My Bones Are Anything But Old And Crusty

1. My Bones Are Anything But Old And Crusty Welcome to a WebQuest that will allow you to explore the bones that make up your skeletal system.

2. Engagement: • You have just returned from The Science and Industry Museum as part of a family vacation. You and your family spent hours checking out human skeletons. The skeletons were old, dusty, and crusty. They didn’t seem to have any life. You spent time thinking about the bones in your body and you realized that bones must grow over time. After all, you realize your body grew from the time you were a baby until now.

3. The biggest question you now have is what exactly is a bone made of and what helps it grow and stay strong? You’ve heard the jingle, “Milk does a body good,” but you wonder how that’s possible. What about milk makes it good for bones? Are there other foods that offer the same value that milk provides for your body? • You are especially interested in this question because your sister, who is nine, is awaiting the results of the lactose tolerance test she took before vacation. Also you want to know what role exercise plays to strengthen the body and support the skeletal system?

4. You need to be prepared to help support your sister regardless of whether she’s lactose intolerant* or not. To answer these questions, you will need to learn more about the skeletal system. <<<< Any ideas what bone this is? Hint: It’s connected to your knee and hip bone. Answer: Femur *Lactose intolerant: Your body’s inability to breakdown the lactose enzyme in milk.

5. Let’s explore! • Go to website http://kidshealth.org/misc/movie/bodybasics/bone.htmlto see what the inside of a bone looks like. Click on each label for more information about what four materials make a bone. • Sketch what you see and label the four materials in your science notebook. Write a one sentence description for each part. Make sure you understand that every bone in our body is composed of these parts.

6. More exploring • Based on what the bone diagram showed you, explain whether you think bones are living or not? Do you have any thoughts about what parts of the bone are living? • Read the first page of this article to help further your understanding of whether bones are living or not. http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/bones.html# Describe in your science notebook what parts of the bones are living.

7. More research to explore • Go to: http://depts.washington.edu/bonebio/bonStrength/calcium/calciumintro.html • Use the information to: 1. Describe the nutrients that are found in milk. * Please write your answers in your science notebook.

8. Add up how much food you need to build strong bones • Go to: http://depts.washington.edu/bonebio/bonStrength/getcalcium/getcalcium.html • How much of the nutrients should be consumed by kids? • Click on the pictures to add up how much food you need to build strong bones.

9. Answer a few important questions • Go to : http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/teachers/upload/mm_calcium_fact_sheet.pdf • Use the information to answer: 1. What impact does eating certain foods have on bones? 2. What should people who are lactose intolerant eat? 3. What besides diet can help build bones?

10. Helpful keywords To get more information about this topic, use these key words with search engines: Bones, calcium, skeleton, skeletal system, osteoporosis, lactose intolerant

11. Explain what you have learned • You are better able to support your sister, peers, and community now that you have learned about what a bone is made of. You now know what contributes to keeping bones strong. • Develop a proposal about ways that your school can help students make better choices that will help improve healthy bones among the lives of all students in your school.

12. You must explain the scientific reasoning for the changes you propose. • Use a word processing program to write, edit, and publish your proposal. • Your proposal should address some of the following questions:

13. Questions to consider • Do you think it is a good idea to make it mandatory for children at your school to eat a certain diet? • How can that be enforced? • Should the school menu be changed or modified? What ways can physical activity be added to the school day? • What should your school community know about lactose intolerant students? • Explain your proposal based on what you learned about what bones are made of and the effect certain nutrients have on them.

14. Elaborate about what you’ve learned • Go to each of the following websites. • http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/osteoporosis.html# • http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/calcium.html • http://www.bestbonesforever.gov/

15. Design a poster • Create a set of posters targeted toward your school community. Posters can be aimed at parents to help inform them about the specific types of foods needed to help build bones. Other posters can be addressed to encourage all community members to participate in activities that get them up and moving. Some posters can give advice for alternative activities to video games and watching television. Another poster may show the combinations of foods necessary to consume the recommended intake of nutrients needed to build healthy bones. Some posters should show the four parts of the bone.

16. Persuade, entertain, and inform • Your set of posters should target at least three populations of community members. You may use PhotoShop, Microsoft Word, or Publisher to design your posters. • In total your set of posters needs to include at least three posters. • Your posters should persuade, entertain, and inform your school community.

17. Evaluation • Label a Bone: Label the diagram of the parts of a bone handed out in class. Use the word bank to help you remember the names of the parts of a bone. Describe the function of each part. Write at least one complete sentence for each description. • Letter to the Editor: Write a four sentence Letter to the Editor about why you think education about healthy bones is important. You may use your previously written school proposal as a resource to write your letters.