What Is The Science Trivia In The Skeletal System?

There are many activities that can be used in a classroom environment for students of all ages who are currently learning about the human skeletal system. These activities can be adapted to suit any age and are an excellent way to get pupils actively involved in learning.

• Skeletal system brochure

Instead of having students just drawing out a human skeleton and then labeling the main bones, you could have them create a skeletal system brochure. This will involve them splitting the different bones and components of the human skeleton into individual categories. Each category will be dedicated to a different section for example, a section could be just about joints which describes the elbows and knees. There could also be a section about the dangers of bones where the students talks about fractures and broken bones.

• Replicating joints

This activity is excellent for children as it allows them to replicate the joints in the skeletal system to see how they can twist, bend and move whilst staying rigid. This can easily be done with just a pipe cleaner and a plastic straw. Just insert the pipe cleaner inside the straw and try to bend it. Ask the students to make note of how much resistance they come across.

Then ask them to take the pipe cleaner out of the straw and then cut the straw in half but slide both parts over the pipe cleaner. When you bend the pipe cleaner again it will be much more flexible. You have just created a "meeting point" or joint between two separate bones.

• Composition of bones

Once your pupils have done the activity outlined above and learned about the function of the skeletal system, it is time for them to learn about the composition of the skeletal system. Our bones are made by osetoblasts which are a special type of cell that secretes calcium and collagen fibers. When the bones are being formed, the calcium begins to solidify which gives bones their hardness.

Calcium's role in the hardness of bones can easily be shown by getting your children to soak chicken bones in vinegar for at least three days. Once the time is up, get them to test the bones. Calcium is an alkaline substance whereas the vinegar is acidic which means the vinegar will dissolve the calcium. After three days, all you will be left with is a flexible chunk of collagen that your pupils can bend and trying tying in knots.