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The Amazing Human Machine
Introduction Activity
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- Science Process Skills
- Observing
- Communicating
- Measuring
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- Materials (per group)
- Markers
- Butcher paper (piece for each participant=to length of their body)
- Measuring Tapes
- Copies of worksheet
"My Body Measurements"
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- Doing the Activity
Get Acquainted - Form groups by hair color and then introduce yourselves to the other
youth in your group. Continue to form new groups by other characteristics; for example
eye color, height, ability to curl/roll tongue, etc; until each youth has had a
chance to mix and mingle.
- Find a partner.
- Get a piece of butcher paper for each partner.
- Have your partner lie down on the paper and trace their body outline.
- Personalize your outline by adding facial features and hair color.
Other parts of the body will be added as you study each system of the body.
- Take measurement of parts of your body using handout "My Body Measurements" to record your results.
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- Reflecting
- What happened when you tried to form a group with people who had the
same characteristics as you?
- Were you able to find people that had the same characteristics?
Different characteristics?
- What characteristics made the largest groups? The smallest groups?
- Where there any people who had all the same characteristics?
- Why do you think that everyone is so unique?
- How do you think you got each of your characteristics?
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- Applying
- Make a list of questions you would like to find answers about how your body works?
Do computer software exploration "My Amazing Human Body" or "The Magic School Bus Explores
the Human Body."
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- What's Happening
- Every organism requires a set of instructions for specifying its characteristics.
Heredity is the passage of these instructions from one generation to another.
Heredity information is contained in genes, located in the chromosomes of each cell.
Each gene carries a single unit of information. An inherited characteristic of an individual
can be determined by one or by many genes, and a single gene can influence more than
one trait. A human cell contains many thousands of different genes.
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- More Challenges
- Do a survey of everyone in your neighborhood. What are their common characteristics?
- Make a family tree including one of more characteristic. How common are certain characteristics in your family?
- Visit the following web site to be part of a genetic study:
http://njnie.dl.stevens-tech.edu/curriculum/genetics/intro.html
- Use software such as "My Amazing Human Body" and "The Magic School Bus
Explores the Human Body" to find out more information about heredity.
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- Activity Source
- Extension-Science, Engineering and Technology Program,
Iowa State University Extension
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ISU
Extension 
