Category: Anatomy

  • Estimate a Person’s Height from the Bones

    Estimate a Person’s Height from the Bones

    In this activity, students use tape measures to estimate the length of their femur, ulna, and tibia. These lengths are then with an equation to estimate their height which can then be prepared to their actual height.

  • Mitochondria, DNA, and the Aging Process

    Mitochondria, DNA, and the Aging Process

    This short article was designed for anatomy and physiology students studying the cell.  The class focuses on how disease states can often be traced back to problems with cells.   Senescence, or aging, has been linked to a build-up of mutations in mtDNA. 

  • Color the Connective Tissue Matrix

    Color the Connective Tissue Matrix

    This worksheet was designed for anatomy and physiology students to compliment a lesson on the body tissues.  This coloring exercise is not intended to take very long and is mostly to help students gain an appreciation for the complexity of the matrix.  The entire unit, which includes google slides and other resources can be seen…

  • Label the Body Regions

    Label the Body Regions

    This worksheet is used with a beginning anatomy unit that discusses anatomical terminology and body regions. 

  • Investigation: How Does Exercise Affect Heart Rate

    Investigation: How Does Exercise Affect Heart Rate

    Design and conduct an experiment to measure the effect of exercise on heart rate. Aligned to NGSS standard on feedback mechanisms.

  • Body Systems Graphic Organizer

    Body Systems Graphic Organizer

    Graphic of the body systems where students fill in blanks about structures within the organ system and their functions.   This concept map can be used as a review or as a way to organize notes over the body systems.

  • Urine Luck! – A Urinalysis Simulation

    Urine Luck! – A Urinalysis Simulation

    Examine urine samples from patients and suggest a diagnosis and treatment plan based on test results. Simulated urine, can be made with basic materials and models basic tests done on real urine.

  • Color and Label the Nephron

    Color and Label the Nephron

    Practice labeling the nephron with this reinforcement activity.  Students can also color the image to identify the major structures of the nephron:  glomerulus, bowman’s capsule, proximal and distal tubules, loop of Henle, collecting duct and capillaries. This was designed to go with a larger unit on how the urinary system and kidneys help the body…

  • Modeling the Alimentary Canal

    Modeling the Alimentary Canal

    In this activity, students use string to model the gastrointestinal tract as a scale model.  I’ve noticed that students do have difficulty with the concept of scaling, which is one of the crosscutting concepts listed in the NGSS. The directions give students measurements for a 1/3 scale model, the human alimentary canal is about 9…

  • Case Study: How Do Tibetans Survive High Altitudes

    Case Study: How Do Tibetans Survive High Altitudes

    Based on the Berkeley website: Understanding Evolution, this version focuses on the how the body maintains homeostasis at high altitudes.   This involves increased production of red blood cells to improve oxygen supplies to tissues.    Tibetan populations have adapted to high altitudes by producing fewer red blood cells which improves fetal mortality rates. Case looks…

  • Sheep Heart Dissection

    Sheep Heart Dissection

    Students use this dissection guide to learn the anatomy of the heart, using a sheep as a model. The sheep heart is similar to a human, and students can identify the major vessels:  aorta, pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, and the vena cava.  The guide includes instructions on how to determine which side of the heart…

  • Model the Digestive System with Coloring

    Model the Digestive System with Coloring

    The digestive system is a series of organs that work together to break down food into nutrients that the body can use. The digestive system includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. Coloring activities can be helpful to give students a chance to model the organ systems.  I short, coloring…

  • Concept Map on Blood

    Concept Map on Blood

    Students studying blood and the lymphatic students can get overwhelmed with the terminology used to describe blood and how blood is categorized.   This project is designed to help students organize these difficult terms by creating a large concept map which groups related ideas together and connects them to other ideas – a concept map!   …

  • Case Study:  How to Survive a Cholera Epidemic

    Case Study: How to Survive a Cholera Epidemic

    In this case, students explore how cholera is spread and how it affects the body.  The case is divided into four sections, with the first part focusing on the role of clean water supplies and the spread of bacteria.   In the second part, the affects of the bacteria are examined, with attention on how the…

  • Comparing the Amniote Egg to the Placenta – Coloring

    Comparing the Amniote Egg to the Placenta – Coloring

    Color the amniote egg of a chicken and compare to the development of a human embryo.