EDUCATION SUPPLY ACTIVITY www.roylco.com Canada: 30 Northland Road, Waterloo, Ontario, N2V 1Y1 USA: PO Box 13409 Anderson, SC 29624 No. 60558 Newspaper Skeleton Teach students about human bone structure by constructing a life-size skeleton model from recycled materials! Include the whole class to make this wonderful cooperative project. Exercise students dexterity while independently working to roll up the newspaper rods to construct a skeleton! Made entirely of newspaper rods that represent the bones, the Newspaper Skeleton is an excellent science-art-math resource that can be used simultaneously as a human anatomy model. As children combine the newspaper rods using the stepby-step instructions they can reference the guide to label and discuss each of the skeleton s major bones. Figuring out the placement of the bones is easy with our handy plastic connector cutouts. Each of the cutouts helps to hold the newspaper rod bones in place. The cutouts mimic the pelvic, skull, arm, hands, feet and leg bones that stabilize the remaining bones. Divide your class into groups and give each group a body part to construct such as the skull, an arm or a leg. This is a great way to ensure that each part of the skeleton is carefully made while encouraging teamwork among students. We ve included measurements for each of the sections in the skeleton. Save up and reuse old newspapers to make the construction rods. To make the newspaper rod bones, tape one rod-tube to one end of the sheet of newspaper. Repeat with a second rodtube on the other side of the sheet. Tightly roll the newspaper sheet then secure the roll with tape. The newspaper rod-tubes will now lock into the special skeleton connectors when you assemble your skeleton. To lock the rod-tube into the connector, squeeze the tube, push onto the connector and release. Friction will hold it in place. Use this guide to learn more about the cultural significance of the skeleton. Our web video, which you can access online at www.roylco.com/product/r60558, features step-by-step visual instructions on how to assemble the skeleton from bottom up. You can refer to the back of this guide for more details on how to construct the Newspaper Skeleton. CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS Recycle materials to make a reusable model Connect multiple subjects through science Stimulate collaborative creativity Learn about the major bones in the human body Use techniques and processes to develop ideas Learn about skeletons in various cultures Exercise fine motor skills Work individually or in groups Learn about the development of skeleton folk art Measure the lengths of newspaper rods to make bones The human skeleton is made up of 206 bones. When a baby is born, he or she may have as many as 300 bones, but over time, the bones fuse together to become stronger. Each bone has an important role to play in the skeleton. At the end of this guide, we ve included a diagram of the skeleton for reference when constructing the Newspaper Skeleton. teeth scapula humerus radius ulna carpus phalanges femur patella The skeleton provides the structure for the body it provides the support that the body needs to hold all the organs, muscles and other tissues in place. As a result, bones have to be very strong and properly nourished in order to support the entire body. The major bones consist of the skull, spine, limbs and ribs. The skull encases the brain. The spine keeps the body upright and protects the spinal cord which is a major component of the nervous system. The spinal cord ensures that we feel and control everything that happens in our bodies. It must be protected at all times. The ribs hold and protect all the digestive and respiratory organs in place. Our bones get nutrients and strength from vitamin and mineral-rich foods in our diets. Without these vitamins and minerals, our bodily functions become weaker and slower and bones become more brittle. Bones are made up of three layers, the exterior and interior bone and the marrow. The exterior bone is composed of collagen that deposits calcium, magnesium and iron ions into the bones to make them stronger. This is called the osseous layer. The inner layer is spongier and is called the trabecular bone. It is composed of the same minerals as the outer layer, but the minerals in the inner bone are less dense. Finally, the marrow is a storehouse for all important vitamins and minerals that the body needs. The marrow holds essential minerals such as calcium, phosphorous and iron. Use our R48006 Skeleton Stencils or R48001 My Size Skeleton as fun visual guides for students to become familiar with the different parts of the human skeleton. Provide many interesting activities to keep students engaged. The Newspaper Skeleton is modeled after a human skeleton and will require students to have at least an intermediate knowledge of the arrangement of the bones. Each part of the skeleton should be Printed in Canada Made in Canada skull neck vertebrae clavicle rib cage sternum spinal vertebrae pelvis tibia fibula phalanges
Newspaper Skeleton divided up among the groups of students you designate; that way, each group will get a chance to focus on a particular part of the skeleton. As students are constructing the various parts of the skeleton, ask them to label the bones they are making and briefly describe the function of these bones. Children can cut a small slip of paper and tape it to the newspaper bones. For instance, if a student is making the ulna, he or she will write ulna on a piece of paper, and then tape it to the newspaper tube. Once the Newspaper Skeleton is finished and is analyzed, the student will describe the ulna as one of the two lower arm bones that holds muscles in the arm together. This classroom art-science project is a great way to reinforce concepts about human biology through visualization and construction. Skeletons are often used in cultures around the world as a symbol of life and death in folk art. The image of the skeleton was often used in artwork by classical painters such as Leonardo DaVinci or Michelangelo to represent death as a character that walked with living people. Some painters would hide the image of the skull in their paintings to emphasize an important message or proverb such as, nothing lasts forever. Even Shakespeare used a skull in his play Hamlet to symbolize his character s humility to the audience; in Shakespeare s understanding, all beings are a part of the same cycle of life and death and no one is the exception to the rule. Explore different types of media in history that have used skeletons in their imagery, from cartoons to paintings and more. Students can research why and how these images are being used and discuss their findings in a presentation to the rest of the class. Skeletons also feature prominently in festivals and events that celebrate life through images of death. Some cultures celebrate the dead by paying respects to deceased loved ones. NEWSPAPER SKELETON DIAGRAM DETAILS Before you begin designing the Newspaper Skeleton, take a good look at the enclosed two-page diagram. The diagram consists of several different images so be sure to examine them all! There is no need to panic, however. We will go through each of the images as carefully as possible so that you have a clear understanding of how the Newspaper Skeleton is made. Once you have become familiar with the diagram, constructing the skeleton will be no problem at all! The large diagram consists of five individual diagrams and two legends. We ve listed them below so that it is easier to become familiar with them: SKELETON CONNECTORS LEGEND Take a look at the top left corner of the diagram. In this corner there is a box labeled Skeleton Connectors. The Newspaper Skeleton kit comes with 20 specially-designed plastic connectors. Each connector is made to look as realistically as possible to one part of the anatomical structure of the skeleton. There are fourteen images of the plastic connectors colored in blue. Each is labeled with a small description. Note: The neck connector is colored in yellow to help distinguish it from the rest of the connectors. It is a special case as it orients in different ways as the Newspaper Skeleton is being constructed. We will demonstrate this neck connector in more detail as we go along. NEWSPAPER SKELETON CONSTRUCTION This is found in the center of the diagram and shows how the Newspaper Skeleton is.../2 put together. The construction diagram is labeled with a variety of measurements throughout. These measurements, both in inches and centimeters, are positioned beside the tubes they correspond to. Let your students measure their newspaper tubes according to the diagram. It is easier for children to keep track of the measurements if they are very clear on what parts of the Newspaper Skeleton they are working on. Most of the newspaper tubes are symmetrical so the numbers may not be labeled on both sides. If they do appear symmetrical (such as the ribs, arms and legs, etc.) simply follow the measurements indicated on one side. DIAGRAM A Diagram A shows how to string pipe cleaner through the back skull connector. The loop you make with the pipe cleaner will help prop the head of the skeleton up if you are planning to stand it upright. Insert each end of the pipe cleaner into the holes in the center of the back skull connector before incorporating it into the Newspaper Skeleton skull. DIAGRAM B Diagram B shows how the neck connector is oriented after the skull has been constructed. When the neck connector is matched to the back skull connector, it gets pulled down so that the two bottom prongs insert into the top two rows of the skeleton ribs. This helps join the skeleton s skull to its upper torso. DIAGRAM C Diagram C shows how the front pelvis connector joins to the legs. There are a total of four prongs on the front pelvis connector pointing downward. The tubes connecting from the back pelvis to the front pelvis go over top of the prongs that connect to the newspaper legs. SKULL COVERINGS LEGEND There are a total of 9 colored images showing the parts of the skull coverings. Each part can be referenced in the color coded diagrams that show how the coverings are placed over the skull. Use a combination of the diagram and the following instructions to complete the skull. There are doubles of several connectors. These include the hands, elbows, shoulders, jaws, rib cages, knees and feet connectors to help complete the other half of human skeleton. Each skeleton connector in the legend is clearly illustrated so that it is easier to recognize. Note each connector and its placement in the construction diagram. Tip: If you are having trouble locating a specific connector in the main construction diagram, note its name in the legend and search for it in the general area of where it would be found on a real human skeleton (i.e. skull is at the top, ribs are in the middle, knees are at the bottom, etc.). Most connectors are oriented according to the images in the Newspaper Skeleton construction diagram. For example, the shoulder blades face in towards the ribs; the coccyx of the back pelvis faces down; and the prongs that represent the fingers and toes on the hand and feet connectors face downwards. The only exception to this rule is the neck connector, which is oriented by its connection to the back skull connector. The neck connector must be placed so that the arrow -like point faces up into the skull while the bottom two outstretched prongs match into the first two rows of the ribs. We will explain in more detail how this is done. CONSTRUCTING THE NEWSPAPER SKELETON HEAD FRONT HEAD To start constructing the Newspaper Skeleton head, find
Newspaper Skeleton the back skull connector. Place the connector on a flat surface and connect seven newspaper tubes to each of the prongs pointing outward. Reference the diagram on the measurements of each newspaper tube. Remember, the image on the diagram showing the back of the skull is flipped upside down to show how it aligns with the neck connector. Tip: You may insert the neck connector over top of the back skull connector as shown in the diagram. Insert the arrow point prongs into the 5 tubes connected to the back skull s prongs. This will help secure the neck to the head. Once all of the tubes and the neck connector are connected to the back skull connector, flip the entire piece upside down. JAW Make the jaw by joining the left and right jaw connectors. Take both jaw connectors and lay them out side by side. Orient them according to the image shown in the legend so that the five prongs are pointing up and one prong is pointing down. Flip the connectors so that the bottom prongs face each other from the left and right sides. These two prongs and the single downward facing prong indicate the connection for the mouth. Make two newspaper tubes according to the measurements provided and attach tubes between the two inner facing prongs to make the mouth. To form the neck support, attach the 7 (17.8 cm) newspaper tube in behind the mouth tubes. This tube connects to the only downward facing prongs from the set of five prongs. NOSE Place the skull nose in front of the jaw/mouth. The skull nose connector looks like a five point star. Turn the connector so that the top three points are facing up and the two outstretched points are facing down. Connect the bottom prongs to the remaining inner facing jaw prongs with 4 (10 cm) newspaper tubes. Now that you have successfully connected the jaws to the nose, take your flipped front head piece and place it behind the nose connector. Take the top three tubes (two 10 or 25.4 cm tubes and one 10.5 or 26.7 cm tube) and bend them forward to meet the top three points of the nose. Hint: Remember that you flipped your front head piece so the longer newspaper tubes are now facing up and the neck connector is facing down. Bend and connect the remaining short newspaper tubes ( two 6 or 12.2 cm tubes and two 5 or 12.7 cm tubes) to the remaining jaw prongs. Insert the neck connector in behind the bottom tube at the back of the head so that it forms an s-shape. This will help hold up the connection between the head and the shoulders. ABDOMEN RIB CAGE To construct the rib cage, take the long connector piece called the spine. Lay the spine onto a flat surface. You will notice.../3 that at one end of the spine, the prongs are situated more tightly together. This forms the top portion of the rib cage. Orient the spine so that these prongs are at the top and the equally spaced prongs are near the bottom. There will be twelve newspaper tubes connected to the spine on either side. The longest newspaper tubes will connect to the top prongs while the shortest newspaper tubes will connect at the bottom. Once you have all the newspaper tubes cut to the measurements indicated and connected into the spine, locate the two back rib cage connectors and the single front rib cage connector. You will need to assemble the rib cage connectors together to finish the ribs. Both back rib cage connectors are easy to align. Lay the left rib cage connector down so that the prongs are facing to the left. Flip the second rib cage connector over so that the prongs are facing to the right side. Both connectors have a prong at the top. These two prongs are designed to overlap so that when the newspaper tubes are connected, the rib cage connectors are easily secured together. Tip: You can tape the two prongs together to add more stability. Next, take the front rib cage connector. The connector follows a straight line like the spine. It has five prongs on either side. The bottom row of prongs should be placed to overlap the top row of the back rib cage connector prongs. Tip: Tape the bottom row to the overlapped prongs so that the entire structure is secure. Finally, count the number of prongs that are facing out from one side of the rib cage connectors. There should be 11 prongs in total on either side. Now that your rib cage connectors are fully constructed, it s time to connect the newspaper tubes! Hold the rib cage connectors in the middle above the spine and the newspaper tubes. The newspaper tubes on the left side should match the prongs on the left side of the rib cage connectors. The same goes for the right. You will notice that there are only 11 prongs on either side of the rib cage connector and 12 newspaper tubes on each side of the spine. Before you begin connecting the newspaper tubes to the rib cage, be sure to note that you should SKIP THE FIRST ROW of prongs at the top of the rib cage connectors. The top row is reserved for the connections to the shoulder blades. Now you must realize that there will be two sets of newspaper tubes that will not connect to any part of the rib cage connectors at the bottom of the spine. Anatomically, this is correct: Humans have two ribs on either side of the spine at the bottom that do not connect anywhere, but radiate outwards. Curl the newspaper tubes inward to meet the prongs of the rib cage connectors and attach on both sides. Complete the connection between the head and the rib cage by using the neck connector. The neck connector at the base of the skull, can now be attached to the completed ribs. Slip the bottom two rows of prongs of the neck connector into the top two sets of newspaper tubes that form the ribs of the
Newspaper Skeleton spine. You can see an illustration of this in DIAGRAM B. PELVIS Place the back pelvis connector below the spine construction. The back pelvis connector looks a bit like the shape of a heart. It has a point at the bottom (which represents the coccyx), a prong at the top and three prongs on each side of the connector. The prong at the top of the back pelvis connector is joined to the spine with a single 8 (20.3 cm) newspaper tube. Attach the indicated measurements of newspaper tubes to each of the prongs on the back pelvis connector. Once you are finished attaching the newspaper tubes, find the front pelvis connector. The front pelvis connector looks a bit like a pair of glasses with prongs emerging from all sides. Orient the front pelvis connector so that the two prongs that emerge from the center of the holes are pointing upward. On the back pelvis connector, there are a total of four newspaper tubes that number 9.5 (24 cm) in length. Take the top row of newspaper tubes and attach them to the two outside prongs at the top of the front pelvis connector. Curl the newspaper tubes forward to meet the prongs. Take the next set of 9.5 (24 cm) tubes and join them from the back pelvis connector to the front pelvis connector s bottom inside prongs. Finally, curl the remaining 6 (15.2 cm) tubes upwards to meet the top inside prongs of the front pelvis connector. You are nearly finished! Now onto the arms and legs! LIMBS ARMS Each arm consists of three connectors: the hand, elbow and shoulder connectors. Lay out each connector in anatomical order. For instance, the hand goes at the bottom, the elbow in the middle and the shoulder at the top of the arm. When you are orienting the right or left arm connectors, pay attention to the image in the diagram. The hand connector features four prongs along one row, one prong jutting out from the side and two prongs facing back. The four prongs and the sideways prong indicate where the fingers are situated. Therefore, point the four prongs downward and flip the thumb prong to the correct side (i.e. if the arm is on the right, the thumb must point to the right so that the palms of the skeleton will be visible). The two prongs pointing up represent the wrist and will connect to the rest of the arm. Make the finger newspaper tubes according to the measurements provided. Hint: Make two sets of finger tubes; one set for one hand and the second set for the other hand. Insert the newspaper tubes into the finger prongs. Crease about an inch up the sides to flatten the ends of the fingers. This will help you form the fingers into points. Take the bottom corners of each newspaper tube and fold into a point. Secure the point with some tape. Attach the two wrist prongs to the newspaper.../4 tubes as indicated in the diagram. Next, flip the elbow connector so that it is facing the correct way. If the arm you are working on is on the right, the elbow connector s pair of prongs should point down to the right and vice versa for the left. The pair of prongs should always be pointed downwards and connect into the two newspaper tubes. As a result, there should only be one prong on the elbow facing up. This will help connect the bottom half of the arm to the upper half. Attach a single newspaper tube of about 9.5 (24 cm) to the elbow prong pointing up. Finally the shoulder blade is placed above the elbow. It looks a bit like an arrow with two prongs on either side of a large shoulder blade. The shoulder blade has two sides; one with a scoop and the second with a straight edge. Point the straight edge downward and the scoop edge up. One prong should face the arm while the second should face the spine. Connect the bottom prong to the elbow newspaper tube. Connect the top prong to a newspaper tube of a length of 11 (28 cm). The newspaper tube emerging from each shoulder blade should connect to the top row of prongs from the front rib cage connector. Tip: The shoulders will flop unless you secure them. We ve punched holes into either of the shoulder blade connectors. Use the holes to connect a length or two of pipe cleaner together. Wrap loops with the ends of the pipe cleaner around the holes in the shoulder to secure. LEGS Each leg features two connectors: the knee and the foot connector. Point the side with the single prong up and the five side prongs downward. Start with the foot at the bottom. Use the same technique you used to make the fingers to make the toes. Flatten and curl in each end of the phalanges to make points. To connect the foot to the knee, make two lengths of newspaper tubes according to the measurements provided in the diagram. Attach to the bottom two prongs of the knee connector. Finally, add the last newspaper tube which will form the thigh bone. This tube connects the top prong of the knee connector to the last available prong on the front pelvis connector. Repeat for the other leg. SKULL COVERINGS We ve included 6 templates you can use to make your own coverings for the skull of the skeleton. Trace each template onto a sheet of newspaper and cut out. Label each cutout so that you know where each one goes. These are your templates. Eyehole template Make two eyehole cutouts from this template. The eyehole template features a hole close to one corner of the cutout and a slit on the opposite side. Be sure to
Newspaper Skeleton.../5 cut this slit out only along the indicated line. The slit allows both sides of the cutout to be folded in and overlapped to add dimension to the skull. Slightly overlap the edges along the slit and secure with tape. Tape the corners with the eyeholes along the nose connector. Lay the rest of the cutout across the side of the head and tape along the two sideways newspaper tubes. Repeat for the other side. Nose template The nose template looks like a large triangle. The middle of the triangle is cut out to form the opening for the skeleton s nose. The bottom edge of the triangle features a row of teeth. Orient the cutout so that the teeth are pointing downward and the point of the nose is facing upward. Place the nose cutout so that the point of the nose goes right between the eyeholes. Tape along the edges and align the teeth to match the edge of the top lip newspaper tube. Bottom jaw template This template features the bottom row of teeth along a straight line. Orient the teeth so that they face upward then wrap across the bottom jaw newspaper tube and tape to secure. Top head coverings template There are two eye-shaped templates for the head coverings. Choose the larger template for this cutout. You will need to make two cutouts of this template. There are two slits in the center of the top and bottom edge of the cutout. These will help add dimension to the skull as you lay the coverings on top. Overlap the edges of the slits and tape to round out the shape of the covering. Position the cutouts vertically along the top of the skull. Place one point of each of the two cutouts onto the nose connector and tape down to secure. Stretch the remainder of the cutout over the back of the skull and tape at the back. Back head coverings These are the smaller of the two eyeshaped templates. You will need to make two of these cutouts. These cutouts will have a slit at the center of the top and bottom edges. Overlap the edges of each slit and tape to round the shape out. Go to the back of the skull and stretch one cutout across the points of the previous head coverings. The points of the back head coverings should be pointing to the right and left. Repeat for the second head covering and position it just underneath the first. The goal is to cover as much of the skeleton skull frame as possible. Base of neck This is the last template and the smallest one. It is shaped like a triangle with a slit through the top of the point. Overlap the edges of the slit and tape. Place this last cutout at the base of the skull so that it covers the bottom newspaper tube. Congratulations! You ve finished constructing the framework of the Newspaper Skeleton! Tip: Cover up any open sections (besides the eyes or nose) with small bits of newspaper.
Newspaper Skeleton.../6 skull teeth scapula humerus neck vertebrae clavicle rib cage sternum spinal vertebrae radius ulna pelvis carpus phalanges femur patella tibia fibula phalanges
Newspaper Skeleton.../7
Newspaper Skeleton.../8
Newspaper Skeleton.../9 EYEHOLE TEMPLATE (Cut along solid lines)
Newspaper Skeleton.../10 BASE OF NECK TEMPLATE (Cut along solid lines) BACK HEAD COVERING TEMPLATE (Cut along solid lines)
Newspaper Skeleton.../11 TOP HEAD COVERING TEMPLATE (Cut along solid lines)
Newspaper Skeleton.../12 NOSE TEMPLATE (Cut along solid lines) BOTTOM JAW TEMPLATE (Cut along solid lines)