Using the Student Lessons

The heart of this module is the set of seven classroom lessons. These lessons are the vehicles that will carry important concepts related to the bone, muscle, and skin systems to your students. To review the concepts in detail, refer to the table Science Content and Conceptual Flow of the Lessons.

Format of the Lessons

As you scan the lessons, you will find that each contains several major features.

At a Glance provides a convenient summary of the lesson.

• The Overview provides a short summary of student activities.
• The Major Concepts section states the central ideas the lesson is designed to convey.
• Objectives lists specific understandings or abilities students should have after completing the lesson.
• Teacher Background specifies which portions of the background section titled Information about the Musculoskeletal and Skin Systems relate directly to the student lesson. This reading material provides the science content that underlies the key concepts covered in the lesson. The information provided is not intended to form the basis of lectures to students. Instead, it enhances your understanding of the content so that you can more accurately facilitate class discussions, answer student questions, and provide additional examples.

In Advance provides instructions for collecting and preparing the materials required to complete the activities in the lesson.

• Web-Based Activities tells you which of the lesson's activities use the Looking Good, Feeling Good: From the Inside Out Web site as the basis for instruction.
• Photocopies lists the paper copies and transparencies that need to be made from masters, which follow Lesson 7.
• Materials lists all the materials other than photocopies needed for each of the activities in the lesson.
• Preparation outlines tasks you need to do before you teach the lesson.

Procedure outlines the steps in each activity of the lesson. It provides implementation hints and answers to discussion questions. Within the procedure, annotations, with their easy-to-spot icons, provide additional commentary:

identifies where assessments are embedded in the module’s structure. An annotation suggests strategies for assessment.

identifies teaching strategies that address specific science content standards as defined by the National Science Education Standards.

identifies when to use the Web site as part of the teaching strategy. Instructions tell you how to access the Web site and the relevant activity. Information about using the Web site can be found in Using the Web Site. A print-based alternative to the Lesson 3 Web activity is provided in the event that computers with Internet access are not available.

identifies suggestions from field-test teachers for teaching strategies, class management, and module implementation.

identifies a print-based alternative to a Web-based activity to be used when computers are not available.

The Lesson Organizer provides a brief summary of the lesson. It outlines procedural steps for each activity and includes icons that denote where in each activity masters, transparencies, and the Web site are used. The lesson organizer is intended to be a memory aid for you to use only after you become familiar with the detailed procedures for the activities. It can be a handy resource during lesson preparation as well as during classroom instruction.

The Masters are found after Lesson 7, at the end of the module.

Timeline for the Module

The following timeline outlines the optimal plan for completing the seven lessons in this module. This schedule assumes that you will teach the activities on consecutive school days. If your class requires more time for completing the procedures, for discussion of issues raised in this module, or for completing activities on the Web site, adjust your timeline accordingly.

Suggested Timeline

Timeline	Activity
3 weeks ahead	Reserve computers and verify Internet access Download required plug-ins
1 week ahead	Copy masters, make transparencies, gather materials
Day 1 Monday	Lesson 1 Activity 1: It’s Alive! Or Is It?
Day 2 Tuesday	Lesson 2 Activity 1: What Makes Bones Strong?
Day 3 Wednesday	Lesson 3 Activity 1: Anatomy of a Kick
Day 4 Thursday	Lesson 4 Activity 1: Use It or Lose It
Day 5 Friday	Lesson 5 Activity 1: Got Milk? Activity 2: Is All Exercise the Same?
Day 6 Monday	Lesson 6 Activity 1: Measuring Sunlight
Day 7 Tuesday	Lesson 6 Activity 2: Be Prepared!
Day 8 Wednesday	Lesson 7 Activity 1: Decisions Today for a Healthy Tomorrow

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