A More than a Skin-Deep Skin Session: A Unit Study on the Skin (Integumentary System)

Previously posted on March 14, 2017 @Homescool.ph

I love Science. I think that is one of the reasons why I love homeschooling. I want to spread how cool Science is and how we always find ourselves in awe of our amazing Creator of all living things that make up the bulk of science!

One of the reasons why I ended up completing Medical School was to really to master the human body. It’s simply the most spectacular, awe-inspiring creation of our Good Lord!

This is my 4th leg in teaching Anatomy, and I don’t tire really! So let me share with you our exciting unit study on SKIN  (The Integumentary System).

I usually begin a lesson with stating the relevance of the lesson. I try to captivate the interest and curiosity of my students with unique facts or practical applications where the lesson may be applied. So, for the skin, I say, “Do you know that the skin is the largest organ in our bodies?” or I may make them think with, “Can you imagine if skin wounds do not heal?”

Parts of the Unit Study:

1. Students need to know the basic parts of the skin. You may opt to watch a video, download a skin template to fill or make your own representation of the skin as shown below. Focus on learning how the skin works and the functions of the part of different parts.

You may, if the student is interested and not easily grossed out, show basic conditions of the skin like rashes, pimples, dryness, allergies or eczema. My X-men loving son was quite interested when I told him that Hugh Jackman suffers from recurrent melanoma, aka skin cancer.

Try to explain also what gives skin their color and you may push the lesson further if you’d like to discuss the various issues that concern skin color.

2. Fingerprints are determined by the patterns on the skin surface of the skin. It would be noteworthy to look at various patterns of fingerprints. As an activity, have all members of the household and maybe even some neighbors, put their thumbprint on a piece of paper and label with the corresponding name of the owner of the print. Compare the various patterns on one’s skin.

Here is an activity I borrowed from wikihow. It is a fun activity! Be detectives for the day by “finding fingerprints in a crime scene.” You’ll need powder, make up brush, fingerprints on glass materials (on a glass slide, on a glass, mirror or magnifying class) scotch tape.

3. For older students, introduce news articles that make the lesson. Introduce the study of Forensics.

4. Art may be extended by doing thumbprint creations with variety of colored stamp pads.

5. Using pork meat (with skin), pretend to be plastic surgeons of the day in repairing a laceration.

Giving local anesthesia!

Don’t forget to bandage!

This was fun, and I guarantee 100% depth and mastery. For the win, right? Have a go then?

So there, hope you enjoyed our more than skin deep Unit Study on the Skin!

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7