The Human Body Curriculum

The human body, composed of trillions of cells functioning in perfect harmony, constitutes a sophisticated network of organs, tissues, and systems essential for sustaining life. From the rhythmic pulsation of the heart to the intricate signaling of neurons in the brain, each element plays a crucial role in facilitating adaptation, healing, and resilience amid dynamic surroundings.

Join us in this curriculum pack as we explore effective teaching and learning strategies in both classroom and homeschool environment. 

See the fact file below for more information on the Human Body Curriculum, or alternatively, you can download our 16-page Human Body Curriculum worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Before we start:

• Watch a short video explainer about human anatomy and physiology. Download the PDF file to access the video link. 

What to consider

• Conceptual Framework: Establish a clear conceptual framework that organizes information about the human body into coherent and interconnected concepts, such as anatomy, physiology, health, and disease.
• Integration of Interdisciplinary Content: Incorporate interdisciplinary perspectives from fields such as health sciences and medicine to provide a comprehensive understanding of the human body. Cross the curriculum and integrate math, social studies, physical education, values, and more in the activities. 
• Active Learning Strategies: Promote active learning through inquiry-based activities, problem-solving tasks, group projects, and hands-on experiences that encourage students to explore, analyze, and apply their understanding of the human body.
• Technology Integration: Integrate technology tools and resources, such as virtual anatomy software, interactive simulations, multimedia presentations, and online resources, to enhance learning opportunities and facilitate access to information about the human body.

How to deliver

• Kids are taught to identify their eyes, nose, ears, and mouth as early as one year. A year older, they get to sing while pointing to their toes, knees, shoulders, and heads. As simple as it gets, the human body is one of the first and most exciting lessons we learn from home to school. From the basic five senses to the synchronized beating of our heart, our anatomy and physiology are as intriguing as life itself. 
• Identify my body! Divide the class into groups for collaborative work as a motivational activity. Let them list all the body structures they know in flashcards (this can be in print or digital format). After 3-5 minutes of listing, let them categorize the parts. At this point, the teacher should identify the schema or prior knowledge of the learners about the human body. How they categorize the listed parts should give clues to their knowledge. Below is a sample of 3 groups with a list. 

• If lucky, the learners could categorize the listed structures into the body systems. The six major body systems are an excellent foundation for younger learners, but we can also extend up to the 13 systems because why not? Just ensure that what we teach is still anchored in the curriculum standards and age-appropriate. Below is a sample of a simple map of the body systems based on the students’ answers. 

• An alternative activity is to let them plot the structures in life-sized body diagrams or maps, which could be exciting when we gamify the activity. We can provide tokens or additional points as positive reinforcement to the group with the most correct labels or answers.

 

• Other gamified activities may include quiz bees, puzzle completion, and treasure hunts (with parts of human anatomy as treasures to find and complete). 
• Easy-to-digest videos about the human body are a practical activity to process and validate the learners’ schema and maintain their attention. Just ensure that the educational videos are within their attention span. For kids, we can try sing-along videos.

• For elementary to middle school learners, try Ted Ed videos on body systems, like the Digestive System and Immune System.  Download the PDF file to access the video links. 
• From parents of students to the school dentist, guest speakers, either in-person or online through webinars, including nurses, doctors, emergency medical technicians or EMTs, nutritionists, or advocates of healthy living, can effectively convey knowledge about the human body.
• Further from the basic body parts, anatomy and physiology are highly complex, yet they always go together in keeping balance. One of the tricks to keep everything on the tab, especially the terms, is to create a pocket chart vocabulary. These vocabulary notes will help the learners comprehend and remember what each organ of the body does to keep the whole system on track. Below are some examples. 

• In addition to pocket chart vocabulary, a learning foldable about the different body systems is handy for review and comprehension. Below is a sample of a learning foldable on the Skeletal System.

• Besides being heavily scientific topics, lessons on the human body are also physical. Integrate physical education by adding more experiential activities like daily logs, documenting what they eat, how many kilometers of walk, the amount of water intake, and the time of sleep – all for a balanced and healthy lifetime. See the daily log sample below.

• Encourage the learners to add more of their daily activities and promote more health practices like having enough sleep, less screen time, more outdoor recreation, ample water intake, and manageable study time. 
• Highlight the importance of caring for our body through a healthy lifestyle. Harness their five senses and instil mindfulness in the body, especially the changes the body undergoes during puberty and adolescence. 
• Aside from school-based activities, educational field trips to health museums are an exciting outdoor opportunity. In the US, here are some of the well-known health museums:

• Warren Anatomical Museum in Boston, MA
• The International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago, IL
• The Health Museum in Houston, TX
• The Museum of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, MO
• The Morbid Anatomy Museum in New York, NY
• The National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, DC

• Take advantage of the educational field trip by providing guide questions beforehand. Learners can take out the museums’ main features or the pioneering studies presented. Unlike classroom or homeschool learning, walking tours expose students to primary sources such as artifacts, photographs, instruments, and even preserved body organs.
• For older learners, integrate history with the development and changes in the study of anatomy and physiology. Ignite their curiosity with how contemporary science knew about the heart that pumps blood throughout the circulatory system or the germs that cause diseases. Expose them to the advancement of science, from the time of Hippocrates and Galen with the Theory of Humors to the Germ Theory of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch. 
• Highlight the developments following the revival of human body dissection and how they paved the way to in-depth discoveries of human anatomy, particularly Andreas Vesalius’s On the Fabric of the Human Body and William Harvey’s On the Motion of the Heart. Following readings and museum visits, the most fun part is doing experiments and, for this lesson, human models. Check out several online tutorial videos like the Lung and Heart projects. Download the PDF file to access the video links. 

• The last output-based activity could be a mini research project with relevant topics. They can focus on local health issues, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on varied age groups, their coping mechanisms, and best practices in terms of personal healthcare.
• They can also explore beyond their locale with research areas in:
  • Genetics, genomics, and diseases
  • Immunotherapies and post CoVid era
  • Digital world and health
  • Mental health and socialization
  • As much as possible, teach and learn with the students. Navigate their experiences within their bodies with them and integrate suggestions and solutions for them. For example, mental health and gender-based bullying have been considered among the prevalent concerns of students at school and even online. While technology has been fast pacing almost everything, the digital world it created may have superseded a generation’s reality, distorting their image of themselves. 

Learning outcomes

• At the end of the lesson, learners are expected to understand the human body’s major systems and their basic functions. This knowledge lays the groundwork for understanding how the body works and how to maintain its health.
• Furthermore, education about personal hygiene, nutrition, and physical activity helps students develop healthy habits early in life. They learn the importance of washing hands, brushing their teeth, eating balanced meals, staying hydrated, and exercising regularly. Understanding the connection between lifestyle choices and overall well-being empowers students to make healthier decisions.
• For middle schoolers, learning about puberty and reproductive health is essential. They can be taught about the physical and emotional changes during adolescence, including puberty-related hormones, menstruation, and the reproductive system. Providing accurate and age-appropriate information helps demystify puberty and equips students with the knowledge to navigate this stage of development confidently.
• Lastly, students learn to appreciate the diversity of body types and understand that bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and abilities. They develop respect for their own bodies and those of others, fostering a healthy body image and acceptance of themselves.

The Human Body Curriculum Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Human Body Curriculum across 16 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Human Body Curriculum worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about The human body, composed of trillions of cells functioning in perfect harmony, constitutes a sophisticated network of organs, tissues, and systems essential for sustaining life. From the rhythmic pulsation of the heart to the intricate signaling of neurons in the brain, each element plays a crucial role in facilitating adaptation, healing, and resilience amid dynamic surroundings.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• Teaching the Human Body

          Short video explainer

          What to consider?

          How to deliver?

          Learning outcomes

• Lesson Plan Template
• Suggested Worksheets

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bones are in the human body?

The adult human body typically contains 206 bones. However, the number can vary slightly from person to person due to differences such as the fusion of certain bones during development.

What is the purpose of the liver in the human body?

The liver is a vital organ responsible for numerous functions, including detoxification, metabolism of nutrients, production of bile for digestion, storage of glycogen, and synthesis of proteins essential for blood clotting and other bodily functions.

What is the role of the nervous system in the human body?

The nervous system serves as the body’s communication network, coordinating and controlling various bodily functions and responses to internal and external stimuli. It consists of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (nerves connecting the central nervous system to the rest of the body). Its functions include transmitting sensory information, controlling voluntary and involuntary movements, regulating organ function, and facilitating cognitive processes such as memory and learning.

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