Introduction

Though most famous for his painting and sculpting, Leonardo da Vinci had a keen interest in human body systems — not a particularly popular topic in the late 1400s and early 1500s.

Da Vinci’s interest in mechanics and proportions is revealed in this drawing, called Vitruvian Man, and his notes. But his interest did not stop there. No, he needed to know what lay beneath the visible surface. According to a da Vinci scholar, "Leonardo's approach, with its notions of layers, levels, transparency, cutaways, sections, opens up the body in a new way" (Veltman, n.d.). Thus, the artist is credited with the beginning of studies in human anatomy; an example of human curiosity advancing science for subsequent generations.

Middle school students are also keenly interested in human body systems, but for perhaps less lofty reasons than da Vinci's. Theirs is more related to their awareness of the rapid changes in their own bodies. Regardless of the reasons for their interest, middle school students are primed and intrinsically interested in body system studies. The National Science Education Standards (NSES) has this to say regarding middle school science:

This period of development in youth lends itself to human biology. Middle-school students can develop the understanding that the body has organs that function together to maintain life. Teachers should introduce the general idea of structure-function in the context of human organ systems working together.

In this publication we provide teachers with resources designed to meet several goals of the NSES encompassed within the Life Science; Personal and Social Perspectives; and Science and Technology Standards, using body systems as the context. We begin in the Background Information for Teachers section with opportunities to brush up on content knowledge regarding cells, tissues, organs, organ systems and their coordination, and comparative anatomy across taxa. We also provide information regarding modern technologies related to some organs and organ systems, such as the pump for diabetics, LASIK surgery, and artificial hearts.

Other sections in this publication provide lessons and activities for students on topics of structure and function of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems as well as information about comparative anatomy and diversity. In this way, students may study body systems from two perspectives: within and between species in alignment with the diversity and adaptation aspect of the NSES Life Science Standard. In addition, new technologies associated with human body systems are explored. As always, new technologies come with social and personal implications, also for investigation in this publication and aligned with the NSES. So prepare to enlighten your students in new ways, and get started now!

Reference

Veltman, K. H., (n.d.). Leonardo da Vinci: Studies of the Human Body and Principles of Anatomy. Conclusion. Retrieved January 4, 2008, from http://www.mmi.unimaas.nl/people/Veltman/articles/leonardo/Lenardo%20da%20Vinci%20Studies%20of%20the%20Human%20Nody%20and%20Prinicples%20of%20Anatomy.html#7

by Mary LeFever

Mary LeFever is a resource specialist for the Middle School Portal, and a doctoral candidate in science education at Ohio State University. She has taught middle school and high school science and is an adjunct instructor of biology and natural sciences at Columbus State Community College. Please email any comments to msp@msteacher.org

There’s More! You’ll know when new science publications are posted on NSDL Middle School Portal by requesting free email notices at http://msteacher.org/registration.aspx. Don’t forget to browse the Science Pathway every once in a while to find a wealth of resources for your teaching.

Blog with Us. Every week, we connect what’s making the news to the national science content standards…so you can too! Read and share your ideas on our blog Connecting the News to National Science Education Standards at http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/connectingnews/.

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Copyright March 2008 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.