STAGE

The Human Body

3 Alex Raynham

Introduction

This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use only

and should not be given to students.

Chapter summary
Chapter 1 (You are amazing) introduces the
incredible complexity of the human body, mentioning
a few of the remarkable processes involved in an
everyday activity like a game of soccer.
Chapter 2 (Quick thinking) describes the essential
role played by the brain in storing memories, processing correct temperature. It also describes the growth of
information from the outside world, learning skills, and hair and nails, and the changes that take place in our
controlling both voluntary and automatic functions of skin and hair as we get older.
the body. The brain remains active even during sleep. Chapter 9 (It’s all in your genes) is about the
Chapter 3 (The ‘five’ senses) is about our ability influence of genes on our physical appearance and,
to perceive the world. The traditional five senses of possibly, on our personalities. It explains that the two
sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch are analysed, parents’ genes are combined at the time of fertilization,
along with other feelings that are now considered to and shows how the fertilized egg divides repeatedly,
be senses, such as our awareness of the position of developing in time into a new human being.
our body and its internal sensations. Chapter 10 (When things go wrong) looks at the
Chapter 4 (Every beat and every breath) looks at body’s responses to illness and injury, focussing on
the vital importance of our blood, which, as it is the immune system and vaccination. It also examines
pumped round by the heart, carries oxygen and the ageing process and why it happens.
nutrients to all parts of our bodies, fights infection, and Chapter 11 (Amazing bodies) gives examples of
collects waste. The function of the lungs, which people who have coped successfully with disabilities,
replenish the supply of oxygen and also enable us to realising their ambitions despite physical setbacks.
speak, is considered as well. Chapter 12 (Healthy living) considers four ways in
Chapter 5 (Muscles and bones) explains how which we can maintain our health: exercising, eating
bones support and protect our bodies, whilst healthily, being cautious about addictive, damaging
continually renewing themselves. Hundreds of substances such as alcohol and nicotine, and avoiding
muscles, connected to the skeleton, enable us to unnecessary stress.
move in ways that range from the very delicate to the Chapter 13 (No one like you) concludes by
very powerful. emphasising the amazing structural intricacy of our
Chapter 6 (You are what you eat) looks at the bodies, and the uniqueness and value of each
digestive system, which enables us to extract the human life.
nutrients from our food. It explains that our intestines
are home to vast numbers of bacteria, and have close
links with our brains and even our emotions.
Chapter 7 (The human factory) outlines the
activities of the lymphatic system, liver, and kidneys in
clearing waste, dangerous chemicals, and dead cells
from our bodies. It also describes how hormones
regulate many of our bodies’ functions, giving the
example of adrenaline, which has an immediate and
dramatic effect.
Chapter 8 (Skin deep) explains the importance of
our skin in protecting our bodies and maintaining the

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 The Human Body
STAGE Pre-reading activity

3 Word search

Look at the definitions and find the words in the word search below.

O V I T A M I N S D E
B L I N D U N P R O X
R A S F E S T R E S S
A N V B O C S O T P N
I R G A X L I T I N Y
N A I L Y E G E B U P
W C O U G H N C V L Y
T E M P E R A T U R E
I T E B N E L U N G S

DEFINITIONS
1 to send air out of your chest and throat 8 to be healthy, you need to get these in your
with a sudden loud noise food
2 a feeling of worry caused by problems in 9 unable to see
your life 10 this gas is in the air, and you need it to live
3 to keep something safe 11 the thin hard layer on the outer edge of
4 how hot or cold something is your finger
5 the organ in your head that thinks and 12 this is connected to your bones; it helps you
remembers to move
6 the two organs in your chest that you use 13 a message that travels through your body
for breathing 14 a competition to see who can run the fastest 
7 very small

To the teacher
Aim: To introduce some of the key vocabulary
Time: 15–20 minutes
Organization: Give a copy of the worksheet to each
student or group of students. Give the students about
ten minutes to find as many words as possible and to
match them with the definitions. Go through the words
and deal with any remaining difficulties over meanings.
Finally, ask students to predict why these words might
be included in the book, and to make sentences using
some of the words.
Key: 1 cough, 2 stress, 3 protect, 4 temperature, 5 brain,
6 lungs, 7 tiny, 8 vitamins, 9 blind, 10 oxygen, 11 nail,
12 muscle, 13 signal, 14 race. 

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 The Human Body
STAGE While reading activity

3 Spot the mistakes

There are 15 mistakes in this summary. Find and correct the mistakes. The first one has been
done for you.
20
Your brain is a living computer. It uses 10 per cent of your blood. The brain is made of cells called
neurons: there are about 100 thousand of these in your brain. The brainstem connects the brain to the
spinal bone. The brain stops working when you are asleep. When you are in danger, it can work faster.
There are millions of special cells called rods and cones on the cornea at the back of your eyes. They
can sense 10 thousand different colours. The ossicles, the biggest bones in your body, are in your ears.
Taste buds on your lips help you to taste food, and the olfactory bulb in your brain helps you to
feel things.
Your heart pushes blood around your body. It beats about 70 times an hour. Trillions of red blood
cells carry carbon dioxide to every other cell in your body. There are other cells in your blood.
For example, blue blood cells fight dangerous germs.
Your skeleton helps to protect you. For example, your ribs protect your brain and lungs. The bone
marrow inside your bones is important, because this is where skin cells are made. You use skeletal
muscles to move. These are connected to your bones, and they have to work together every time you
move. For example, you use about 7 different muscles when you lift a cup of coffee.

To the teacher
Where: At the end of Chapter 5 (Muscles and bones)
Aim: To consolidate some of the key facts learned so far
Time: 15–20 minutes
Organization: Make a copy of the worksheet for each
student. Ask students to look at the summary and say
what it is about. Point out the corrected first mistake,
then ask students to rewrite the summary correcting the
remaining mistakes. When students have corrected the
mistakes, elicit the correct summary from the class.
Also elicit as much related information from the first five
chapters as possible.
Key: Paragraph 1: 10 – 20, thousand – billion, bone –
cord, stops – doesn’t stop. Paragraph 2: cornea – retina,
thousand – million, biggest – smallest, lips – tongue,
feel – smell. Paragraph 3: hour – minute, carbon dioxide –
oxygen, blue – white. Paragraph 4: brain – heart, skin –
blood, 7 – 70. 

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 The Human Body
STAGE After reading activity

3 Who’s who?

Match the people with the descriptions.

1 Austin Smith d, ___

2 Daniel Kish ___ , ___
3 Tanya Streeter ___ , ___
4 Stephen Wiltshire ___ , ___
5 Beck Weathers ___ , ___
6 Evelyn Glennie ___ , ___
7 Manteo Mitchell ___ , ___
8 Jason Durbin ___ , ___

a tried to climb Mount Everest

b is a firefighter
c can breathe very deeply
d lifted a car by himself
e cannot hear
f is blind
g ran in the 2012 London Olympic Games
h can remember things amazingly well
i uses sounds to make a picture of the world
j carried a woman down twenty-eight floors
k can draw beautifully
l broke his leg during a race
m went a long way down into the ocean
n saved his grandfather’s life
o plays unusual and exciting music
p lay in the snow for nearly twenty-four hours 

To the teacher
Aim: To recap some important facts about people
mentioned in the book
Time: 10–15 minutes
Organization: Give each student or group of students a
copy of the worksheet. Ask them to match the names
and the information (an example answer is given).
Go through the answers with the class, and ask students
if they can remember any further details about the
people and events in the exercise.
Key: 1 d, n; 2 f, i; 3 c, m; 4 h, k; 5 a, p; 6 e, o; 7 g,
l; 8 b, j.

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