Intro to Anatomy and Physiology - Body Positions and Planes - Classroom and Homeschool Resources

Embark on an engaging journey into the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology with our comprehensive digital resource - 'Intro to Anatomy and Physiology: Anatomical Position and Body Planes.' This meticulously crafted package is designed to provide educators, students, and future health care professionals with a dynamic learning experience like never before.

Keep your students engaged and entertained with a collection of hilarious scenarios and interactive games that not only entertain but also reinforce understanding! Say goodbye to boring lectures and hello to a classroom buzzing with excitement and laughter.

Picture this: students erupting into laughter as they learn about key concepts in anatomy and physiology. From hearing the unfortunate story of "Gladys" and her good eye, to Rick Rolling themselves, these funny scenarios bring learning to life in a way that's both memorable and engaging.

But the fun doesn't stop there! Challenge your students with a variety of interactive games designed to put their knowledge to the test while keeping them on the edge of their seats. Whether it's a body position charades showdown or a race against the clock to correctly identify anatomical planes, these games are guaranteed to keep students hooked from start to finish.

So why settle for dull and uninspired lessons when you can inject a dose of humor and excitement into your classroom? With funny scenarios and interactive games that prove understanding, you'll not only keep your students engaged but also foster a deeper appreciation for the fascinating world of anatomy and physiology. Get ready to laugh, learn, and create unforgettable classroom memories!

I always start my class with a clue. The students have learned to come in and ask me, "Mrs. Ashley, what is our clue?" For this class our clue was "Gladys". This gets them curious, and while they are waiting for class to start, I'll over hear them asking each other, "Whose Gladys?" This prompts them to be ready to listen and learn. Sometimes I will incorporate the clue word into our morning meetings, for instance I started this class with a recipe for creating a human body written on our board. We learned about exceptions, and I used Gladys as an example next to the "2 eyes". This had them even more curious.

We began with a funny scenario about surgeons mistakenly removing Gladys' wrong eye, highlighting the importance of understanding anatomical positions. To keep students engaged, I surprise them with random "Rick Rolls," redirecting them to Rick Astley's song "Never Gonna Give You Up."

To reinforce the concept of opposites, we played a game where students wrote down the opposite words for the song. When they read them out loud in order, they realized they had "Rick Rolled" themselves.

After learning about anatomical positions, students worked in small groups of 3-4 to create life-sized skeletons, deciding roles and fostering teamwork and leadership skills.

(Social emotional note): I encourage them to determine their roles rather than assigning them, even though it may require additional time and potentially stir up conflicts. However, I see this as a valuable opportunity for them to develop essential skills in conflict resolution and communication while working towards a shared goal as a team. The diverse dynamics within the group serve as mutual inspiration, providing leaders with a chance to lead and allowing more reserved students a supportive environment to practice communication within a smaller setting.

Observing from the sidelines, you'll notice assertive students identifying those who may not be contributing equally. This feedback becomes invaluable for those who might not feel confident, helping them understand the expectation to participate despite any discomfort and allowing them to negotiate their level of involvement. For those less inclined to speak up or engage directly, there are alternative ways to contribute, such as holding materials steady during a task or gathering necessary items from the classroom. This serves as a confidence-building exercise, enabling them to assert themselves while finding a comfortable way to participate.

Moreover, the hands on and direct communicators will also benefit from this experience, learning the importance of negotiation, empathy, and understanding different perspectives. They'll discover how to influence others without being overbearing or demanding, fostering a more collaborative and harmonious working environment for everyone involved.

I did strategically select the teams, making sure that I had a mix of personalities and dynamics for them to explore working with. I came up with anatomy related team names:

The Respiratory Rebels

The Humorous Hooligans

The Bone Breakers

The Dermis Demons

The Lymphatic Legends

These will be their teams for the rest of the semester for projects and activities.

A few things that help add a fun vibe to the classroom, I brought in a life size Skeleton. His name is Albert Spinestein and he has a wig to help play the part. I leave a bag of Bananagrams on the table he sits at and each class a student will come spell out a skeleton pun or joke for the next class to find. They come up with some pretty great ones!

If you purchase a skeleton, be sure that they are in anatomical position with palms forward. If not, you might have to "operate" and switch the hands like I did." You don't need a fancy expensive one, the one I have is 5'6" and was under $50. He is decently anatomically accurate.

Here is the skeleton we have. I have him wired to a chair, so they can't mess with him. *Before putting him out, make your expectations clear and that if he is messed with he goes away. After that warning, if they do mess with him, remember to follow through and put him away. Try reintroducing him and reminding them of the rule at a later time.

Sometimes they will walk in to find him in funny places or doing funny things, this particular day they had yoga as an option for electives, and Al was just doing his part spreading the word...

I also like to wear funny shirts to keep them engaged and laughing. I found this silly Anatomy shirt for the first day! At the beginning of class I asked that they not use my shirt to cheat when they do their life size skeleton activity.

Below is a list of my resources I use for this class including wall art, and activity printables. They can all be found here on my site store, or on TPT.

Intro to Anatomy and Physiology - Anatomical Position and Planes Slides