Our Amazing Bodies
By Ms. Julie Hoffman, PYP 5/6 Teacher
The PYP 5/6 class recently completed a Unit of Inquiry focused on the human body. Throughout the unit, students explored how our bodies are made up of complex cellular systems and how these systems rely on one another to function.
After building an understanding of the body as a whole, students worked in pairs or small groups to investigate one system in depth. The systems researched included the muscular, nervous, digestive, circulatory, skeletal, and respiratory systems.
Our Lines of Inquiry were:
- Function: How the main systems in the body work
- Causation: How and why a system can fail
- Responsibility: How we can take care of our system and support the health of others
Students researched their chosen system and prepared engaging ways to teach what they learned. For their summative assessment, they hosted a Learning Expo, sharing their knowledge with parents and other PYP students. One challenge was presenting their learning differently depending on their audience—for example, teaching Year 1 students in a more interactive way, while explaining concepts more formally to adults.
Along the way, students discovered many fascinating facts. Did you know:
- The small intestine is actually the longest part of the digestive system—about 6 to 7 meters long!
- If all the nerves in your body were stretched out, they would measure around 45–46 miles.
- Your blood vessels would stretch to about 60,000 miles, long enough to circle the Earth twice.
- Neural signals can travel as fast as 250 miles per hour.
Thank you to the parents who joined us and to all the PYP classes who visited the expo. Our students were proud to share their learning and enjoyed demonstrating how incredible the human body truly is!
