Grades 9 to 12 • Human Body Series

Bones, Muscles, and Joints

The following activities will help your students learn about the valuable work
KidsHealth.org/classroom
the bones, muscles, and joints do each day; how they work together to function
properly; and what happens when something goes wrong.
Teacher’s Guide
This guide includes:
• Standards
Related KidsHealth Links
• Related Links
Articles for Teens:
• Discussion Questions
• Activities for Students Bones, Muscles, and Joints
TeensHealth.org/en/teens/bones-muscles-joints.html
• Reproducible Materials
Broken Bones
TeensHealth.org/en/teens/broken-bones.html

Dealing With Broken Bones

Standards
TeensHealth.org/en/teens/broken-bones-sheet.html
This guide correlates with
the following National Health Strains and Sprains
Education Standards: TeensHealth.org/en/teens/strains-sprains.html

Strength Training
Students will:
TeensHealth.org/en/teens/strength-training.html
• Comprehend concepts related
to health promotion and Calcium
disease prevention to enhance
health.
TeensHealth.org/en/teens/calcium.html
• Analyze the influence of Vitamin D
family, peers, culture, media,
technology, and other factors
TeensHealth.org/en/teens/vitamind.html
on health behaviors.
• Demonstrate the ability to
access valid information and
products and services to Discussion Questions
enhance health.
• Demonstrate the ability to use Note: The following questions are written in language appropriate for sharing with
interpersonal communication
your students.
skills to enhance health and
avoid or reduce health risks.
• Demonstrate the ability to 1. Chewing gum, texting a friend, swinging a bat — these are all tasks that the
use decision-making skills to bones, muscles, and joints help you do. How do they work together to help you
enhance health. move? What other functions do the bones perform?
• Demonstrate the ability to use
goal-setting skills to enhance
2. What are bones made of? What can we eat to help ensure that they’ll grow
health.
healthy and strong? Name other ways we can care for our bones, muscles, and
• Demonstrate the ability to
practice health-enhancing joints.
behaviors and avoid or reduce
health risks. 3. There are three types of muscles in the body. What are they and what do they
• Demonstrate the ability to do?
advocate for personal, family,
and community health. 4. Despite the fact that bones, muscles, and joints are strong, they can be
damaged. Brainstorm a list of injuries and diseases that may occur in the bones,
National Health Education
Standards:
muscles, and joints.
www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sher/
standards/index.htm

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
 Grades 9 to 12 • Human Body Series
Bones, Muscles, and Joints
Activities for Students
Note: The following activities are written in language appropriate for sharing with your students.

Working Together

Objectives:
Students will:
• Learn what the bones, muscles, and joints do
• Discover how they work together to function properly
• Identify how bones, muscles, and joints move

Materials:
• Computer with Internet access
• “Working Together” handout

Class Time:
45 minutes

Activity:
When you decide to move, it’s usually as simple as just doing it — whether it’s wiggling your fingers, riding your bike,
or diving into a pool. Most of us don’t think much about the movements we make each day, but there’s actually a lot
going on when we decide to tap a keyboard to write.

Read the articles at TeensHealth.org to learn about what the bones, muscles, and joints do and how they work
together. Next, use the handout to create a chain diagram that describes the process of moving some part of the
body, starting with the decision to move and ending with the actual coordination of movement. While creating this
sequence of events, include what happens in the bones, muscles, and joints as well as what happens in the brain and
nervous system (check out TeensHealth.org/en/teens/brain-nervous-system.html).

Extensions:
1. Create three columns, one for each type of muscle, and describe what these muscles do in the body.

2. Generate a list of foods that you can eat to help your bones remain strong — those that are rich in calcium,
vitamin D, and other vitamins and minerals. How do these nutrients strengthen the bones? What foods contain
these important nutrients, and how often do you consume them? List ways you can add these foods to your diet
each day — whether as part of a meal or as a healthy snack.

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
 Grades 9 to 12 • Human Body Series
Bones, Muscles, and Joints
Make It Personal

Objectives:
Students will:
• Learn about the various diseases in the bones, muscles, and joints
• Identify ways to prevent and/or treat these diseases

Materials:
• Computer with Internet access
• Pen and paper

Class Time:
2 hours

Activity:
Teen TV is hosting a talk show that highlights the various diseases that occur in the bones, muscles, and joints and
how they affect teens. With a partner, select a disease and create a segment of the talk show discussing the disease:
what it is; how it affects the bones, muscles, or joints; who’s at risk; and how it may be prevented and/or treated.
Once you’ve read about the disease on TeensHealth.org, imagine that one of you has this condition and be ready to
tell your story. Your partner will be the host and ask you questions about living with this condition.

Reproducible Materials
Handout: Working Together
KidsHealth.org/classroom/9to12/body/parts/bones_handout1.pdf

Quiz
KidsHealth.org/classroom/9to12/body/parts/bones_quiz.pdf

Quiz: Answer Key

KidsHealth.org/classroom/9to12/body/parts/bones_quiz_answers.pdf

KidsHealth.org is devoted to providing the latest children’s health information. The site, which is widely
recommended by educators, libraries, and school associations, has received the “Teachers’ Choice Award
for the Family” and the prestigious Pirelli Award for “Best Educational Media for Students.” KidsHealth comes
from the nonprofit Nemours Foundation. Check out www.KidsHealth.org to see the latest additions!

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
 Human Body Series Name:

Bones, Muscles, and Joints Date:

Working Together
Instructions: Create a chain diagram that describes the process of moving some part of the body, starting with the decision to move and ending with the actual coordination
of movement. While creating this sequence of events, include what happens in the bones, muscles, and joints as well as what happens in the brain and nervous system.

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
 Human Body Series
Bones, Muscles, and Joints
Name: Date:

Quiz
Instructions: Answer each question.

1. Bones store and release it into the bloodstream when other parts of the body need it.

2. are fibrous strands that connect bones.

3. Name the three types of muscles found in the body, and give a one-sentence description of what they do:

4. The muscle helps to bend a limb at the joint.

5. One example of the cartilaginous joints, which only move a little, is the:
a. jawbone
b. ribs
c. skull
d. shoulder

6. Name the three types of freely moveable (or synovial) joints, how they move, and where they can be found in the body:

7. is a soft, rubbery matter in the joints that acts as a cushion between the bones.

8. True or False: Osteomyelitis is an inflammation of the joints that causes difficulty in moving. T F

9. True or False: Arthritis occurs only in older people, so children and teens don’t have to worry about it. T F

10. Name two ways that bones protect us:

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
 Human Body Series
Bones, Muscles, and Joints

Quiz Answer Key

1. Bones store calcium and release it into the bloodstream when other parts of the body need it.

2. Ligaments are fibrous strands that connect bones.

3. Name the three types of muscles found in the body, and give a one-sentence description of what they do:
Skeletal: These muscles hold bones together, give the body its shape, and help move bones.

4. The flexor muscle helps to bend a limb at the joint.

5. One example of the cartilaginous joints, which only move a little, is the:
a. jawbone
b. ribs
c. skull
d. shoulder

6. Name the three types of freely moveable (or synovial) joints, how they move, and where they can be found in the body:
Hinge: move in one direction and are found in the knees, elbows, fingers, and toes
Pivot: allow for twisting and rotating and are found in the head
Ball-and-socket: allow for movement in almost any direction and can be found in the hip and shoulder

7. Cartilage is a soft, rubbery matter in the joints that acts as a cushion between the bones.

8. True or False: Osteomyelitis is an inflammation of the joints that causes difficulty in moving. T F

9. True or False: Arthritis occurs only in older people, so children and teens don’t have to worry about it. T F

10. Name two ways that bones protect us:

The skull protects the brain, and the ribs protect the heart, lungs, liver, and other internal organs.

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.