Singing, Dancing, Puzzle Building and Websites to Help Children Learn Bones
Teaching children about bone anatomy can be made a bit easier and a lot more fun for the children by using some songs, dances and available innovative educational tools.
The idea for this lens came after watching a recent episode of Hannah Montana there she comes up with a song and dance, "Doin' the Bone Dance" as a way of remembering her anatomy for a test. I had the catchy, song get in my head and wondered how effective it might be in teaching children their bone anatomy.
Halloween is a great time to introduce bone anatomy to children and to be less afraid of skeletons as symbols of death. I started using skeleton puzzles to teach children about bone anatomy in 2006. I have gone into my both of my daughter's classes for two years now with a skeleton floor puzzle. I have taught bone anatomy to preschool children, Kindergarteners, First and Second graders. The puzzles are an effective, interactive way to teach children about the bones in the body and to be less afraid of skeletons at Halloween.
This lens provides a review and information about creative, innovative ways of teaching children about the anatomy bones.
Photo Image: Learning Resources. Skeleton Floor Puzzle.
Innovative Educational Tools for Teaching Children Anatomy
A Physician, Teacher and Parent Reviews Anatomy Teaching Tools
To make the anatomy learning easier on the teacher, I have bolded the bone anatomy terms in the songs and information.
- The Bone Dance - A Song by Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus
- Skeleton Floor Puzzle - A Large Floor Puzzle
- The Bone Bounce - A Song by Teacher Lucy Jensen
- The Big Story on Bones - A Website
- Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones - A Traditional Folk Song
Doin' the Bone Dance - Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana Teaches Anatomy
One of Best Study Technique Ever Seen?
In this episode one of Hannah's songs, "Nobody's Perfect," gets converted by Miley Cyrus (and her dad) into a memory aid song to help her learn and remember her bone anatomy for a test.
Take a look at the Video clip, the lyrics and my assessment of how well this might work as a teaching aid.
Doin the bone Dance with Hannah Montana
Video on YouTube
Everybody Knows the Bones
Lyrics to the Bone Dance
- Everybody knows the bones
Just had to find a way
Everybody know what I'm talking 'bout
That's how I'll get an A
My body's many parts
And this is where it starts
Phalanges I have 10
And Metatarsals then
I got some Tarsals to
I'll put them in my shoe
The Fibula is next
According to my text
Then comes the Tibia
That ain't no Fibia
And now up to my knee, yeah, yeah, yeah
That's the patella to me
Chorus:
We're doing the bone dance
You study the answers
Again and again 'till I get it right
We're doing the bone dance
You dance and you learn it
And we won't mess up this test
We'll get it perfect
When I milk the cow
On Uncle Earl's farm
I use the ulna bone
That is in my arm
Moo-Yah!!
And now I take it home
With the Parietal bone
It might be crazy
But we learn that way
Temporal and frontal too
And now we're finally through
That makes two hundred and six
I found a way that clicks
Chant: Bone Thugs in the house
We're doing the bone dance
You study the answers
Again and again 'till I get it right
We're doing the bone dance
You dance and you learnin'
And we won't mess up this test
We'll get it perfect.
Word!
Lyrics: Everybody Knows the Bones. 2007. Hannah Montana.
![miley cyrus by luvjb_ordiee [ july 13. nothing to forget. ]](http://static.flickr.com/2379/2102527294_f7c252a05e_s.jpg)
Number of the Bones Identified in the Bone Dance
Assessing The Bone Dance as a Teaching Method
Number of Bones Identified: 10
Names of Bones Identified in the Bone Dance:
- Lower Leg and Foot Bones
* Phalanges
* Metatarsals
* Tarsals
* Fibula
* Tibia
* Patella
Arm Bone
* Ulna
Skull Bones
* Parietal
* Temporal
* Frontal
Another YouTube Video Versions of the Bone Dance Video
Give Me Some Metacarpal Love
A Review of the Bone Dance as a Teaching Method
How Well Can Hannah Montana Teach Anatomy?
The Bone Dance - Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus
The appeal here is going to be a resource that will work with Hannah Montana fans and not work as well for those who are not Hannah fans. The fan base is girls age 6-14.
Ages: Girls ages 5-14.
Names and Number of Bones Identified: 10
Pluses:
The lyrics are catchy and a familiar tune to the Hannah Montana Fans. In addition to the song there is a dance that will get young fans dancing the Bone Dance and having fun.
Minuses:
The Bone Dance Song only includes 10 bones. Younger children (preschool age, Kindergarten) and maybe some of the teachers may have problems figuring out the dance moves and which bones are being identified.
When singing the song, my Kindergartener identified her tibia in her lower arm, not her lower leg.
Overall:
The song may be a fun introduction for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders, because it does get them moving. It may be more effective in combination with a Skeletal puzzle or model.
Older children and boys will probably need something different.
Using the Skeleton Floor Puzzle to Teach Preschoolers, Kindergarteners and 1st Graders
- * Skeleton Floor Puzzle
* Dancing Skeleton Project - from The Toy Maker
* Skeleton Stickers
* Plastic Skeleton Halloween toys
- The Skeleton Floor Puzzle has 15 pieces, so 15 students can each have a piece of the puzzle to assemble the skeleton.
- Extra children can be used to help assemble the puzzle.
- Once the puzzle is assembled, have the children stand up next to the skeleton to see how they measure up to the skeleton (most of the younger children are still shorter).
- Dancing Skeleton Project from The Toy Maker can be passed out as another activity for the children to assemble
- Skeleton stickers or small plastic skeletons (not for preschoolers who are still a choking hazard) can be passed out as fun take homes from the activity.
A Skeleton Floor Puzzle - A Large Floor Puzzle
An Interactive Way of Teaching Bone Anatomy and Being Less Fearful of Death
Last fall, a bit before Halloween, I found the Learning Resources' Skeleton Floor Puzzle and ordered it.As a physician I wanted to teach my daughter's classes a bit about their bones. As a parent and a thanatologist (death, dying and bereavement educator) I also wanted them to learn how to be a bit less fearful of skeletons, one of the typical symbols used of death, especially at Halloween.
I quickly realized that this skeleton puzzle would be good for:
1. Teaching Bone Anatomy
2. De-sensitizing children to the scary skeleton figures at Halloween, be teaching them what a skeleton really was.
I used the Skeleton Floor Puzzle as an educational tool/visual aid in both of my daughters' class rooms (1st grade and Pre-Kindergarten). My mother used it in one of the preschool settings.
In all three of the classes, the kids were fascinated and very curious about the skeleton puzzle. No one went around screaming because it was a skeleton. Instead everyone wanted to help put the puzzle together and then see how tall they measured up to the puzzle.
Note: Once assembled the foam puzzle pieces measure 4 ft tall about the size of the first graders, taller than the Pre-Kindergartners.
Skeleton Floor Puzzle in the Amazon Spotlight
Skeleton Floor Puzzle
Amazon Price: $19.87 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $28.95
The Learning Resources' Skeleton Floor Puzzle is an excellent way of introducing bone anatomy to younger children.
This is the puzzle that I've used with both of my daughters' classes about bones when they were in preschool, kindergarten and first grade. I also gifted one to the teacher.
Number of Bones Identified in the Skeleton Floor Puzzle
Assessing The Skeleton Floor Puzzle as a Teaching Method to Teach Basic Anatomy
Number of Bones Identified: ~ 12
Names of Bones Identified in the Skeleton Floor Puzzle:
I have identified the bones by the puzzle piece the bone is on. Each puzzle piece is labeled on reverse side with the body part and bone name.
- * Head - Skull
* Rib Cage and Spine
* Hips and Pelvis
* Left Upper Arm - Humerus
* Right Upper Arm - Humerus
* Left Lower Arm - Radius and Ulna
* Right Lower Arm - Radius and Ulna
* Left Hand
* Right Hand
* Left Upper Leg - Femur
* Right Upper Leg - Femur
* Left Lower Leg - Tibia and Fibula
* Right Lower Leg - Tibia and Fibula
* Left Foot
* Right Foot
Foam Skeleton Puzzle
A Review of the Skeleton Floor Puzzle to Teach Bone Anatomy
What Kind of a Teaching Tool is the Skeleton Floor Puzzle?
The Skeleton Floor Puzzle is a educational tool especially developed by the Learning Resources to teach the bones to children.
Ages: 4 - 6 manufacturer. (3 - 7 our tested audience.)
Listed as Kindergarten + on the box and the manufacturer's recommended ages are 4 - 6. We used this with two Pre-Kindergarten classes with 2 - 3 without any problems, since the skeleton wasn't presented as anything scary. We also used the puzzle with a class of first graders, some of whom were already 7. They did not get bored.
Number of Bones Identified: ~ 12 (Some are duplicates)
Pluses:
Children interact with the puzzle by assembling it and then playing with it once done. The large foam pieces make it easy for children to put together the puzzle.
The 15-piece puzzle is 4' tall when assembled, making it life-size for younger kids. Once assembled, all of our children wanted to see how they measured up to the puzzle in height.
None of the children in three classes when running from the room because it was a skeleton. They were fascinated with the puzzle, so it ended up being a good way to get them involved.
Minuses:
There are only 15 puzzle pieces, so if you want to plan an activity where each child gets to put together a piece of the puzzle, then you need to make sure you only have 15 children, or assemble the puzzle twice.
Overall:
Since this was created as an educational tool by Learning Resource, a company specializing in innovative, hands-on educational materials for classrooms worldwide and learning toys, this is a good hands-on resource.
I think it works best in combination with something else, like the Bone Dance or the Bone Bounce Song to help reinforce the bones in song.
Glow in the Dark Skeleton Puzzle on Amazon
Skeleton Floor Puzzle
Amazon Price: $15.82 (as of 07/19/2008)
This 100% card stock skeleton puzzle is another way to introduce the skeletal system to children.
This 15-piece puzzle measures over 3 feet tall when assembled.
It's a great teaching tool for Halloween, because the skeleton glows in the dark after being exposed to light.
Measures: 18 x 40 high.
A Squidoo Lens on Dia De Los Muertos
Another Way of Desensitize Children to Death - Celebrate Day of the Dead
Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is is celebrated in Mexico and the Southwest states. This celebration of the lives of those who have died coincides with the Christian All Souls and All Saints Days, November 1 and 2 around our Halloween.-
Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead
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Although occurring around the same time of the year as Halloween, Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, celebrated in many Latin American countries, is a very different holiday, with a very different focus. This festival to celebrate the...
Squidoo Lenses on the Day of the Dead
Another Way of Desensitize Children to Death - Celebrate Day of the Dead
Because of the use of skeletons to honor the Day of the Dead Celebrations are often mixed up with our Halloween, where skeletons are used to scare and cause fear.-
Day of the Dead Altars
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Learn the how and why of altar making, an important part of the Mexican Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration.
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Day of the Dead Art
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History, information and opinions on Day of the Dead, a celebrated holiday in Mexico, and the effect it has on the world at large.
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Day of the Dead: Lots about this Mexican Tradition, nothing about the movie.
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A LOT of information about Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. Actually a holiday which spans 3 days from October 31 - November 2, celebrating those who have passed on.
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DAY OF THE DEAD
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Día de los Muertos is a holiday rooted in the ancient past of Mesoamerica. My ancestors were in awe of the eternal cycle of life and death and believed in the need for sacrifice to assure the continuation of life. The Aztecs of past honored th...
Another Squidoo Lens on the Day of the Dead
Desensitize Children to Death by Celebrating Day of the Dead
- Día de Los Muertos (THE DAY OF THE DEAD)
- Día de los Muertos is a holiday rooted in the ancient past of Mesoamerica. My ancestors were in awe of the eternal cycle of life and death and believed in the need for sacrifice to assure the continuation of life.
Hugh the Skeleton in the Amazon Spotlight
Hugh the Human Skeleton Kit
Amazon Price: $15.00 (as of 07/19/2008)
This wooden puzzle is a large 25 inches height is perfect for classroom presentations.
I ordered one of these and used it as a project my daughter's second grade class this fall.
It was a challenging project for second graders to assemble, but they seemed to enjoy the 3-D puzzle assembly.
Using Hugh the Human Skeleton to Teach 2nd Graders
Note: Assembling the skeleton was a bit of a challenge, even for an adult.
- Divide the class up into groups to assemble Hugh the Human Skeleton.
- Have someone be the 'map reader' to read the instructions and follow along as the puzzle pieces get punched out.
- Have an adult carefully punch out the pieces, but have the students decide on the pieces to punch.
- Carefully and patiently begin assembling Hugh the Human Skeleton according to directions.
- Even though the numbered pieces easily fit together without glue, the skeleton may be helped with a bit of glue.
- The skeleton has over a hundred pieces, so requires a bit of patience to assemble.
- The Skeleton Handout with names of the bones can be passed out as a way to reinforce the skeleton anatomy.
Clips of a Moving Skeleton on YouTube
Skeleton
3D motion capture animation study featuring a skeleton. © Sevensheaven.nl, all rights reserved.
Runtime: 0:08
4674 views
3 Comments:
Skeleton Puzzles Useful for Teaching About Bones to Children
Available on Amazon
Ravensburger Skeleton 200 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
This is from Ravensburger, one of my favorite companies. This 200 piece skeleton would be useful in teaching older children.
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $12.99
Human Skeleton Woodcraft Construction Kit
This wooden puzzle is a smaller 15 inches in height. Might be more useful as a resource for students to use individually.
$4.95
Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price:
Beleduc Wooden 5-Layer Wooden Puzzle, Your Body Puzzle Girl
For Ages 4 Years And Older. This 5-Layer Wooden Puzzle shows the various layers of a girl body, down to the skeletal system.
Amazon Price: $21.95 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $19.99
Beleduc Wooden 5-Layer Wooden Puzzle, Your Body Puzzle Boy
For Ages 4 Years And Older. This 5-Layer Wooden Puzzle shows the various layers of a boy body, down to the skeletal system.
Amazon Price: $21.95 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $19.99
Melissa and Doug Human Body 100 pc Floor
A Life size 100 piece floor puzzle from Melissa and Doug. One side of the puzzle shows the human skeletal structure and the other the internal organs.
Amazon Price: $10.82 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $11.99
Manufacturers of Innovative Learning Toys for Children
Educational Toys - Educational Classroom Materials
- Safari LTD - World's Leading Manufacturere of Educational Toys
- Safari Ltd. is the premier wholesaler of dinosaur and animal replicas, science toys and other educational and creative products. Manufacturer of Hugh the Human Skeleton Kit.
- Learning Resources
- Learning Resources is a leading manufacturer of innovative, hands-on educational materials for classrooms worldwide and learning toys. Manufacturer of the Skeleton Floor Puzzle.
Eyewitness - Skeleton in the Amazon Spotlight
Eyewitness - Skeleton
Amazon Price: $12.30 (as of 07/19/2008)
This video is an ideal introduction to anatomical science (anatomy) for young children and tweens.
The narration is done by Martin Sheen.
Skeleton Puzzles Available on eBay
Skeletons for Teaching
More Skeleton Puzzles and Skeleton Models that are being auctioned for purchase on eBay.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
The Bone Bounce - A Song by Teacher Lucy Jensen
Put your fingers on your cranium, on your cranium...
This song has an advantage of being adapted by a teacher, who is used to educating students.
This is also the song that we used with my daughter's first grade class along with the interactive Skeleton Floor Puzzle as a way of reinforcing each other.
_________________________
The Bone Bounce
Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It"
By: Lucy Jensen
Put your fingers on your cranium, on your cranium.Put your fingers on your clavicle, on your clavicle.
Put your right hand on your sternum,
Put your left hand on your sternum,
Find your bones; find your bones; find your bones.
Put your hand on a humerus, on a humerus.
Put your hand on a radius, on a radius.
Put your right hand on an ulna,
Put your left hand on an ulna,
Find your bones; find your bones; find your bones.
Put your hands on your ribs, on your ribs.
Put your hands on your hips, on your hips.
Put your right hand on a femur,
Put your left hand on a femur,
Find your bones; find your bones; find your bones.
Put your hand on a fibula, on a fibula,
Put your hand on a tibia, on a tibia,
Put your phalanges on your phalanges,*
Put your phalanges on your phalanges,
Find your bones; find your bones, find your bones.
*Translates to: Put your fingers on your toes.
Source: Lucy Lane. The Bone Bounce. Carl's Corner. Featured Resource for Halloween.
Note on Copyrights from Cherry Carl:
Lucy Jensen reserves all rights to her lovely lyrics and songs, which means that you may not change the wording or reproduce it for commercial sales.
Classroom teachers may copy them for use in their classrooms, and make charts for their children.
Please make sure that you put Lucy Jensen's name on anything you reproduce or enlarge.
A Skeleton Handout for The Bone Bounce
Key to the Bone Bounce Song
- The Bone Bounce Handout
- A pdf file version of the skeleton handout used by Lucy Jenson to accompany the Bone Bounce song. This is a copy of the image used by my daughter's first grade teacher, handed out to the children.
The Bone Bounce Skeleton
Number of the Bones Identified in The Bone Bounce Song
Assessing The Bone Bounce Song as a Teaching Method for Learning Bone Anatomy
Names of Bones Identified in the Bone Bounce Song:
This is the key developed by Lucy for the names of the bones. Use this key to refer to when teaching this song:
- * Cranium: braincase (top of skull)
* Clavicle: collar bone
* Sternum: breast bone
* Humerus: upper arm
* Radius: forearm bone on the thumb side
* Ulna: forearm bone on the little finger side
* Femur: thigh bone
* Phalanges: toe and finger bones
* Tibia: shin bone
* Fibula: leg bone
A Review of the Bone Bounce Song
How Does This Song Work as a Method to Teach Anatomy?
This song has the advantage of being developed by an educator to the tune of a familiar song, which broadens the appeal of the song.
Ages: 3 - 8, both boys and girls.
Number of Bones Identified: 13 (phalanges in hands and feet)
Pluses:
In addition to being set to the recognizable song, "If You're Happy and You Know It" The Bone Bounce Song encourages children to get up and dance, or at least move, with the interactive lyrics.
The Bone Dance Song comes with a key and a diagram to help teachers brush up on their anatomy. The handout of the skeleton diagram can also be given to the children for them to use and review.
Minuses:
Using this song requires that you know the words to the song "If You're Happy and You Know It." It would have been even more useful if more bones were identified.
Overall:
The Bone Bounce Song may be a good introduction for Bone Anatomy for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders, especially in combination with the Skeleton Floor puzzle or a Skeleton Model.
Older children and boys will probably need something more advanced.
Skeleton Models on eBay
Skeltons for Teaching Students
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byA Look at a Walking Skeleton on YouTube
Medical animation of walking skeleton
Medical animation of from www.medflix.com
Runtime: 0:32
29969 views
0 Comments:
The Big Story on Bones
An Online Resource from Kids Health
"The Big Story on Bones" website has information about all the major bone groups in a series of fun articles presented at a level that children can understand.The Skeleton image featured in this segment is the image from the Big Story on Bones site.
Segments
The site includes segments on:
- * What are Bones Made Of?
* How Bones Grow
* Your Spine
* Your Ribs
* Your Skull
* Your Hands
* Your Legs
* Your Joints
* Taking Care of Your Bones
More About KidsHealth
KidsHealth is the largest and most visited site on the Web. The site provides doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence for children and their parents.
Source:
KidsHealth. The Big Story on Bones. My Body.
The Big Bones Skeleton
Website on the Big Story about Bones
From Kids Health - My Body Section
- The Big Story on Bones
- Bones provide structure to your whole body, allow you to move in many ways, protect your internal organs, and more. This webpage provides information and interactive flash programs for kids to get the big story on bones.
Number of the Bones Identified in The Big Story on Bone
Assessing The Big Story on Bones as a Teaching Method for Learning Bone Anatomy
Number of Bones Identified on the website: > 13
Names of Bones Identified in the Big Story on Bone skeleton diagram:
- * Skull
* Fixed Joint - Parieto-Temporal Joint
* Vertebra
* Sternum
* Ball and Socket Joint - Shoulder Joint
* Rib
* Radius
* Ulna
* Humerus
* Femur
* Tibia
* Fibula
* Hinge Joint - Knee (Patella)
- 1. Fixed Joint - Parieto-Temporal Joint
2. Ball and Socket Joint - Shoulder Joint
3. Hinge Joint - Knee
A Review of The Big Story on Bones Website
How well does "The Big Story on Bones" Website Teach Anatomy?
The Big Story on Bones is one of the subsections of the "My Body" Section on the Kids Health website.
The Kids Health site provides doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence for children and their parents.
Ages: School age 6 - 10 (12).
This site requires some reading and the ability to use a computer.
Number of Bones Identified: ~ 13
Pluses:
The website has been reviewed by Physicians for information and accuracy.
The site also offers interactive Flash versions.
The Big Story on Bone webpage identifies even more bones that just the diagram. Also provided is information on how to pronounce the various bones.
Minuses:
This site requires some reading, there is a lot of text on the page, so is more geared towards older children, who are able to use a computer and read.
The site has some of it's information and resources as an interactive Flash version. This requires Flash being installed on a computer. There is a non-flash version available.
Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones - A Traditional Folk Song
How Well Does This Traditional Song Work as a Method to Teach Anatomy?
Most of us have heard some variation of this traditional folk song...
- The head bone connected to the neck bone...
Dem Bones - Dem Dry Bones
A Traditional Folk Song
Take a look at the lyrics for "Dem Bones" or "Dry Bones" or "Dem Dry Bones" on the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Kids' Page.You may discover that the song is much longer and a bit scarier than most of us may remember.
The traditional lyrics include such lines as:
- "Oh those skeleton bones, Oh mercy how they scare!"
"Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun.'"
Dem Bones - The Abbreviated Version
I have included the briefer version> This is the version that I can remember hearing as a child, the one more traditionally used when teaching children (at least here in California).
- Oh the...
The foot bone's connected to the -- leg bone,
The leg bone's connected to the -- knee bone,
The knee bone's connected to the -- thigh bone,
The thigh bone's connected to the -- back bone,
The back bone's connected to the -- neck bone
The neck bone's connected to the -- head bone.
Dem Bones
Dem Bones
Dem Bones
Source:
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services. Dry Bones (Skeleton Bones).
Photo Source: Oliver Brandt. Toys 5. Royalty Free Use.
A Squidoo Lens on Dancing Skeleton Bones
A Squidoo lens created for Halloween featuring more Dancing Skeletons.-
Dem Dancing Skeleton Bones
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Skeletons have been a symbol of death at least since the Middle Ages when they were portrayed as the Grim Reaper. Dancing skeletons are featured as participants in La Danse Macabre* or the dance of death and as such skeletons have become objects of f...
(Dem) Dry Bones or Skeleton Bones - Dem Bones
Listen and Sing Along to Dem Bones
- Dry Bones (or Skeleton Bones) - Lyrics and Music
- Sing along with the Midis and Lyrics from the NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) Kids' Page.
Dem Bones in the Amazon Spotlight
Dem Bones
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $16.99
Descriptions of the skeletal structures are interspersed with the words of the traditional African American spiritual, "Dem Bones."
Leg bones, ankle bones, and neck bones are described in medical terminology and their structures are explained in simple terms for young readers.
Grade 2-4 (Younger if used just as a picture book).
Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones on iTunes
Number of the Bones Identified in The Dem Bones Song
Assessing Dem Bones as a Teaching Method for Learning Bone Anatomy
Number of Bone Areas Identified on the Dem Bones Song: 7
Names of Bone Areas Identified on the Dem Bones Song:
- * Foot
* Leg
* Knee
* Thigh
* Back
* Neck
* Head
A Review of the Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones Song
How well does " Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones Song" Song Teach Anatomy?
"Dem Bones" or "Dry Bones" or "Dem Dry Bones" is a traditional spiritual, often used to teach basic body parts to young children.
Ages: 3 - 5, Preschool, Kindergarten
Number of Bone Areas Identified: 7
Pluses:
Another interactive song that can get children up and moving while they are learning the parts of the body.
Minuses:
As a parent and teacher of death and dying, I was a bit concerned in reading through the traditional lyrics for the songs. Lyrics such as "Oh those skeleton bones, Oh mercy how they scare!" and "Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun.'" are going to scare young children, especially at Halloween and not be helpful in desensitizing a fear of death.
The song focuses on body parts rather than bone names.
Overall:
I would recommend using one of the other songs, unless this song is part of someone's cultural background or there is a strong tradition of using this song. I would watch children's reactions for the scary parts and not overemphasize skeletons as fearful objects.
Personally, I would use one of the other songs, the Bone Bounce or Bone Dance if I was interested in using songs.
Dem Bones Downloads on Amazon
More In depth Reviews of the Skeletal System
Websites and Resources with More on Teaching the Skeletal System
- The eSkeletons Project
- The eSkeletons Project website is devoted to the study of human and primate comparative anatomy. It offers a unique set of digitized versions of skeletons in 2-D and 3-D in full color, animations, and much supplemental information. Developed by professors at the University of Texas, Austin.
- AE Living Skeleton: a Tour of Human Bones
- The living skeleton is provided for educational purposes only. This series of xray images of the human skeleton is designed to be used with a computer projection system and for individualized computer-aided instruction. Identical images are posted in labeled and unlabeled format.
- Human Body - Skeletal System
- Hot lists for fifth graders to study the skeletal system, the senses, and the brain. From Mrs. Mitchell's Virtual School.
- Skeletal System
- Welcome to Human Anatomy On-line the place for fun, interactive and educational views of the human body. From Innerbody.com, Human Anatomy Online.
- Skeletal System and Quiz
- Online skeleton anatomy and quiz from a medical school course from Pennsylvania State University.
Doin' the Bone Dance Featured on the Education Group
The Doin' the Bone Dance lens is one of the featured "Top Creative Learning Lenses" on the Education Group.-
Education Headquarters
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Education Group @ Squidoo A group for lenses dealing with education: pre-school, elementary, middle school, high school, college, graduate, doctorate, certificates, special needs, remedial courses, tutoring, home schooling, foreign language, ESL, an...
Doin' the Bone Dance Featured on Teachers Mentoring Teachers
Doin' the Bone Dance was one of the first featured lenses on the Teachers Mentoring Teachers Group.
Doin' the Bone Dance Featured on Unit Studies Group
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Unit Studies: Fun, Active, and Creative Learning Join our group to share your ideas for making learning fun, active and creative for all. Reading each of the lenses in this group will help each of us discover new ideas and inspire new lenses. Please...
Doin' the Bone Dance is a Unique & Unusual Dance Lens
- Dance Group Headquarters
- A group devoted to lenses about dancing. Ballet, tap, nightclub dancing, line dancing, dance lessons, dance attire, jazz, dancing for fitness, salsa, etc.
A Squidoo Lens for Introducing Science to Preschoolers
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Science for Preschoolers
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There are so many things that we can do with preschoolers to help develop their scientific thinking skills. Let's get them thinking scientifically at an early age because there is so much to explore.
Reader Feedback on the Doin' the Bone Dance and Other Creative Ways to Learn Bone Anatomy
Your place for comments, messages, suggestions, ideas and feedback
Have you used any of these resources to teach children about their bones? Do you have others that you use?
Be sure to leave your tips, comments, rank the site, pass on the word about the site (email) and leave a message (Reader Feedback).
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Barkely
Excellent idea for a lens. It's a great learning tool for children:) Thanks for adding it to the Fun For Kids group. Posted June 26, 2008 |
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LeslieBrenner
Wonderful lens, I love it! 5 stars. Posted May 16, 2008 |
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StephenC
Love this lens! Posted March 16, 2008 |
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Stephene
i like your lense very much.. i hv bookmarked this lense and joined your fan club.. (^o^) Posted March 16, 2008 |
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Roving_Band
What a great lens! I'm happy to be in The Dance Group with you! Posted March 07, 2008 |
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DogWhisperWoman
I wonder if the reason they put so few of the bones in there was simply because of the shows time limit. Posted February 26, 2008 |
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Covenant
Watched the bone dance with my daughter last week. It may not have all the bones in it, but was effective. The 8 y/o picked up on a bunch of them. Posted February 15, 2008 |
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thomasz
Nice lens. Great info. Posted February 13, 2008 |
