Chapter 1: Getting the Energy your Body Needs
1.3 Analysing the skeleton
Lesson overview
Learning objectives
Describe the roles of the skeleton.
Explain the evidence for each of the roles of the skeleton.
Estimate height using bone-measurement calculations and suggest reasons for differences between people.
Learning outcomes
Describe most roles of the skeleton and give evidence for some of these. [O1]
Describe the roles of the skeleton giving evidence for each role; make simple comparisons of body
measurements. [O2]
Explain the roles of the skeleton; calculate accurate proportions of body measurements and suggest reasons
for differences between people. [O3]
Skills development
Thinking scientifically: use units and nomenclature
Working scientifically: interpret evidence
Learner development: respect others
Resources needed skeleton model; beef bone, cut to show the marrow; glass rod; tape measures or metre
rules; graph paper; a model femur (or a length of wood to represent a femur); calculators; Worksheet 2.1.3;
Practical sheet 2.1.3; Technician’s notes 2.1.3
Digital resources Quick starter; Interactive activity: drag the functions to the correct bone(s); Video
Key vocabulary support, protect, blood cells, joint, cartilage
Teaching and learning
Engage
Display the skeleton model. Tell the students that there are four main roles of the skeleton – ask them to work
in groups of four to identify the four roles. [O1]
Ask the students to give feedback on their ideas about the roles of the skeleton one group at a time; build a
list of suggestions. [O1]
Challenge and develop
Demonstrate a cut beef bone, showing the marrow in the centre. Explain that marrow is where red and white
blood cells are made. Ask the students to add to the list of roles of the skeleton, if necessary. Agree on the
roles of the skeleton across the class. [O1]
Group work Ask groups of students to find evidence for each of the roles (using the first section of the
Student Book). Encourage students to share the task and for each to take on a specific role. Each group then
explains the evidence in writing. Worksheet 2.1.3 task 1 could support this. [O2]
Explain
Ask the students to consider the role of the skeleton in movement. Ask them to suggest how our skeleton
helps us to balance. Draw out the idea that the proportions of the bones and the symmetry of the skeleton
help us to maintain balance. [O1]
Arrange the students in pairs and ask them to measure some bones and to calculate predicted heights
using Practical sheet 2.1.3. [O3]
Key Stage 3 Science Teacher Pack 2 12 © HarperCollinsPublishers Limited 2014
Chapter 1: Getting the Energy your Body Needs
Students draw graphs to compare the predictions given by each of the measurements to their actual height.
[O3]
Ask the students to evaluate each of the methods used to predict height and to suggest any factors that may
affect the accuracy of the predictions. [O3]
Consolidate and apply
Group work Tell the students that the police have found a femur and a humerus. They need to estimate the
height of the victim to help in making an identification. Ask the students to agree in their group which bone
should be used to estimate height. [O3]
Take a vote on the method to use and choose groups on each side to explain their reasoning. [O3]
Extend
Ask students able to progress further to develop another way of predicting height, based on a different
skeleton measurement. They should work out what the measurement should be multiplied by when
estimating the height. [O3]
Plenary suggestions
Learning triangle The students work individually to construct a learning triangle. They should draw a large
triangle with a smaller inverted triangle that just fits inside (making four triangles). In the outer triangles, the
students write:
something they’ve seen
something they’ve done
something they’ve discussed.
Then, in the central triangle, they write something they’ve learned. [O1, 2&3]
Answers to Student Book questions
1. support the body; protect organs; allow movement; produce blood cells
2. a) lungs b) brain
3. knee, elbow, shoulder, etc.
4. carrying oxygen
5. transferring living tissue from one person to another
6. 65.91 cm
7. 65.91 cm
8. because these people are growing quickly
Answers to Worksheet 2.1.3
1. a) iii) b) iv) c) i) d) ii)
2. a) lack of oxygen; may be tired; short of breath
b) unable to fight infection; get ill more often than normal
c) blood unable to clot well; carry on bleeding if cut
3. a) outside
b) inside
c) for example ‘exothermic’; with definition(s)
d) for example ‘endothermic’ with definition(s)
Key Stage 3 Science Teacher Pack 2 13 © HarperCollinsPublishers Limited 2014
