Human Body Camp Day 8

Some quick notes and resources for our eighth topic, which was The Integumentary System, The Endocrine System, and The Immune System.

This was our final day of summer camp. Remember that all of my notes for this main lesson block can be found in much more detail on my website.

The Integumentary System

read "Skin: The Bag You Live In" chapter from Blood and Guts: A Working Guide to Your Own Insides, stopping as follows:
• on page 12, do the Evaporation activity and recall how we learned in The Urinary System that Nature always seeks a balance
• on page 13, do the Sweaty Palms activity (this did not work)
• on page 14, do the Skin Prints activity (pictured above) using Tombow Drawing Pencils
• at the bottom of page 14, look at "Skin" on page 42 of the Human Anatomy Coloring Book
• at the bottom of page 15, talk about how scientists believe our fingers and toes get "pruney" because it was an adaptation allowing early humans to grip onto wet rocks when hunting for food at the seashore... similar to how the tread on tires gives them more traction
• on page 16, do the Map the Back of Your Hand activity (pain, pressure, cold)
• in the middle of page 20, look at "Scarring, Nails, and Cooling" on page 43 of the Human Anatomy Coloring Book

The Endocrine System

• read "The Letter" chapter from Frog and Toad Are Friends
• explain that The Endocrine System is also a part of the Department of Communication (like The Nervous System) but that it carries a different sort of message -- chemical instead of electrical -- that is transmitted more slowly and carried out by the body more slowly
• explain that hormones travel through the blood stream and lock into receptor sites, like puzzle pieces, and draw a puzzle piece and its interlocking neighbor on the chalkboard
• give some information on examples of hormones (Unlocking the Endocrine System lesson plan) and look at pictures of glands and explanations of the hormones they release (growth hormone for growing, adrenaline for responding to emergencies, serotonin for the wake/sleep cycle, etc.) in The Endocrine System three-part cards from the ETC Montessori material for Human Physiology
• look at "Endocrine System" on page 40 of the Human Anatomy Coloring Book

The Immune System

read "Diseases & Immunity" chapter from The Human Body: 25 Fantastic Projects Illuminate How the Body Works, stopping as follows:
• at the top of page 107, explain that a white blood cell looks like a koosh ball and draw a picture of a red blood cell, a white blood cell, and a platelet on the chalk board and explain their roles
• at the top of page 108, do the How Germs Spread demonstration with glitter
• at the top of page 109, refer to the puzzle piece illustration on the board for The Endocrine System and explain that The Immune System works in a similar way
• draw a puzzle piece for an antigen and an interlocking puzzle piece for an antibody and explain that the body continues to make antibodies and they float around in the blood stream, ready and prepared for the illness to reappear
• at the bottom of page 110, explain The Science Behind the Flu Shot
• at the bottom of page 111, finish the lesson by laying out ALL of the cards in the Immune System three-part cards from the ETC Montessori material for Human Physiology so that students can see how complex it is

Note: We didn't do this but playing Wildcraft: An Herbal Adventure Game is a great cooperative board game for learning about medicinal plants and goes very well with The Immune System.

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