Students often learn the bones of a human skeleton in health, but biology class can reinforce these lessons by comparing the human skeleton to that of other vertebrates.  In this case, students color the skeleton of a bird and a human according to the directions.  

The colors will illustrate how many of the bones are homologous, like the bones of the forelimbs and also show that some bones are specific to only one species, like the patella.

The worksheet includes a description of the two skeletons, bones for labeling and coloring, and questions to check for comprehension.  An extension activity shows an image of a rat skeleton where students will use what they have learned to color the bones the same colors as the other images.

Grade Level:  7-10

Time Required:  35-45 minutes

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