Body Systems Unit Wrap Up

The systems of the human body, and how they all function together, is a key standard for our fifth graders in science. So, as we wrapped up our unit, I wanted my students to put all the information they learned together into one, all encompassing presentation. So I broke out my trustee computer and created an easy to use template for my kids to help guide them in reviewing all of the information they had learned throughout the course of our unit.

Systems of the body Google Docs project.

The form I created was simple. It required the students to research the function of all major body systems we learned about (digestive, circulatory, excretory, and respiratory) as well as detail the basic form and how the system works from beginning to end. I also added a picture of each system for the students to label.

Easy peezy. Right? Um. No. The kids really had a lot to think about, even with the form at hand! First, they had to figure out how to label it all since it was on Google Slides. Secondly, they had to cite their sources and, as we all know, that is a huge undertaking in and of themselves.

Student created slide show on Google Slides that the students created to showcase all they know about the body systems.

BUT, once the kids figured it all out, the presentations (which they did actually present to the class) came out great! The formatting the kids did and the information they reported really showed they understood the basics of each body system!

Grab the Body Systems project here!

So to display these projects on the bulletin board (and, yes, I did print them out....I know, I know, some of you are gasping. Sorry...I need bulletin boards!!) I had the kids get into four groups. Each group was responsible for one of the body systems that we studied. Their job was, as a group, to create a 3D representation of that body system to be placed on an outline of a human body using basic art supplies in class.

The first step was for the students to brainstorm the materials they would use for each of the various organs in their body system. The respiratory system used items like balloons for the lungs, markers to draw the veins, pipe cleaners for the trachea. The picture here is of the excretory system. They labeled their drawing and brought it up to me. I then handed them their materials and they were off to create the systems.

The students were really good about dividing up the work. I had to intervene a few times, but for the most part, they figured out who was doing what and how they were going to get it onto the body shape.