and textures of the bones, and their distribution in the body. We then discussed the purpose and mechanics of the bones and joints.

Illuminate the complex pathways of the nervous system with our definitive guide. Nursing students, unlock the secrets of the intricate web that dictates our every thought, action, and feeling.

De bouw (anatomie) en functie: oogbol, hoornvlies (cornea), slijmvlies (conjunctiva), iris (regenboogvlies), glasvocht, netvlies (retina), gele vlek (macula), oogzenuw, oogspieren, vaatvlies (choroidea), traanwegen, sclera (harde oogrok)

more physiology with grade seven Grade seven and I spent three days on the circulatory system, or cardiovascular system (CVS). The transition from the digestive system was seamless, as we followed the absorbed nutrients from the small intestine to the bloodstream. The circulatory system distributes necessary nutrients, energy stores, and oxygen throughout the body. Day One: THE BLOOD We discussed that there is about 5 liters of blood in an average sized adult. Going to the microscopic level, we thought about what is really in blood. If we were to examine a given sample of blood (I simply drew a test tube on the board), it shows about 50% fluid, the plasma, which contains the sugars and proteins floating around in it. About 4% are the platelets, which help our blood clot, and 1% white blood cells, essential against germs. The most important element in our discussion was the red blood cells at 45%. Using a clear vase, I poured water into it, put in an apple to represent a red blood cell, an orange to represent a white blood cell, a chestnut for the platelet, and an assortment of stones and shells to show the other stuff in the plasma. I wanted to show the students that a sample of blood contains a number of individual cells, with the RBCs giving the red color of blood. How many red blood cells can fit on the head of a pin? Five million! Day Two: THE VESSELS Transporting the blood all over the body are the blood vessels. I showed that the capillary beds (those web-like areas on the diagram above) were the sight of oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, and nutrient movement to the tissues and organs. From arteries arose smaller diameter tubes called arterioles, to capillaries, then widens to form the venuoles (carrying deoxygenated blood), and to veins. Capillaries are just wide enough in diameter to allow one RBC (1/3500 inches in diameter) at a time to travel. Its walls are thin, which allow for gases like oxygen to pass from the lungs to the blood, and oxygen in the blood to muscles and organs. I had the students act as RBCs and they had to squeeze in between desks I arranged in the room and travel in single file. The diagram shows the circulation of the blood in the body and into the heart. This super highway of blood vessels cycles blood at about 5 liters per minute. You can follow the path on the diagram above. Day Three: THE HEART We then discussed the pumping station of the system that keeps that blood going and going, the heart. It has four chambers that act in concert to receive and eject blood. The diagram above represents the cycle of the heart, showing the "lub-dub" of the heart. The two heart sounds are when the valves in the heart close. The LUB is in the beginning of ventricular contraction, forcing the valves between atria and ventricles to close. The DUB is when the ventricles just finish contracting, and the blood from the exiting vessels (the aorta and pulmonic artery) push the aortic and pulmonic valves close. The kids enjoyed the stethoscope I allowed them to use to listen to their heart beats!

By contributing writer Colleen Are you studying the human body with your kids this year? Kids of all ages can benefit from learning about their body systems, how they work, and how to keep themselves healthy. Since little ones often have ear infections, the ear and its canals is a great place to start. Even the […]