Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand the basics of the muscular system, build a robotic hand, and identify the muscles of the hand.
Materials and Prep
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Straws
- Rubber bands
- Tape
- Markers
- Paper
- Pencil
- Pictures or diagrams of the muscles of the hand (optional)
Before starting the lesson, make sure you have a basic understanding of the human skeletal system and muscles.
Activities
- Introduction to the Muscular System:
Start by discussing the importance of muscles in our body and how they help us move. Show pictures or diagrams of different muscles in the body, including the muscles of the hand. Explain that today we will focus on the muscles of the hand.
- Building a Robotic Hand:
Using the materials provided, guide the student in building a robotic hand model. Instruct them to cut out a hand shape from the cardboard and attach straws as finger bones using tape. Use rubber bands as tendons to connect the fingers to the hand. Demonstrate how the fingers can be moved by pulling the tendons.
- Identifying the Muscles of the Hand:
After building the robotic hand, ask the student to observe the movement of their own hand while flexing and extending the fingers. Discuss the different muscles involved in these movements, such as the flexor and extensor muscles. If available, show pictures or diagrams of the muscles of the hand to help visualize their locations.
Third Grade Talking Points
- "Muscles are important in our body because they help us move. Can you think of any activities where we use muscles?"
- "Today, we are going to build a robotic hand. It will be like a model of a real hand, but made from cardboard and other materials. We will learn how the muscles in our hand help us move our fingers."
- "When we flex our fingers, we use muscles called flexor muscles. These muscles help us bend our fingers. Can you try bending your fingers and feel the muscles working?"
- "When we extend our fingers, we use muscles called extensor muscles. These muscles help us straighten our fingers. Can you try straightening your fingers and feel the muscles working?"
- "By building the robotic hand, we can understand how tendons connect muscles to bones. Tendons are like rubber bands that help our fingers move."