Session 4: Human Body Systems 🫀¶

Overview¶

Grades: 5-6 | Duration: 45 minutes | Session: 4 of 17

Students explore the integration of human body systems, discovering how these complex systems work together.

Session 4: Human Body Systems¶

Learning Objectives¶

By the end of this session, students will:

Identify major body systems and their functions
Understand how systems interconnect
Model a body system
Appreciate the design of the human body

Session 4: Human Body Systems¶

Materials Needed¶

📸 Body system diagrams
📦 Model-building materials
📓 Engineering journals
💻 Digital resources (optional)

Catholic Integration¶

Saint Connection¶

Psalm 139 — "I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" God designed our bodies with incredible wisdom.

Scripture¶

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." — Psalm 139:13-14

Opening Prayer¶

Dear God, thank you for the incredible gift of our bodies. Help us appreciate your amazing design and care for these temples of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lesson Procedure¶

Opening Circle (8 minutes)¶

Amazing Design:
"Your body is more complex than any machine!"
37 trillion cells working together
Multiple systems coordinating constantly
Major Body Systems:
🫀 Circulatory — Heart, blood vessels, blood
🫁 Respiratory — Lungs, airways, breathing
🦴 Skeletal — Bones, joints, structure
💪 Muscular — Muscles, movement
🧠 Nervous — Brain, nerves, senses
🍽️ Digestive — Stomach, intestines, processing food
Systems Work Together:
You can't breathe without muscles
Heart needs nerves to beat
Everything is integrated!
Fearfully & Wonderfully Made:
God's design is incredible
Dignity of human life

Main Activity: Body System Exploration (28 minutes)¶

Part 1: System Investigation (10 minutes)

Choose ONE system to investigate in depth:

Circulatory System
Respiratory System
Nervous System
Digestive System

Research Questions:

What are the main parts?
What does this system do?
How does it connect to other systems?
What happens if it fails?

Part 2: Model Creation (14 minutes)

Create a model of your system:

Circulatory Model:

Show heart chambers
Show blood flow (red = oxygen, blue = CO2)
Show major vessels

Respiratory Model:

Show lungs and airways
Demonstrate air flow
Connect to circulatory

Nervous System Model:

Show brain and spinal cord
Show nerve pathways
Demonstrate signal transmission

Digestive Model:

Show digestive tract
Show processing stages
Demonstrate nutrient absorption

Part 3: System Connections (4 minutes)

Share models
Discuss: How does YOUR system connect to others?
"None can work alone!"

Engineering Journal (5 minutes)¶

Draw your body system model (label parts)
Write: "This system's job is..."
Write: "It connects to other systems by..."
Write: "Our bodies show God's design because..."

Closing Circle (4 minutes)¶

Wonder & Gratitude — "What amazes you about your body?"
Stewardship — "How should we care for this gift?"
Closing Prayer — "God, thank you for the miracle of our bodies. Help us care for these temples of your Holy Spirit. Amen."

Assessment¶

Observation Checklist:

Identified system components
Explained system function
Created accurate model
Connected to other systems

Differentiation¶

For Students Who Need Support¶

Focus on one simple system
Template for model
Partner work

For Advanced Students¶

Research diseases/disorders
Create multi-system connection diagram
Investigate medical engineering

Wonder at Home 🏠¶

Family Activity: Feel your pulse and count heartbeats! Time your breathing. Research one body system in depth. Discuss: How does knowing we're "fearfully made" affect how we treat our bodies?

Teacher Notes¶

Emphasize human dignity
Connect to health education
Consider visit from medical professional
Body models can be displayed

Previous: Session 3 — Structural Engineering
Next: Session 5 — Scratch Advanced