Group Class/ Intro to Human Anatomy: Body Organs

In this class we will discuss some of the easily recognizable internal organs and their associated functions:
(please note some of the below-listed organs may not be discussed due to time constraints) 

The brain
The brain is located within the skull and is the control center of the nervous system. Its functions include muscle control and coordination, sensory reception and integration, speech production, memory storage, and the elaboration of thought and emotion.

The lungs
The lungs are two sponge-like, cone-shaped structures that fill most of the chest cavity. Their essential function is to provide oxygen from inhaled air to the bloodstream and to exhale carbon dioxide.

The liver
The liver lies on the right side of the abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm. Its main function is to process the contents of the blood to ensure composition remains the same. This process involves breaking down fats, producing urea, filtering harmful substances, and maintaining a proper level of glucose in the blood.

The bladder
The bladder is a muscular organ located in the pelvic cavity. It stretches to store urine and contracts to release urine.

The kidneys
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located at the back of the abdominal cavity, one on each side of the spinal column. Their function is to maintain the body’s chemical balance by excreting waste products and excess fluid in the form of urine.

The heart
The heart is a hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions.

The stomach
The stomach is a muscular, elastic, pear-shaped bag, lying crosswise in the abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm. Its main purpose is the digestion of food through the production of gastric juices which break down, mix and churn the food into a thin liquid.

The intestines
The intestines are located between the stomach and the anus and are divided into two major sections: the small intestine and the large intestine. The function of the small intestine is to absorb most ingested food. The large intestine is responsible for the absorption of water and excretion of solid waste material.

Pen 
4 blank sheets of paper for drawing and writing
markers

Learner's understanding is assessed informally using one of the below-described methods: 
(Method assessment depends on the child's willingness to participate and the number of students in class.) 
-Draw organs that were discussed in class and label them on their sheet of paper. 
-Clarify and consolidate ideas by communicating to others.

-Act as an expert on a randomly assigned organ. Near the end of the class, the student may explain where the organ is located, describe/represent the observable features of the organ, and explain what the organ does for the human body and why it is important.

-Additionally, students might be encouraged to complete sentence stems. Sentence stems are incomplete statements designed to provide a structure for insights and observations. Some examples are: ‘The liver is…’ ‘The liver can…’ ‘A heart has…’ ‘The lungs can…’

-Students may be encouraged to write short stories about one of the organs they have investigated, with a focus of ‘a day in the life’ of that organ.

-Students may be asked to draw internal organs and include labels naming each internal part.

-We may focus on questions such as:
	•	How are the stomach and bladder alike? How do they differ?
	•	How are the kidneys and the liver alike? How do they differ?
	•	How is the large intestine like a tea strainer?

40 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.