I've been writing a curriculum product over the last couple of months. Finished this afternoon. If the 4th graders it's written for enjoy reading this stuff one tenth as much as I've enjoyed writing it, they're going to get them some l-e-a-r-n-i-n-g. Yes, indeedy.
The unit I've worked on relates to health and nutrition. The things I've learned have strengthened my faith. Really. Over and over, I found myself in awe of how our bodies are made, how wondrous they are. Here are a few things I've discovered about human bodies.
Not a single cell present in your skin today will be there 7 years from now.
When you break a bone, cells that normally divide every 2 to 3 days almost immediately begin dividing every 3 minutes.
Scabs are an engineering marvel made of blood cells and tiny fibers stronger, pound for pound, than steel.
The fingernails on your dominant hand grow faster than the nails on the other hand.
When you hiccup, your epiglottis opens and then slams shut. The "hic" is the sound of your epiglottis slamming shut.
Your nose runs when you cry because tears drain through the tear ducts at the inside corner of your eyes and into your nose, a little moisture recycling system.
Snot traps germs trying to invade your body.
Here are a few things I learned about food:
The very first collection of recipes included a recipe for jelly.
After peanut plants flower, the flower stems turn downward and force themselves underground, where the peanuts develop.
Vegetable is not a botanical distinction.
The average American eats 135 pounds of sugar every year.
Christopher Columbus took pickles with him when he sailed off to explore the New World.
Oh, and horses can't throw up. Neither can rats.
I'm definitely not smarter than a 5th grader, but I'm working on it.
8 comments:
Still back on the dominant hand and the fingernails. That's WILD!
Ok, I just have to ask...where DO you hear about these writing assignments?? I'd love to do one!
Of course Chris brought pickles with him! They're yummy!
I've always wondered why your nose runs when you cry.
Until now.
And 135 pounds of sugar a year? YIKES.
Just don't tell me where those billions of skin cells go, okay? Or I'm liable to start vacuuming every twenty minutes. Ugh.
This is so fascinating - thanks for sharing!
WOW!! This is all so cool.
Isn't that strange about horses not tossing cookies? I wonder why not??
I swear it seems like my other hands nails grow faster though!
:)
Fascinating stuff Jerri!
I can hardly wait to get this book and share it with my third graders who will be deliciously grossed out. I can hardly wait to tell them that my friend wrote it!
So how and when?
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