seal-intro

(Introductory Activity)

Sizing Up Your Body Parts

The sizes of our body parts are related to each other in several ways. Try measuring different parts of your body and compare them. For this activity, you will need a cloth measuring tape and a friend to hold one end of the tape.

1. Stretch your arms out wide to either side of your body. Measure the distance from the longest fingertip of one hand to the longest fingertip of the other. Then measure your height. These two measurements should be about the same.

2. Put your hands just below your hips and sway from side to side to find the top of your thighbone. Measure the distance from the top your head to the top of your thighbone. Now measure from the top of the thighbone to the floor. These two measurements should be about the same.

3. Close your fist and measure the distance around it. Measure the distance between your wrist and elbow. Now measure the length of your foot from the end of your heel to the tip of your big toe. All three of these measurements should be around the same.

4. Measure the distance from your shoulder to your elbow. Now measure the distance from your elbow to your wrist. These two measurements should also be the same.

Information Source: Bosak, S. V. “Science is: A Source Book of Fascinating facts, projects and Activities.”

Sealskin Boots

Advanced Activity

Image source: Mark Harden's Artchive

This drawing, entitled "Virtruvious Man", was made by the famous Italian artist and scientist Leonardo DaVinci. He lived from 1452 to 1519. As a young boy, he was interested in subjects such as geometry, music, and art. This drawing illustrates a relationship between mathematics and nature.

Among other things, Leonardo DaVinci studied how each part of the human body moved. He discovered that bones act as levers and that muscles make the levers move. His drawings have also become the basis for some modern scientific illustrations.