Unit Plans for Cells – the Building Blocks of Life (Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Science)

As I mentioned in this post, we are going to be starting our 36 week block on the Human Body, which I entitled Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, with Cells - The Building Blocks of Life.

For our first 6 week block, we will be studying Introduction to the Human Body, Cells, Genes, Germs and our Immune System. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, for the first 5 weeks, we will be reading from a variety books on the topic, and doing various activities including narrations, copywork, lapbooks, online games, and coloring sheets. Week 6 will be our Project Week that will tie it all together and focus on more experiments.

I got my ideas for this unit from Amazon searches and a few different resources, most notably The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach by Robin Sampson, and Little Otter's Homeschool Science Curriculum: The Human Body .

Week 1

- We will be reading Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie and Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body as well as watching the videos for both.

- We will have copywork that they will either trace and decorate, or just decorate, that says, "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well." Psalm 139:14

- Homeschool Share has two lapbooks that we will be pulling pieces from throughout our 36 week study -- Human Body and My Body. This week we will be using the Fearfully and Wonderfully Made template.

- I also found a Human Body Systems template on another blog somewhere that is really good that we will be using throughout the study, as we study each system. This week we will do the Cells - Nerves, Blood and Eggs piece.

- Our Big Activity -- Field Trip to the Houston Health Museum!

Week 2

- We will read from Usborne's First Encyclopedia of the Human Body, pages 4 and 5, on Tuesday and Thursday we will look at DK Guide to the Human Body, pages 4 and 5.

- For supplemental reading, if desired, we will check out I Know How My Cells Make Me Grow (Sam's Science)

- Activities this week include a Crayola Coloring Page (Color a Human Cell) and The Body Book Printable from Scholastic's Easy Make and Learn Projects: Human Body (this was a free sample/excerpt that I found somewhere online), as well as looking online at any Usborne Internet Links.

Week 3

- On Tuesday, we will read The First Encyclopedia of the Human Body pages 42 and 43, and checking out the Internet links on Usborne's site. Thursday we will look at and discuss DK Guide to the Human Body pages 58 and 59 (Genes and Chromosomes page).

- Activities this week include printing the Usborne Quicklink image of Organs, and coloring the Body Organs template from Homeschoolshare.

Week 4

- We will be reading The First Encyclopedia of the Human Body on Germs page 52 and 53, as well as pages 48 and 49 on staying healthy. Thursday we will be reading Germs by Ross Collins.

- Activities will include looking at Internet Links and doing the Germ layer template.

Week 5

- We will read First Encyclopedia of The Human Body pages 54-55, and 58-59, look through DK Human Body pages 38 and 39 on body defenses, and read Germs Make Me Sick - Let's Read and Find out Science 2.

- Activities include the Internet links on Usborne's site, and watching the Internet movie Your Immune System

Week 6

This is PROJECT WEEK so we will be doing different projects on cells and germs and watching videos (Germinators: Immune Systems by Moody Science and Cell-a-bration Cytology by Newtons Workshop if I can get them).

I am eager to start -- I really like the new set up of doing History two days a week and Science two days, as I think it will lead to more relaxed, in depth studies. I also think the girls are going to love the book selections and activities!

Happy Homeschooling!