1. Animals incl. Humans – Block 3AH
Science - Year 3
Animals incl. Humans – Block 3AH
Keeping Healthy
Session 3
Task PowerPoint
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2. Your task is to create your own moving, dancing, skeleton puppet
It will be useful when you talk to your client about different parts of the body as personal trainers and it will be great fun.
You will even be able to work on some skeleton dance moves!

3. A
Skull
Let’s check that we all know the names of bones we are talking about. Can you name each one? B
Rib Cage C
Spine D
Pelvis E
Femur

4. Skeletons are better with white bones on a black background
Skeletons are better with white bones on a black background. So you are going to draw all your bones on black card.

5. 1. Cut out each section from your template sheet
2. Draw round each section on black card and cut them out. It’s a good idea to write arm or femur on the back of the 4 long bones so you know which is which.
3. Use a soft white crayon or oil pastel to draw each bone. Try to match the size of the template bones but don’t worry if they look a bit different. It will add character to your skeleton!

6. 4. Next, roughly trim around each bone or group of bones using scissors. Leave plenty of black card around the edges though. They should look like these.

7. 5. Make sure you draw a left foot and a right foot
5. Make sure you draw a left foot and a right foot. You will need to turn one leg over.

8. 6. Make four holes, in the places shown by the yellow dots
6. Make four holes, in the places shown by the yellow dots. Do this by pushing a sharp pencil through the card and into a blob of sticky tack underneath. Do not make your hole too close to the edge.

9. 7. Now make holes in the same way at both ends of the 4 long bones and the top end of the lower arms and legs.

10. 8. Now link your whole skeleton together with split pins by lining up the holes and gently pushing the pins through. Carefully fold back the two points.
Take care to join the femur bones to the pelvis and the shorter arm bones to the shoulder.
It looks better if you put the long bones in front.
9. Work the joints backwards and forwards so they become nice and loose.

11. Now its time to turn your skeleton into a dancing puppet
10. Take a piece of thread about 50cm long and knot one end firmly around the pin at the back of one of the knee joints
11. Now draw the thread upwards and use it to make a knot around the elbow joint above it.
The thread should have no slack in it when the limbs are both pointing downwards (as in the photograph). Now do the same with a second piece of thread on the other arm and leg.

12. 12. When the thread is gently pulled upwards, the arm and leg will rise as if your skeleton is dancing.
13. Next attach a garden stick to the back of body with several pieces of strong tape. This stick will extend above the puppet and can be used to control body movements.

13. 14. If your skeleton puppet will be controlled by three people, one can operate the stick to move the body while the other two take a string each to control the arms and legs.
If one or two people are going to work the puppet, it is a good idea to attach the strings to each end of another garden stick. Try to get both strings the same length and tie them to a horizontal stick whilst the arms and legs of the skeleton are in the same position.
Wrap a bit of tape around the knots to hold them firmly in place.

14. 15. Now you can use the sticks to control the movements of the skeleton. Lift it to raise the arms and legs together.
If you pull up the body stick at the same time it will look as if your skeleton is jumping in the air!
Try tilting the horizontal bar one way and then the other to make your skeleton dance!
With a bit of practice it will really to come to life!