Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand the muscular system, how hands work, learn some basic sign language, and build a robotic hand.
Materials and Prep
- Printed diagrams of the muscular system
- Chart paper and markers
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Tape or glue
- String or yarn
- Pencils or markers
Before starting the lesson, make sure you have a basic understanding of the muscular system and some knowledge of sign language.
Activities
- Begin by discussing the muscular system and how it helps us move our hands. Show the printed diagrams of the muscular system and explain the different muscles involved.
- Next, introduce sign language and teach some basic signs related to hands and fingers. Practice signing words together.
- Now, it's time to build a robotic hand! Using construction paper, cut out the shape of a hand and fingers. Attach the fingers to the hand using tape or glue.
- To make the fingers movable, attach string or yarn to each finger and tie the other end to a pencil or marker. When you move the pencil or marker, the fingers should move too.
- Test out your robotic hand by trying different sign language signs with it. See if you can make the hand mimic the signs you've learned.
Third Grade Talking Points
- "Our muscular system helps us move our bodies, including our hands."
- "Sign language is a way of communicating using hand gestures."
- "Did you know that sign language is used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate?"
- "Building a robotic hand can help us understand how our own hands work and how we can mimic sign language signs."
- "Let's have fun learning about the muscular system, sign language, and building a robotic hand together!"