Pre K through Grade 2




	Let’s Salute Your Birthday Suit!

Grade Levels K through Grade 2

Estimated Teaching Time 10 to 15 minutes

Interdisciplinary Connections

Objective

Children will learn many of the skin’s functions.

What Children Do

Children listen to a poem that tells them all about their skin and answer questions that challenge them to use what they’ve learned.

Materials Required

Advanced Preparation

None, although the teacher may wish to photocopy the poem for children who can read.

Suggested Sequence

Begin by asking the class if they can name one of the largest organs in their body. [Skin.] Ask how much they think a person’s skin weighs. [Five to ten pounds, depending on his or her size.]
Tell children that you are going to read them a humorous (but true) poem about skin. It’s called, “Let’s Salute Your Birthday Suit!”
Read the poem to the class. If the children’s reading skills are sufficiently advanced, divide the poem into sections and have the children read the parts aloud.
Review the concepts in the poem.

Check for Understanding

Ask the following questions:

What things can your skin do to help you? [Hold your parts together, cool you off or heat you up, fend off germs, repair tears.]
What is Melanin? [A darkening agent in your skin that protects you from the sun's rays.]
How does sweat help you? [It cools your body as it evaporates.]
What’s the difference between the dermis and the epidermis? [The epidermis is the outside of your skin. It stops dirt, germs and strong sunlight from getting into your body. The dermis is the middle layer of skin that makes new epidermis at the top and contains all the nerves, blood vessels, sebaceous glands, sweat glands and hair roots.]

Words to Share

Extensions

Children may wish to act out the poem, complete with visual aids.
Children may dig deeper in areas of study such as Skin and Infection, Skin and Healing, Skin and Sensitivity, Fingerprints, etc.
Children may write their own skin poetry.

Let’s Salute Your Birthday Suit!