Skeleton Squad Slides Grade 5 Science Explorers Human Body Systems
The Skeleton Squad
Discover how your 206 bones protect you, hold you up, and help you move!
Protect
Body Armor
Move
Run & Jump
Calcium
Bone Fuel
Big Idea 1
Why Do We Have Bones?
3 Super Jobs
1. Hold Us Up
Without bones, your body would flop like jelly!
Gives shape
2. Protect Organs
Hard bone shields your brain, heart, and lungs.
Body helmet
3. Help Us Move
Muscles pull on bones so you walk, dance, and play!
Team up
Say it together: "Bones hold us up, protect us, and help us move!"
TEAM 1 Center Line of Your Body
Axial Bones (AX-ee-ul)
The "Armor" Bones
The Axial Skeleton runs straight down your center like the trunk of a tree.
Main Mission: Protect your most important soft organs!
1. Skull (Head)
A hard helmet that protects your brain .
2. Spine (Backbone)
Keeps you standing straight and protects your nerves.
3. Rib Cage (Chest)
A bone cage that guards your heart & lungs .
Action Check: Gently tap your head, your spine, and your ribs! That is your AXIAL team!
TEAM 2 Outside Limbs & Movers
Appendicular Bones (ap-en-DIK-yoo-ler)
The "Mover" Bones
Bones that attach to your center. Think of them as your limbs & movers!
Main Mission: Help you reach, grasp, kick, walk, and run!
Arms & Hands
Write, catch, hug, and throw.
Legs & Feet
Run, jump, sprint, and kick.
Shoulders
Connect arms to your center.
Hips (Pelvis)
Connect legs to your center.
Action Check: Wave your hands and kick your feet! You are using your APPENDICULAR bones!
Quick Squad Game
Which Team Does It Belong To?
Shout It Out!
AXIAL (Center)
Protects vital organs
Skull (Head)
Spine (Backbone)
Ribs (Chest)
💡 Clue: Right in the middle!
APPENDICULAR (Movers)
Arms, legs, and attachments
Arm & Hand bones
Leg & Foot bones
Shoulders & Hips
💡 Clue: Helps you walk and wave!
Where does your leg bone belong? Point and shout: "APPENDICULAR!"
Bone Super Fuel
Calcium: The Bone Builder!
Makes Bones Strong
What is Calcium?
Calcium is a mineral that acts like concrete bricks inside your bones.
Without calcium, bones would get soft and break easily!
Foods Packed With Calcium:
Milk
1 glass daily
Cheese / Yogurt
Creamy snacks
Green Veggies
Broccoli & Spinach
Bonus Partner: Sunshine (Vitamin D) helps your bones soak up calcium!
Turn & Talk: What is one calcium food you like to eat?
Amazing Body Facts
Bone Record Breakers!
World Champions
BIGGEST BONE
Femur (FEE-mur)
The Thigh Bone
Runs from hip to knee.
Stronger than concrete!
Supports all your weight.
👉 Touch your thigh! That long bone is your Femur.
SMALLEST BONE
Stapes (STAY-peez)
Inside Your Ear
Tiny as a single grain of rice!
Deep inside your middle ear.
Helps you hear music and voices.
👉 Gently touch your ear! Your tiny Stapes is inside.
Big vs. Tiny: Femur in your leg, Stapes in your ear!
Mission Complete
Skeleton Squad Wrap-Up!
1. The Two Teams
Axial = Skull, spine, and ribs in the center.Appendicular = Arms, legs, shoulders, and hips.
2. Strong Bones
Calcium makes bones rock-hard. Find it in milk, cheese, and broccoli!
3. The Champions
Femur is the biggest (leg).Stapes is the smallest (ear).
You are ready!
Grab your pencil and your Skeleton Squad worksheet. Let's practice!
Bones protect us, hold us up, and keep us moving every day!
Skeleton Power Worksheet Science Explorers • Grade 5
Skeleton Squad Worksheet
Name:
Date:
Your skeleton has 206 bones . Complete each mission below to show what your bones do!
1 Part 1: Three Big Jobs (Draw a Line to Match)
Match words to clue
Hold Us Up
Protect Organs
Help Us Move
Shield: Keeps heart, lungs, and brain safe.
Muscles pull: Lets you run, jump, and play.
Frame: Stops body from flopping like jelly.
2 Part 2: The Two Bone Teams (Axial vs. Appendicular)
Check the right team
Team Axial (Center)
Skull, Spine, & Ribs (Armor)
Team Appendicular (Movers)
Arms, Legs, Shoulders, & Hips
A. Skull (Head Bone)
[ ] Axial [ ] Appendicular
B. Leg Bones
[ ] Axial [ ] Appendicular
C. Rib Cage (Chest)
[ ] Axial [ ] Appendicular
D. Arm & Hand Bones
[ ] Axial [ ] Appendicular
Skeleton Squad • Page 1 of 2 Turn over for Part 3 & Part 4 👉
Science Explorers
Skeleton Squad: Bone Fuel & Records
Page 2 of 2
3 Part 3: Calcium Power (Bone Fuel)
Circle 3 foods
Circle the 3 foods that give your bones calcium to stay rock-hard:
Milk
[ ] Choice
Lollipop
[ ] Choice
Broccoli
[ ] Choice
Yogurt
[ ] Choice
Soda
[ ] Choice
Sentence Builder:
Word Bank: calcium | strong
1. Drinking milk gives my bones ______________________.
2. Calcium helps keep my 206 bones hard and ______________________.
4 Part 4: Record Breaker Bones! (Femur vs. Stapes)
Biggest & Smallest
Femur (FEE-mur) Thigh
The biggest and longest bone. Holds your whole body weight!
Where is it? 👉 Upper Leg / Thigh
Stapes (STAY-peez) Ear
The smallest bone. Tiny like a single grain of rice!
Where is it? 👉 Inside the Ear
1. Which bone is the BIGGEST bone in your body?
[ ] Femur [ ] Stapes
2. Which bone is tiny like a rice grain inside your ear?
[ ] Femur [ ] Stapes
Squad Exit Check
How many bones do you have in your body?
[ ] 26 [ ] 206 [ ] 1,000
Awesome job, Skeleton Explorer! Teacher Oral Check: [ ] Completed
Skeleton Power Answer Key Teacher Resource • Answer Key
Skeleton Power Answer Key
Total Points: 10 Pts
Supports Oral Checking
Scoring Note: Accept oral answers, physical pointing, or written marks equally.
Grade 5 Science Scaffolds
Part 1: Three Big Jobs (Matching - 3 Pts) 1 pt each correct match
Hold Us Up
➔ Matches: Frame (stops flopping like jelly)
Protect Organs
➔ Matches: Shield (keeps heart, lungs, brain safe)
Help Us Move
➔ Matches: Muscles pull (run, jump, and play)
Part 2: The Two Bone Teams (Sorting - 4 Pts) 1 pt each
A. Skull (Head Bone) AXIAL (Center)
B. Leg Bones APPENDICULAR (Movers)
C. Rib Cage (Chest) AXIAL (Center)
D. Arm & Hand Bones APPENDICULAR (Movers)
Part 3: Calcium Power (Foods & Sentences) Identifies nutrient & healthy sources
Circled Foods (3 items): ✅ Milk, ✅ Broccoli, ✅ Yogurt
(Lollipop and Soda are crossed out / uncircled)
1. Drinking milk gives my bones calcium .
2. Calcium helps keep my 206 bones hard and strong .
Part 4: Record Breakers
1. BIGGEST bone:
✅ [X] Femur (Thigh)
2. Smallest bone (inside ear):
✅ [X] Stapes (Middle ear)
Part 5: Exit Check
Total bones in human body:
✅ [X] 206 bones
Fun Fact: Babies are born with ~270 softer bones that fuse together as they grow!
Fast Oral Check Rubric (For Non-Writers)
3 / Mastered: Accurately points to axial (head/ribs) and appendicular (arms/legs) bones.
2 / Progressing: Identifies bones with 1-2 verbal cues or touches body parts when prompted.
1 / Supported: Needs hand-over-hand or slide comparison to distinguish limb from center bones.
Skeleton Squad Curriculum Bundle Answer Key • Grade 5 Science
Bone Basics Teacher Guide Teacher Instructional Guide
Skeleton Squad: Teacher Guide
Grade 5 • Low-Literacy Scaffolds
Pacing: 35–45 minutes
Learning Target: Students will describe the 3 key jobs of bones (support, protect, move), distinguish between axial (center/armor) and appendicular (limbs/movers) skeletons, explain why calcium is vital, and identify the biggest (femur) and smallest (stapes) bones using oral language, gestures, or visual matching.
Warm-Up
5 Mins
Jelly vs. Bones
Interactive Slides
15 Mins
Visuals & Gestures
Worksheet Practice
15 Mins
Sorting & Circling
Oral Exit Check
5 Mins
Point & Name
Read-Aloud Scripts & Teacher Prompts
Step-by-Step Delivery
Step 1: The Jelly Hook (Why We Have Bones) Slides 1–2
"Imagine your body woke up today without any bones inside. What would happen if you tried to stand up? You would flop right over like a bag of jelly! Your bones are your internal building frame."
Prompt to Students: "What are the 3 big jobs of bones?" ➔ Accept single words: "Hold up", "Protect", "Move".
Step 2: Team Axial vs. Team Appendicular Slides 3–5
"We have two big teams of bones. Team 1 is AXIAL. Say it with me: AX-ee-ul . These bones are right in the center—your skull, spine, and ribs. They act like body armor to protect your brain, heart, and lungs. Team 2 is APPENDICULAR. Say: ap-en-DIK-yoo-ler . These are your movers—arms, legs, shoulders, and hips that let you play!"
Kinesthetic Routine: Lead the class: "Tap your skull! (Axial!) Wiggle your fingers! (Appendicular!) Tap your chest! (Axial!) Kick your foot! (Appendicular!)"
Step 3: Calcium & Record Breakers Slides 6–7
"Your bones are alive! To stay hard like rock, they need a mineral called calcium . We find calcium in milk, cheese, yogurt, and green broccoli. And check this out: your biggest bone is your femur in your thigh. Your smallest bone is your stapes deep in your ear—as tiny as a grain of rice!"
Skeleton Squad • Teacher Guide Page 1 of 2 Turn over for Visual Vocabulary & Accommodations 👉
Instructional Support
Visual Vocabulary & Differentiation
Page 2 of 2
Core Visual Vocabulary (Pronounce & Connect) Use gestures for each term
Skeleton (SKEL-uh-tun) 206 bones
The internal bone frame that supports and protects our entire body.
Axial (AX-ee-ul) Center / Armor
Bones along the central axis: skull, backbone (spine), and ribs.
Appendicular (ap-en-DIK-yoo-ler) Movers / Limbs
Bones of the arms, legs, shoulders, and hips that allow movement.
Calcium (KAL-see-um) Mineral Fuel
A key nutrient that makes bones hard and strong like building bricks.
Femur (FEE-mur) Biggest Bone
The longest, strongest bone located in the thigh/upper leg.
Stapes (STAY-peez) Smallest Bone
Tiny stirrup-shaped bone inside the middle ear (rice grain size).
Targeted Accommodations for Struggling Readers
Oral Response Option: Allow students to point to their own body or the slide rather than writing words. Accept "It protects brain" or "It's the ear bone."
Color Coded Highlighting: Give students blue and orange crayons. Color axial bones blue on the worksheet and appendicular bones orange to reduce reading load.
Choral Reading & Echo Chants: Read worksheet prompts aloud together sentence by sentence before giving students 20 seconds to circle their choice.
Common Student Misconceptions
Misconception: "Are teeth bones?"
Teeth are hard and have calcium, but they are made of enamel and dentin, not living bone tissue!
Misconception: "Is the funny bone a bone?"
No! The funny bone is actually the ulnar nerve running over your elbow bone.
Skeleton Squad Teacher Guide Empowering Every Learner in Science
Bone Detective Word Search Science Word Detective • Grade 5
Bone Detective Word Search
Name:
Date:
Find all 8 bone words below! Words go across ➔ or down ⬇ only.
8 Words
S K U L L B O N E T T R O P D J W Q G H A X I A L Y Z Q S P P O W E R B M G P Q E D F E M U R J I N S H G T Y O W C N A J K D V M B L G E R W C A L C I U M B Z Q T E R H O G K L N Z P Y R I B S D J K
Word Bank & Clues
BONE • Body part
SKULL • Head bone
SPINE • Backbone
RIBS • Chest cage
AXIAL • Center armor
FEMUR • Thigh bone
STAPES • Ear bone
CALCIUM • Bone fuel
Detective Riddle Checks
1. Tiny as a grain of rice inside your ear:
[ ] Femur [ ] Stapes
2. Mineral in milk that builds strong bones:
[ ] Calcium [ ] Sugar
Skeleton Squad Word Detective Activity Grade 5 Science Scaffolds
Bone Detective Answer Key Teacher Answer Key
Bone Detective Answer Key
Grid Size: 10 × 10
Across & Down Only
Quick Key: All 8 hidden vocabulary words are highlighted below in colored badges.
Grade 5 Science
S K U L L B O N E T T R O P D J W Q G H A X I A L Y Z Q S P P O W E R B M G P Q E D F E M U R J I N S H G T Y O W C N A J K D V M B L G E R W C A L C I U M B Z Q T E R H O G K L N Z P Y R I B S D J K
Exact Word Coordinates
BONE Row 0, Across (Cols 5–8)
SKULL Row 0, Across (Cols 0–4)
SPINE Col 8, Down (Rows 2–6)
RIBS Row 9, Across (Cols 3–6)
AXIAL Row 2, Across (Cols 0–4)
FEMUR Row 4, Across (Cols 2–6)
STAPES Col 0, Down (Rows 0–5)
CALCIUM Row 7, Across (Cols 1–7)
Riddle Check Solutions
1. Tiny ear bone:
✅ [X] Stapes (in middle ear)
2. Bone-building mineral in milk:
✅ [X] Calcium
Skeleton Squad Answer Keys Bone Detective Key • Grade 5
Bone Comprehension Exit Ticket Science Mastery Check
Bone Squad Mastery Check
Name:
Date:
Mark your answer in the box [ ] for each question.
A Part A: Comprehension Questions
Choose 1 answer
What would happen if you had NO bones inside your body?
Flop over like soft jelly
Run faster than a car
Which bone acts like a helmet to protect your brain?
Skull (Head)
Femur (Leg)
Stapes (Ear)
Your arms and legs belong to which bone team?
Appendicular Team
Limbs & movers
Axial Team
Center armor bones
Why is drinking milk good for your bones?
Gives calcium for strong bones
Turns bones into jelly
B Part B: Exit Ticket (Quick Check)
Fast exit slip
Where is the Stapes (smallest bone)?
[ ] In my ear
[ ] In my foot
What is the BIGGEST bone?
[ ] Femur (Leg)
[ ] Rib (Chest)
How do you feel about bones?
I got it!
Need help
Skeleton Squad Exit Assessment Oral / Written Grade 5 Science Check
Bone Comprehension Answer Key Teacher Answer Key
Comprehension & Exit Key
Total Checkpoints: 6 Items
Oral / Pointing Accepted
Scoring Guide: For low-literacy students, oral responses count with full credit.
Grade 5 Science Scaffolds
Part A: Comprehension Solutions (4 Items) 1 pt each
1. Without bones:
What would happen to your body?
✅ [X] You would flop over like jelly
2. Brain helmet:
Which bone protects the brain?
✅ [X] Skull (Head)
3. Arms & Legs team:
Which team are limbs and movers on?
✅ [X] Appendicular Team
4. Calcium benefit:
Why drink milk / eat yogurt?
✅ [X] Gives calcium to make bones hard
Part B: Exit Ticket Solutions (2 Items + Self-Check) Formative Check
Exit Question 1: Smallest Bone
Where is your smallest bone (stapes)?
✅ [X] In my ear (Stapes)
Exit Question 2: Biggest Bone
What is the biggest bone in your body?
✅ [X] Femur (Thigh)
Fast Oral Conferencing Script (30 Seconds per Student)
Prompt 1: "Tap your biggest bone and say its name!" ➔ Student taps thigh and says "Femur" (or "leg bone").
Prompt 2: "Point to your ear and tell me what tiny bone is hiding inside!" ➔ Student points to ear and says "Stapes" (or "grain of rice bone").
Prompt 3: "What mineral in milk makes bones rock-hard?" ➔ Student says "Calcium".
Skeleton Squad Answer Keys Comprehension & Exit Key • Grade 5
