Bones to Biceps

After exploring the skeletal system, our seventh-grade life science students shifted their focus to the muscles and joints that connect bones and enable movement this month. 

After studying the basic structure of the human skeleton, students spent time interacting with the classroom model to practice using anatomical terms such as distal, lateral, and proximal to describe the spatial relationships between bones. To reinforce their understanding, the class played a grid-based game inspired by Battleship, using precise anatomical language to locate simulated wounds on the body. 

The class began exploring joint mechanics by comparing and contrasting various joint structures. To deepen their understanding, students constructed functional elbow models using popsicle sticks and rubber bands to simulate cartilage and ligaments, illustrating how muscles contract and how elastic components replicate the shortening of the bicep. They also created hand models with straws and string to show how tendons control finger movement. Alongside these hands-on projects, students completed a digital lab where they collected and analyzed data on muscle types, forearm and bone size, and how these factors influence an arm’s ability to lift different weights.

To bring their learning full circle, students dissected chicken wings to observe firsthand how bones, tendons, and muscles function in a limb anatomically similar to the human arm. This hands-on experience offered an eye-opening opportunity to examine real muscle tissue and witness how its contraction produces movement, reinforcing key concepts in a tangible way.