Burlington Junior School - Science

Year 3

Question
Our Amazing Body!

Background Information

Have you ever wondered how your amazing body works? What is the skeleton? What are muscles? What
do they do? Surprisingly, infants have approximately 270 bones, but these slowly fuse together. When a
person reaches adulthood, they typically have 206 bones - isn't that incredible! These bones are attached
to muscles - did you know there are over 600 muscles in the human body? These muscles help you move
while you do everything from catching a ball to giving someone a smile - wow!

In this unit the children will:

• learn about the different food

groups, the nutrients that each
food group provides and why these
are important.
• consider what it means to have a
healthy, balanced diet.
• investigate why humans and other
animals have skeletons.
• explore the function of muscles in
the body.

Scientific Skills and Concepts

Enquiry types
• To ask questions and set up enquiries.
• To answer these, making observations.
• Record, present and analyse data.
• Use diagrams, tables and graphs.
 Burlington Junior School - Science
Year 3

Key facts
The human body is like a machine - it needs the right fuel to work properly. The body takes
nutrients from the food we eat. These nutrients can be classified into different groups:

• Fruit and vegetables - These food types provide vitamins and fibre for the body. The vitamins
help our immune systems whilst the fibre helps our digestion.
• Carbohydrates – Keep our energy levels up and are found in foods like pasta, bread and rice.
• Proteins - Build healthy muscles and allow our bodies to grow and repair. They are found in
foods such as meat, beans, and eggs.
• Dairy – Gives us calcium for strong teeth and bones, dairy produce includes milk, cheese and
yoghurt.
• Fats and oils - Act as an energy store and include items such as olive oil and butter.

Key Vocabulary

• Brain – The organ located in the skull; it sends information to the muscles and other
organs.
• Carbohydrates - One of the three main classes of foods and a source of energy.
• Contract – When muscles contract, they become shorter and tighter.
• Diet – The sort of food that a person or animal habitually eats.
• Fat – An oily substance; the body uses fat as a fuel source.
• Fibre - The part of a plant food which is not broken down by our bodies during digestion.
• Heart – An involuntary muscle in the chest that pumps blood around the body.
• Joint - A point where two bones of the skeleton come together usually in a way that allows
motion.
• Lungs – The organs in the body that are essential for breathing.
• Minerals - Just like vitamins, minerals help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy.
• Movement – To change place or position.
• Muscles – Muscles allow movement in the body.
• Nutrition – The body gains nutrition by turning food into energy.
• Protection – To keep safe from danger.
• Protein - A nutrient found in food, such as meat, milk, eggs, and beans.
• Pull – To draw or tug at with force.
• Relax – To rest, to make looser or less stiff.
• Ribs – Curved bones in the chest that protect the organs.
• Skeletons – A framework of bones and cartilage.
• Skull - The case of bone or cartilage that forms the skeleton of the head and face,
encloses the brain, and supports the jaws.
• Support – To help maintain something.
• Vitamins – A type of nutrient that a body needs to grow.
• Water – A transparent liquid.