The Amazing Machine, the Human Body
The Amazing Machine lecture engages children by way of lively
participation to help them to appreciate how the experiences of
their own body relate to the functions of Respiration, Digestion,
the Senses, Memory, Illusion, and Muscles Bones & Movement.
Key Stage 2 (KS2) uses a special story to help children identify
and commit the seven process of life to memory.
The greater interaction that comes from working with smaller sized
groups turns this into an exciting workshop session where, amongst
other things, children get to join in feeling a giant pulse, help
an apple through a giant intestine and go on journey through the
circulatory system.
Although very effective with all age groups, this workshop is particularly
popular with 'Early Years' groups and, as with the vast majority
of SciTech workshops, the pace and content is determined solely
by the children themselves under the guidance of the lecturer and
will vary from group to group. Given sufficient time, the workshop
plans to cover the following topics:
RESPIRATION
- The purpose of the lungs
- How the lungs work
- Blood & air supply
- The mechanics of breathing
BLOOD FUNCTION
- Oxygen & Carbon Dioxide transport
- Nutrient & Chemical Waste transport
- Infection control
- Temperature control
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Location of the Heart and Lungs
- The Heart
Two Simultaneous pumps
- Left - supplies the whole body including the head
- Right - supplies the lungs only
Heart Rate & Capacity
Blood moves around body in a closed circuit
Blood Vessels
- Arteries
- Veins
- Capillaries
DIGESTION
The body needs the nutrients extracted from the food we eat.
The Mouth
Teeth
- Incisors
- Canines
- Molars & Pre-molars
The Tongue
- Saliva
- Lubricant for swallowing
- Digestive function
- Wetting the tongue
Antiseptic
The stomach
- Some nutrient absorption
- Breaks down the food mechanically and with acid
The intestines
- Function & location
- The intestines are long to give the digestive process
more time
- What is left behind (faeces) was never required
by the body
The Liver
- Regulates the nutrient supply
- Nutrients can be accessed very quickly from the
liver (slowly from food)
Kidneys
- Location
- Blood filtering system
- The use of blood resident nutrients creates new
waste chemicals
Bladder function & location
- How food moves through the body - Peristalsis
THE SENSES
The 5 senses + time
a. Perception
Perspective
MUSCLES, BONES AND MOVEMENT
The Skeleton
- Support
- Protection
- Blood production
- Movement
- Muscles can only pull (not push)
- Muscles work in pairs or groups
LIFE PROCESSES (KS2 only)
There are 7 tests that ALL have to be passed to be
a living creature
- Reproduction
- Respiration
- Excretion
- Response to Stimuli
- Nutrition
- Growth
- Movement
The KS2 module uses a linked list story to facilitate
commtting the 7 life processes to memory.
