My Amazing Body

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Lesson Overview

Time: 50 minutes
Year Level: Prep (Foundation)
Subject: Science
Australian Curriculum Focus:
Science Understanding – Biological Sciences (Foundation Year)
Content Descriptor: ACSSU002

Living things have basic needs, including food and water

General Capabilities:

• Critical and Creative Thinking
• Literacy
• Personal and Social Capability

Cross-curriculum Priorities:

• Sustainability (How our body is a living system we need to look after!)

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify basic body parts, especially bones and muscles
• Understand that bones and muscles help us move and stay upright
• Investigate how different parts of the body move
• Demonstrate awareness that bones and muscles need care to stay healthy

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Success Criteria

Students will be successful when they:

• Name at least two bones and two muscles
• Participate actively in body movement investigations
• Share ideas about keeping bones and muscles healthy

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Materials

• Large cardboard skeleton puzzle (life-size)
• Flexible plush “muscle rope” props (red fabric tubes)
• White A4 paper, crayons/coloured pencils
• “My Body Moves” mini-booklets (prepared for each student)
• Labels with bone and muscle names (e.g., femur, biceps)
• Music player with action songs (e.g., “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” and “Simon Says”)
• Butcher’s paper for class brainstorming
• Stickers for feedback/reward

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Lesson Sequence (50 Minutes)

⏰ 0:00–5:00 | Welcome and Warm Up

Activity: "Magic Mirror"

• Students stand in a circle copying the teacher’s slow movements.
• Introduce bones and muscles: “I’m moving my arm—what parts inside help me do that?”

Purpose: Activates engagement while introducing the body concept experientially.

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⏰ 5:00–10:00 | Hook: Real-Life Fascination

Teacher-led Discussion:

• “Have you ever heard of a skeleton?”
• Hold up the cardboard skeleton.
• Ask: “What do you think this is for? What would happen without our bones?”

Explain briefly using age-appropriate language:

"Bones are strong parts inside your body that hold you up like building blocks. Muscles pull on your bones—like rubber bands—to help you wiggle, jump, and dance!"

WOW MOMENT: Bring out the “wiggly muscle ropes” and ask a volunteer to pull one end—watch how it ‘moves’ the cardboard arm!

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⏰ 10:00–25:00 | Investigation Rotations

Set-Up: 4 activity stations (7 students each). Rotate every ~3.5 minutes x 3 stations to complete most activities before regrouping.
Volunteers/teacher aids assist.

Station 1: Build-A-Buddy Skeleton

• Students assemble a jumbo floor skeleton on carpet using labelled bone pieces.
• Discuss names: skull, ribs, spine, legs (femur), arms (humerus), etc.

Station 2: Muscle Magic Mirror

• Pairs of students mirror each other's movements while pretending to "pull" with muscle ropes.
• Three chosen muscles: biceps, calves, tummy muscles (abdominals)

Station 3: Movement Detectives

• Use action songs (“Simon Says”) to notice how different parts of the body move.
• Teacher prompts: "Which body part did you just move? Do you think that was from your muscles or bones?"

Station 4: Draw Your Action Body

• Students trace their hand or foot and draw themselves doing a movement they like (dancing, climbing, etc.).
• Label body parts: students choose 1 bone and 1 muscle to name with support.

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⏰ 25:00–35:00 | Group Reflection: My Strong Body

Come back together on the mat.

Class Brainstorm (butcher’s paper):

“What helps our bones and muscles stay strong?” (e.g., healthy food, sleep, moving around, drinking milk, stretching)

List ideas together. Encourage student voice.

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⏰ 35:00–45:00 | "My Body Moves" Booklet Craft

Each student takes home a mini-booklet titled My Body Moves
Includes:

• Colouring skeleton and muscle pages
• Fill-in-the-blank prompts:
  • “I need bones because ________.”
  • “I use muscles to ________.”

Teacher circulates to support and check learning.

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⏰ 45:00–50:00 | Exit Ticket + Celebration

Exit Ticket Activity: One by one, students approach the teacher and complete the sentence aloud:

“I use my bones/muscles when I _______.”

Wrap-Up Chant:

"Bones are strong and help us stand—
Muscles move us, dance and land!"

Distribute stickers as rewards for participation.

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Adjustments & Differentiation

• EAL Learners: Use visuals, gestures, buddy support
• High-ability students: Challenge with bone/muscle names or plan a care routine for their body
• Motor skill adjustments: Allow drawing/colouring alternatives for tracing

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Assessment for Learning

Formative checks throughout the lesson:

• Observation of group work and engagement at stations
• Responses during movement and exit ticket
• Mini-booklet completion for understanding

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Extension Ideas

• Set up a “Build Your Body” lab area for free play all week
• Bring in X-rays or real skeleton model with a local GP or parent
• Invite student reflections via a video journal (spotlight 3 per day!)

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Teacher Reflection Prompts

• Which body part facts inspired the most engagement?
• Did rotations maintain interest and energy balance?
• Consider repeating the topic with a focus on another system (e.g., digestion!)

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Bonus Idea: Science Surprise Box 🎁

Hide a bone or muscle-related object in a box each week for interactive guessing games (e.g., "It's soft, stretchy…and helps you jump! What is it?")

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Let’s make science move! 🦴💪