CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Student Pages

Designers Brianne Miller, Molly Bugaile

SPINAL CORD

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Spinal Cord Activity 1

Special Spool Spinal Cords

What Will You Be Doing?

You will work in groups to build your own spinal columns using string and empty spools of thread. After your spinal column is made, you will explore this section of the human body by drawing and identifying the different parts of the spinal cord and spinal column. Remember to look at a picture of the spinal cord if you need a little help!

Instructions

1. Take a piece of string and tie the plastic bead to one end of the string to serve as an anchor for the empty spools.

2. Then, using the other end of the string, thread each empty spool onto the string. Remember to start adding the largest spools first, working your way down to the smallest spools.

Materials◊◊ Empty spools of thread (at least

5-10 for group)

◊◊ String (one for each group)

◊◊ Plastic Bead

◊◊ White Construction Paper or

Photocopied spinal cord picture

◊◊ Crayons, Markers, Pencils

◊◊ Handout 22, 23

◊◊ Dry erase markers

How is the Spinal Cord special? Believe it or not, the spinal cord is made of the same material as the brain. They are both

made of cells called neurons! Together they make up the central nervous system.

The most important job of the spinal cord is connecting the brain to the rest of the body. How does it do this? Well, the

spinal cord takes signals from the body to and from the brain. Like a note from your mom or dad that tells you what chores to do, these signals are just like messages that tell your body what to do! These messages travel throughout your body, passing from neuron to neuron through synapses. Synapses are very important because they are the point of contact between two neuron cells.

The spinal cord, its neurons, and synapses work together to tell you if a cup of hot chocolate is still hot when you touch it!

The spinal cord is very important. There is a special part of your skeleton called the spinal column whose job is to protect the

spinal cord!

The spinal column protects the

spinal cord.

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3. After you have finished threading all of your spools onto the string, discuss with your group members what the spools and string would represent on the real human spinal cord.

4. Complete this activity by individually writing down your observations on handout 23 about making their replicas of the spinal cord.

These questions include:

◊◊ How is your model of the spinal cord similar and/or

different from the human spinal cord?

◊◊ Do you have any other observations?

Reflection

Discuss your group’s findings and ask any questions you may have. Don’t forget to answer the following questions with your group members:

◊◊ Why do you think the spinal cord is flexible?

◊◊ What are the benefits of having a flexible spinal

cord?

◊◊ What would if happen if the spinal cord was injured?◊◊ Record your group’s thoughts on a sheet of paper.

Follow-Up

After reviewing the different parts of the spinal cord, draw your own representations of the spinal cord. Remember to include labels on your drawings showing some of the different parts of the spinal cord you learned about!

Use spools and thread to

make a spinal cord.

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Spinal Cord Activity 2

Spinal Column Concentration

What Will You Be Doing?

In this activity, you will be paired with a classmate from your group to play Spinal Cord Concentration! Before you begin, review key terms related to the spinal cord and cut apart your Spinal Column game cards.

Instructions

Object of the Game: Collect the most pairs of matching vocabulary cards and definition cards!

1. Cut apart your 20 Spinal Column Concentration game cards along the dotted lines.

2. You and your partner will lie each of your sets of cards face down on the table so that no two cards touch or overlap.

Materials ◊◊ 2 Sets of Concentration

Playing Cards (40 cards

total- 2 sets of 10 red

vocabulary word cards

and 2 sets of blue

definition cards)

◊◊ Safety Scissors

What are the parts of the Spinal Column, anyways? The Spinal Column is made of many different parts in the human body.

All of these parts work together to bring messages from nerves in the sensory and motor systems to and from the brain as part of the Central Nervous System. The following words are important for understanding the Spinal Column:

◊◊ Axon

◊◊ Backbone

◊◊ Cartilage

◊◊ Central Nervous System

◊◊ Dendrite

◊◊ Glial cell

◊◊ Nerve cell

◊◊ Skeletal System

◊◊ Synapse

◊◊ Vertebrae

◊◊ Vertebral Column

The spinal cord.

Player #1: Turn any two cards on the table face up.• Matching Cards: If the cards create a matching pair (the blue definition card matches the red vocabulary card), take both cards and put them face down in a pile in front of you. Take another turn and continue your turns until you get a pair of cards that do not match. • Non-matching Cards: If the cards do not create a matching pair (the blue definition card does not match the red vocabulary card), then

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3. Continue to alternate turns with your partner each time one of you chooses two cards that do not match until no cards remain on the table.

4. Congratulations; whoever has the most cards wins!

place both card face down on the table again. It is now Player #2’s turn.Player #2: Follow the same instructions as Player #1.

Reflection

Quiz your partner on spinal column vocabulary. Hold up your set of red vocabulary cards, one by one, to see if your partner can state each word’s definition from memory. If your partner is unable to do so, remember to be a helpful partner by providing a clue! Once you have gone through all of your red vocabulary cards, switch roles so that your partner can quiz you with their set of red vocabulary cards. If time permits, you can try this same activity with your set of blue definition cards. This time, try stating the matching vocabulary words from memory!

Follow-Up

Take your set of Spinal Column Concentration Cards home to play with your friends or family. Remember to explain the rules of the game to the players at home so they know how to play! If a family member or friend does not know the definition of a vocabulary word, make sure to explain the meaning of the word or give them clues so they can figure it out on their own. Have fun!

“ What is your hardest word to

remember? ”