Materials included in the Human Body Systems Unit Kit

Human Body Systems
ISBN 0-89278-887-9

Subject: How the human body works

Middle school students have a natural curiosity about their bodies and how they work. Use this hands-on science unit to tap that curiosity and extend their knowledge. The unit’s 23 lessons are divided into three parts:

The Digestive System - Students trace nutrients as they are processed by the digestive system, pass into the blood, and are transported to body cells.

The Respiratory and Circulatory Systems - Students explore the breathing mechanism: how oxygen enters the body, passes into the blood, and is transported to body cells, where it combines with digested food to release energy. An exploration of the transport system—the heart and blood vessels—focuses on how oxygen and nutrients are transported to body cells and how wastes are carried away for eventual elimination. Students then use a siphon-pump model to explore the double-pump action of the heart, which leads to an investigation of heart rate and the factors that affect it.

The Musculoskeletal System - This series of lessons deals with the use, by the musculoskeletal system, of the energy released during respiration. Students investigate the nature of joints and how muscles, bones, and nerves work together.

Background and supplemental information are provided by one or more reading selections in each lesson. Especially engaging is an informative serial reader entitled Spies, which recounts the adventures of Peppi and Bollo, two imaginary creatures dispatched to Earth by scientists in another galaxy. The spies’ job is to learn as much as they can about human anatomy and physiology. They can shrink or expand in size at will, and they take advantage of this remarkable trait to enter the body of a human. Each episode of this beautifully illustrated reader addresses concepts pertinent to the lesson in which it appears.

Diseases, proper nutrition, physical fitness, and health care careers are explored through the Anchor Activity (a research project), reading selections, and extensions. Pre- and post-unit assessments are included where appropriate, and informal assessments are embedded into lessons. Unit length: 8-12 weeks of instruction.

Video download: Human Body Systems
(Real Video™ or QuickTime™)

Download an outline of the conceptual sequence for Human Body Systems.
(PDF Download)

Kit Configuration
Human Body Systems Unit Kit equips one class of 32 students and includes:

	Basic equipment (items that can be shared by more than one class of students if the unit is taught to multiple classes)
	1	Refurbishment Set (items used up during instruction)
	1	Teacher’s Guide
	16	Student Guides (nonconsumable)

Price information

	Human Body Systems Unit Kit Each $2,495.95  (WW-97-4006)
	Human Body Systems Refurbishment Set Each $770.00  (WW-97-4012)
	Human Body Systems Student Guide Pack of 4 Each $119.95 (WW-97-4003)
	Download the Human Body Systems 2008 Replacement Parts Order Form (PDF)