Human Body Systems Concept Map

One of the units in 5th grade science is teaching human body systems.  Students would learn about the inter-dependency of several systems including:  skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, and the nervous systems.  I use Discovery Education Science and Science Techbook for most of the instruction.  

For a cumulative activity I had students trace themselves on 6 large butcher paper sheets to create the 6 systems and to explain their function to the body and identify components of each system and their uses.  We would hang them up to review each system and its components.  The activity alone seemed to be lacking something.

I added a new component one year by using the same student to be able to overlap the charts and tape them to a large classroom window to show how they relate.  In theory it is feasible yet, I needed to do something more.

This year, instead of a student, we used our classroom teddy bear so it would be the same body type for each of the 6 systems using less paper.  

The purpose was to place all 6 systems in a circular pattern and create a concept map that connects all the 6 systems with lines and content where students discuss how each system is interdependent with each other.  Such as the muscles are attached to bones to allow the body movement and oxygen entering the body is moved to the rest of the body through the cardiovascular system.

This extra concept is more aligned to what is required of the students.  Having students explain how the different systems work co-dependently with each other doubles the instructional value of the project.

Cooper begging for Goldfish