Career Connections at SAVY, Day 1, Engineering the Human Body (7th-8th)
🎉 Session 1 Recap of Engineering the Human Body: Exploring the Roots of Health and Disease 🎉
Hello to our awesome student families!
Today, kicked off our Engineering the Human Body program, and wow—your young scientists dove right in! Here’s a fun look at what they learned, explored, and created today!
🧠 Morning Adventures in Physiology!
We began with the science of life itself—physiology! Students started by discovering what physiology is all about and how our body works to keep things in perfect balance, otherwise known as homeostasis. We talked about everything from blood sugar levels to body temperature regulation. Did you know that our brain acts like a thermostat? It’s always keeping things just right, including feeding signals that prevent you from being over/undernourished. The class got to brainstorm what they know about the human body, including organs and organ systems, as well as diseases that govern each of these systems. Then came a hands-on matching game, where they matched different components of physiological systems to the definitions of their respective organ system’s function. The students showed lots of curiosity and had some great questions!
🌟 Afternoon Fun with Neurophysiology!
After lunch, we “powered up” the brain section! Neurophysiology is all about how our brains send signals, like text messages between neurons, using electrical impulses. We created models together with some playdough and pipe cleaners to build our very own neurons. These models showed the main parts of a neuron—dendrites, cell body, and axon—and how they work together. We wrapped up by learning how changes in neuron communication can impact the body. Seeing your young ones connecting their new knowledge to real-world issues was exciting!
Dinner Table Questions to Ask Your Young Physiologist 🔍
Here are some questions to spark great dinner table conversations and help your young scientists share what they learned:
- What does homeostasis mean, and why is it important?
- What happens when the body is no longer in homeostasis?
- How does the brain behave like a thermostat?
- What are the components of a neuron?
- How do neurons “talk” to each other?
The students were engaged, curious, and full of ideas. Thank you for sharing your wonderful scientists with us! We can’t wait for more exploration and discovery together.
Best,
Ms. Hannah Waterman