Why Are We Right or Left-Handed?

SciShow Kids

In this engaging episode of SciShow Kids, host Jessi and her robot friend Squeaks investigate the science behind handedness. After a failed attempt to speed up an art project by using both hands at once, Jessi realizes that her right hand is much more skilled than her left. This leads to an exploration of why most humans have a dominant hand and what makes 'lefties' and ambidextrous people different. The video introduces key biological concepts in a kid-friendly way, explaining the 'cross-wired' nature of the human nervous system where the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. It delves into the leading theories of why right-handedness is so common, linking it to the language centers in the left brain, and touches upon the role of genetics in determining traits. This resource is excellent for early elementary science classrooms as it connects abstract concepts like brain function and genetics to a concrete physical trait students can observe in themselves. It naturally invites classroom participation through self-experiments and data collection, making it a perfect launchpad for lessons on the human body, simple statistics, or the scientific method of observation.