Skeletal Explorations

Second graders are learning about the major body systems this term in science, starting with the skeletal system. Students learned how bones work together with muscles and joints to support their bodies, allowing them to move in various ways. They learned about some common types of joints such as the ball and socket and hinge joints, exploring what it might feel like to move if a particular joint didn’t exist. From their craniums down to their tibias and fibulas, second graders also learned the names of the body’s major bones.

Reinforcing their newly acquired knowledge with gameplay, students worked in pairs to “Roll a Skeleton.” They rolled dice with each number corresponding to a different bone, and they either worked together or raced against each other to see how quickly they could complete a skeleton. Students also tested their recall and fine motor skills by cutting the names of bones out of a word bank and correctly labeling as many as possible. 

During their skeletal system study, second graders welcomed two special guests to the classroom. Science Department Chair Alex Dixon visited second graders to assist them in creating X-ray replicas using Q-tips and black paper. Each student chose a set of bones such as the arm or the rib cage and pelvis. Then, they used Q-tips that they cut and shaped to match the shape of the bones and arranged them on black paper before gluing them down. Second grade teachers also brought over a replica of a skeleton from the Upper School science department so that students could examine the size and shape of the bones for themselves. The students used “Skully,” as they nicknamed him, as a reference while constructing their X-rays, checking to ensure they had included all the bones with the appropriate shape. The X-rays will be displayed against the second grade windows to give them a realistic backlit glow when they are complete. 

After the skeletal system, students will be moving on to learn more about the muscular system, the digestive system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system before wrapping up with the respiratory system at the end of term.