Otter's Elementary Science Curriculum:
The Human Body
Experiment and Activity Supply List

Click here to return to our main human body science curriculum page.

Remember, experiments and activities are optional! No "normal" family would probably want to do all of this! Pick and choose your favorites!

This list is not finished. I still am waiting for a couple of books to arrive (like one for nutrition). I will schedule in supplies for activities when they come in.

I do not list items that are VERY common (for the most part) like a glass or your kitchen table. ;-)

I have separated the supplies for different activities from each other so you can see at a glance which ones you might want to do and which ones you might want to skip based on what you need. I will be adding an approximate time commitment and difficulty level to each activity at a later date.

Click here for a PDF supply list.

Click here if you are interested in optional, supplementary guides for the dissections.

Topic	Supplies
Week 1 Cells	Taking a temperature Thermometer
Week 2 DNA and Genes	Have Your DNA and eat it too 2 pieces of red licorice, 12 toothpicks, bag of small colored marshmallows, 5 paper clips, masking tape
Week 3 DNA and Genes	No supplies needed
Week 4 Skeleton	Experiment: Knot a bone Hydrochloric or muriatic acid (or vinegar will also work), chicken bone
Week 5 Skeleton	Dissect a bone Soup bone, cutting tools Great Thumbless Survival Test tape
Week 6 Muscles	Model arm Cardboard squares or paper towel tubes, balloons, paper clip Magnifying muscles Piece of steak or chicken, magnifying glass or microscope, optional stain: red and blue food coloring, alcohol Hairpin dance Hair pin or bent wire
Week 7 Muscles	Tendon, joint dissection Chicken leg with attached thigh, cutting tool
Week 8 Brain and nervous system	Brain dissection Sheep brain, cutting tools Dollar drop Dollar bill or piece of paper
Week 9 Brain and nervous system	Muscle Learning Ruler Dominance tests ball
Week 10 Eyes, The Sense of Sight	Keep your eye on the ball ball, homemade eye patch Hole in your hand Sheet of paper Stereo Vision Cardboard rectangle, clay, string or tape Eye observation Mirror, flashlight
Week 11 Eyes, Illusions and Senses	Eye dissection Cow eye dissection kit OR watch a cow eye dissection online Peripheral vision test red, yellow, blue, black, white and green paper squares; clothes pin (to hold the squares)
Week 12 Ears, Hearing, More about Senses	Sound scope Soup can, balloon, small piece of broken mirror, rubber band Ear canal meet your eustachians Pen flashlight, otoscope cups or homemade paper cones using tape Two ears are better than one Watch, blindfold Tuning fork test All metal kitchen or table fork, metal surface (like a pot)
Week 13 Ears, Hearing, More about Senses	The will to keep still Pin, cork, clay, lamp or strong flashlight Lag behind effect Powdery substance (cinnamon or ?) or glitter will also work
Week 14 Heart	Tennis ball squeeze Tennis ball Stethoscope Rubber tubing, funnel (or $6 stethoscope from Home Science Tools) Heart dissection Animal heart from grocery store or Home Science Tools Tourniquet Cloth like a handkerchief Under your tongue Mirror, flashlight Matchstick pulse meter Clay, matchstick (or similar), optional thumbtack
Week 15 Blood	Blood typing kit from Home Science Tools You Try It (Squirt!) Balloon, one thin latex glove (or balloon). permanant marker
Week 16 Lungs, The Sense of Smell	Model lung Soda bottle, straw, balloons (2), rubber band Charting oxygen intake Clock with a 2nd hand Lung capacity Gallon jar, rubber hose, funnel or cut away plastic bottle In the bag Plastic bag Lung exhaust Plastic bag, candle, jar
Week 17 Digestion, Teeth, The Sense of Taste	Casting Clay, plaster of paris Nippers, rippers, grinders test Various foods with different textures to chew up Tooth dissection A “lost” tooth and hammer Acid attack Egg, vinegar, soda pop (with sugar) Red alert Disclosing tablets
Week 18 Digestion and Elimination	Starch and spit test Soda cracker, corn starch Kitchen chemistry Brown paper bag squares, tincture of iodine, different foods, OPTIONAL: solution of potassium or sodium hydroxide, diluted copper sulfate solution
Week 19 Nutrition	Supplies from the Magic School Bus The Young Scientist Club: The World of Germs Kit
Week 20 Nutrition	Nothing scheduled (yet)
Week 21 Nutrition	Nothing scheduled (yet)
Week 22 Urinary System	Liquidation Wide mouth jar Kidney dissection Sheep Kidney, cutting tools
Week 23 Endocrine System, Growth, Development and Reproduction	No supplies needed
Week 24 Skin, Nails, Hair, the Sense of Touch	Quick cool Rubbing alcohol, cotton balls Sweaty palms Corn starch, iodine Skin prints tape (or ink pad) Map the back of your hand Ice Touchy points Cardboard, pins
Week 25 Germs	Supplies from the Magic School Bus The Young Scientist Club: The World of Germs Kit Glo Germ Mini Handwashing Kit or Glo Germ Gel Kit (more expensive, but it has a bigger black light and more gel) Glo Germ powder (optional) - The powder will make it so you can do all of the experiments on this page.
Week 26 Germs	Supplies from the Magic School Bus The Young Scientist Club: The World of Germs Kit Great Big Book of Tiny Germs: (optional) Experiment: How can we grow germs to study them? Supplies: bouillon cubes or powder, sugar, 1 envelope gelatin, 5 foil muffin cups Experiment: How can chemicals pass in and out of a cell? Supplies: Liquid vanilla extract, balloon Experiment: How does a bacteriophage get into a cell without destroying it? Supplies: balloon, cooking oil, wooden skewer or toothpick Activity: What happens when germs divide? Supplies: paper, ink pad, eraser
Week 27 Diseases & Parasites	Supplies from the Magic School Bus The Young Scientist Club: The World of Germs Kit Great Big Book of Tiny Germs: Experiment: How do we keep germs from invading our food? Supplies: any vegetable, four clean glasses, salt, sugar, vinegar, homemade labels Experiment: How does alcohol kill germs? Supplies: water, rubbing alcohol, waxed paper, toothpick Experiment: How do germs pass from person to person? Supplies: any kind of glitter Experiment: How does a microscope work? Supplies: thin cardboard (cereal box), plastic wrap, scissors, tape, water
Week 28 Diseases & Parasites	Supplies from the Magic School Bus The Young Scientist Club: The World of Germs Kit Great Big Book of Tiny Germs: (optional) Experiment: How can we see cells? Supplies: foil, flashlight, rubber band, pin, paper, knife, onion, picture frame with a glass front Experiment: How can we keep germs from getting inside us? Supplies: 2 ziplock bags, dirt, bread, paper towel Experiment: Why do we keep food in refrigerators? Supplies: 2 clean soda bottles, water, yeast, sugar, 2 balloons
Week 29 Fighting Disease	Supplies from the Magic School Bus The Young Scientist Club: The World of Germs Kit
Week 30 Fighting Disease	Supplies from the Magic School Bus The Young Scientist Club: The World of Germs Kit
Week 31 Drugs and Your Body	No supplies needed
Week 32 First Aid and Survival	No supplies needed
Week 33 First Aid and Survival	No supplies needed

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