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Body Lab 3-5 / Week 02 / Wednesday
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Week 02 · The Skeleton

Wednesday

Bones that protect
// The living frame that holds you up
⏱ about 15 min

Wednesday: Bones That Protect

Rocket packs an egg in a box for a pretend trip. He tosses in the egg with no padding.

Raven gasps. "Wait! What do you notice? Is the egg safe?"

Rocket laughs. "Oops. Good thing I did not shake it!"

Nova hovers over the box. "Your body packs its treasures well," she says. "Which bones make a shell?"

Bony shields

Some bones protect the organs inside you.

The skull protects the brain. It is made of many bones.

The ribs make a cage around the heart and lungs.

The spine protects the spinal cord, a big bundle of nerves.

Bone or bonesWhat they protect
skullthe brain
ribsthe heart and lungs
spine (backbone)the spinal cord
WHO PROTECTS WHAT?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which bones protect the brain?
Which bones make a cage around the heart and lungs?
Which bones protect the spinal cord?

Ribs and spine

Most people have 12 pairs of ribs.

All 12 pairs attach to the spine in the back.

The spine is made of 33 bones called vertebrae.

Each vertebra is shaped like a ring.

Small cushions of cartilage sit between them. They keep the bones from rubbing.

Most people have ____ pairs of ribs.
The spine is made of ____ bones.
Most people have 12 pairs of ribs. How many ribs is that in all?
WHY THIS EXERCISETwelve pairs is 12 times 2, which is 24 ribs.
Try it
Reach around and gently feel the middle of your back.
Those bumps are vertebrae.
Now take a deep breath. Can you feel your ribs move?
For a grown-up
Feel for the bumps of the spine together.
Ask: why might the spine be made of many small bones?
StatementTrue or false?
The skull protects the brain.?
The spine is one long bone.?
Cartilage cushions sit between the vertebrae.?
The ribs attach to the spine in the back.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEThe spine has 33 vertebrae with cushions between them.
PACK THE TREASURE SAFELY
  • ?Find a strong box.
  • ?Set the egg on the padding.
  • ?Add more padding around it.
  • ?Add soft padding to the bottom.
  • ?Close the lid.
WHY THIS EXERCISEA hard shell plus soft padding keeps a treasure safe, like skull and brain.
SHIELD OR CUSHION?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
In Rocket's egg box, the hard box is like which body part?
What sits between vertebrae like padding?

Excellent thinking! Tomorrow we explore joints, the places where bones meet and move.

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