Skeletal System Lesson Plan:

Build-a-Body Interactive
In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-8, students use
the drag-and-drop game Build-a-Body: Skeletal System
to assemble a skeletal system from the major bones of the
human body and discover how they connect. Case studies
challenge students to put their new knowledge of the
skeletal system to the test.

Students will:
1 Identify and learn about the major bones that make up the
human skeletal system.
2 Assemble a skeleton using an interactive simulation, and
discover how the bones connect.
3 Review case studies and identify the bones asked about in
the studies.

Essential Question:
Students should consider how to apply this to their lives.

Content Area Standards:

For the Third Grade Idaho State Science Standard they will
complete:
Understand Systems, Order, and Organization
Understand Concepts and Process Models

Materials:
Computers or other devices with Internet access
Interactive whiteboard
Small dry erase boards for each pair or small group, or
sheets of paper

Preparation:
This lesson plan features the simulation Build-a-Body:
 Skeletal System developed by our partner, Spongelab
Interactive. This playful interactive challenges students to
assemble a skeleton by dragging and dropping bones to the
correct part of the human body. The interactive also
challenges students to case studies in which they answer
questions about the skeletal system by identifying the
relevant bone.

Preview and play Build-a-Body: Skeletal System to plan

how you will adapt it to your students needs. Review tips on
Setting Cooperative Gaming Expectations.
For more information about using interactive simulations
effectively in the classroom, review our Educators Guide
to Teaching with Digital Interactive Models and
Teaching Strategies for Interactive Simulations.
Build background knowledge or reinforce topics with these
BrainPOP movies: Skeleton, Vertebrates, Teeth, Broken
Bones, Scoliosis, Joints

Lesson Procedure:
1 Prompt students to share what they know about the human
skeleton, such as the names of the major bones and which
bone is connected to which bone.
2 After everyone shares their ideas, play the BrainPOP movie
Skeleton on the whiteboard or other display.
3 Project the Build-a-Body: Skeletal System interactive on
the whiteboard. Explain that that today they will explore and
assemble a human skeleton. After, they will review case
studies in which they answer questions by identifying the
correct bone.
4 Read, or invite a volunteer to read, the information about the
skeletal system on the left side of the screen. Then choose,
but do NOT click, one of the bones listed in the the tray on
the right. Now challenge pairs to come up with a definition
for that bone and write it on paper or a small dry erase
board. On your signal, instruct each pair to hold up their
definitions.
5 Now click the bone and read the definition that displays on
the left side of the screen. Compare the definition to each
 pairs definition and award points based on the accuracy of
their definitions (e.g., 3 points for a correct and highly
detailed definition, 2 points for a correct definition that may
be less detailed; 1 point for a partially correct definition, and
0 for an incorrect definition). For more in-depth game play,
display all the responses in the front of the room and have
the class analyze them together. They can rank the
responses in the same way and a volunteer can keep track of
each teams points on the board
6 After analyzing answers, have pairs work at their own
computers or devices to click the bone and drag it to the
correct position on the screen.
7 Model how they can use the arrows to the left of the
illustration to move up and down and the plus/minus to zoom
in and out.
8 Repeat the process of defining, comparing definitions,
ranking, and dragging/dropping for each bone until the
skeleton is assembled.
9 After pairs assemble their skeletal systems, challenge them
to solve the case studies. Model the first one by clicking the
Case Studies link on the top right side of the screen. Select
the first case study and read, or have a volunteer read, the
case study that displays on the left side. Then show them
how to answer the question the case study presents by
clicking the correct bone.
10 Have partners complete the other case studies. Encourage
them to discuss each case, and consider what they know,
before clicking a bone. Circulate as students work, listening
in on their discussions and strategies, providing support as
needed.
11 Bring the class together to reflect on the skeletal system and
case studies they explored through the interactive. Have
them share what new information they learned. You can
return to the discussion questions from the beginning to
assess what theyve learned.

Closing
Students should now be able to identify bones in the body
and the general area of where they are in the body.
Assessment
On the assessment, students will not have to know how to
spell the bones. They will have to know the names of them
and the general area of where they belong in the body.

Extension Activity:
Invite students to further explore the topic of plants by
watching the following BrainPOP movies: Skeleton,
Vertebrates, Teeth, Broken Bones, Scoliosis, Joints

Students may also play other body system Spongelab

games, including: Build-A-Body: Nervous System, Build-
A-Body: Circulatory System, Build-A-Body: Excretory
System, and Build-A-Body: Digestive System.

*This is a lesson plan from BrainPOP. It has been somewhat

modified to fit the requirements of this project.