Human Body

Investigation 3

Joints

Part 3 – Naming Joints

For the Teacher – Getting Ready

Student Materials 2 Sticky Notes 4 Student Sheets no. 3 called Bone Names

Class Materials 1 Hinge 1 Mallet 1 Spoon, 5-ml 1 Human skeleton photo

Assessment

Student sheet no. 12 called Response Sheet – Joints

Assessment Chart for Investigation 2

What We Will Learn

The human skeleton has three basic types of joints: hinge ball-and-socket gliding joints

Hinge, ball-and-socket, and gliding joints allow the body to move in many different ways.

Science Vocabulary

compensate – to do something in another way

ball-and-socket joint – where two bones meet and movement is a rotation

hinge joint – where two bones meet and allow movement in one direction

gliding joint – where two bones meet, allowing limited movement in two directions.

Review Tasks from Part 2

Which immobilization made common tasks the most difficult?

Which tasks were the most difficult? What made them hard?

How were you able to compensate for (overcome) the problems?

Focus on Joints

Are all your joints the same?

Do they all move the same way?

Talk to your teammates for 3 minutes and choose ones that have different functions.

Introduce Hinge Joint

There are several kinds of joints in the body, and two of them can be found in the hand.

The simplest kind of joint is a hinge joint. A hinge joint functions like a gate hinge or a

door hinge. Look at the hinge that I have. Hinge joints can flex (close) and extend

(open). Identify the hinge joints in your hands. Look for other hinge joints in your body.

Introduce Ball-and-Socket Joints

Look at my spoon and mallet. Another kind of joint is called a ball-and-

socket joint. Ball-and-socket joints can move in three

different ways: up and down front to back rotate

Ball-and-Socket Joints

Ball-and-Socket Joints are the most versatile joints in the human body.

Check your hands and the rest of your bodies for ball-and-socket joints.

They are only found at the shoulders and hips.

Introduce Gliding Joints

Gliding Joints allow movement in two directions, but not rotation.

One example of a gliding joint is the joint where the index finger connect to the palm of the hand.

Watch how the index finger can move toward and away from the palm, like a hinge joint, and can also move side to side.

Look for other examples of gliding joints on your bodies.

Find Joints on the Skeleton Photo

I will assign a bone to each group. Decide what kind of joint is at each end of the

bone. Write that kind of joint on your sticky. Reporters get two stickies. When your group

has determine the type of joint write it on the stick and put the sticky on the skeleton photo.

Review Joints

Let’s check the skeleton labels. Here are the basic rules for joint typing: Hinge joints: knees, elbows, and the end

two joints of each finger and thumb. Ball-and-socket joints: hips and shoulders. Gliding Joints: all other joints – wrists,

fingers, ankles, etc.

Bones Names Sheet

Take out your Bones Names Sheet. Draw

Science Vocabulary Review

Joint – the place where two bones meet. Articulated – jointed or joined in sections, as

in the human skeleton. Opposable thumb – positioned opposite the

other fingers. Immobilize – to prevent something from

moving.

Content/Inquiry

What physical features allow us to perform intricate everyday tasks?

Articulated hands with opposable thumbs are essential for performing intricate tasks.

What We Learned

Articulated hands with opposable thumbs are essential for performing intricate tasks.

Literature Connection

Bones on the Outside?