The skeleton

Aims
This is a lesson for 7cc The skeleton. In this lesson, students start by looking at a
6-mark question. The aim of the lesson is to move students towards answering the question, using
knowledge they have from previous lessons, and covering new learning objectives.
It covers the following learning objectives:

Describe the structure and function of the skeleton and skeletal system.

Apply knowledge in the context of a 6-mark question.

Big Question
Explain using specific examples how the skeleton provides the body with physical protection and
protection against infection (QWC, 6 marks)

Question requirements
For students to be able to answer the question, they need to:
Statement

Answer

Describe the structure of the

skeleton.

All the bones in the body make up the skeleton. They are
joined together to make a framework. The main bones in the
human body are the: skull, jaw bone, collar bone, sternum,
humerus, vertebral column (back bone), pelvis, ulna, radius,
femur, fibula, kneecap, tibia, and ankle.

Describe how the skeleton protects

vital organs.

Bones are strong but flexible. The bones in the skeleton

protect vital organs.

Give specific examples of bones

protecting vital organs.

The ribcage protects the heart and the lungs.

The skull protects the brain.
The vertebral column protects the spinal cord.

Explain how the skeleton protects

against infection.

Some bones in the body contain bone marrow (e.g. the

longer bones in the arms and the legs). Bone marrow is a
soft tissue that produces blood cells. White blood cells are
needed to fight infection.

Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.

Question marking guidance

Explain using specific examples how the skeleton provides the body with physical protection and
protection against infection (QWC, 6 marks)
12 marks
There needs to be a basic description of how the skeleton protects the body. Students also need to
have included at least two of the scientific point listed below to achieve any marks.
34 marks
There needs to be a clear description of how the skeleton is structured to help it protect the body,
giving at least one example of a particular set of bones. Students should give at least four of the
scientific points given below. Spelling and grammar is mostly correct, and the answer is presented
logically.
56 marks
There is a full and detailed explanation of how the skeleton is structured to help it protect the
body, giving at least two examples of a particular set of bones, and a suitable explanation for both
physical protection and protection against infection. The answer is well structured and spelling and
grammar nearly all correct. Students should give at least six of the scientific points given below.
Scientific points

The skeleton provides support for the body and holds vital organs in place.

The skeleton is made up of bones.

Bones are strong, but slightly flexible (from calcium).

There are specific bones to physically protect specific vital organs.

The skull protects the brain.

The ribcage protects the heart and lungs.

The backbone protects the spinal cord.

Some bones, such as long bones in the arms and the legs, contain a soft tissue called bone
marrow.

Bone marrow produces white blood cells.

White blood cells are needed to protect against infection.

Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.

Starter

Support/Extend

Introducing the question (5 minutes)

Resources
B1 2.4 Activity:
Question-led
lesson

Give students the Question-led lesson student sheet

and write the Big Question on the board. Explain to
students that by the end of this lesson, they will be
able to answer the question. Students should record
key words and answers to the question requirements
table as they move through the lesson.
Name those bones! (5 minutes)

B1 2.4
Interactive:
Name those
bones!

This interactive resource asks students to label a

diagram of the skeleton, using the names of some of
the major bones in the body provided.

Main

Support/Extend

Resources

Build your own skeleton (25 minutes)

Support: Students
should work in mixedability groups.

B1 2.4 Activity
sheet: Build
your own
skeleton

Students use the activity sheet and photocopied

images of bones to build a skeleton.
They then use the model skeleton and the
information in the student book as a resource to
label the bones on their own activity sheet. For the
purpose of this lesson, students should only
complete questions 1, 2, and 3 on the activity sheet.
As an alternative to the questions, ask students to
draw a table that lists several regions of the skeleton
(skull, ribcage, long bones in the arm and leg) in the
first column. They can then fill in the second column
with the functions of the bones in these regions,
helping them work towards answering the Big
Question.

Extension: Students
should include in their
functions an explanation
of how the function is
achieved.

Question-led activity (15 minutes)

Students answer the big question and then use the
mark scheme to check their answers.

Plenary

Support/Extend

Identifying ways to improve (510 minutes)

Support: Students may

struggle identifying how
they can improve the
quality of their writing
(structure, spelling).
Sharing the best answer
from the class will help
students appreciate the
difference in QWC.

Working in pairs, students should list ways to

improve their work, first suggesting their own
improvements and then looking at their partners
work to suggest improvements or to look for good
ideas on how to improve their own answer.

Resources

Homework

Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.

Students should revise their answer using their

improvements identified in the plenary.

Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.