Human Body Bee Tradition Continues at Clarke on March 21
The 15th annual Human Body Bee will occur on Wednesday, Mar. 21, at Clarke University. Approximately 900 area fifth-graders and over 100 of teachers and paraprofessionals will spend the day at Clarke to learn about various facets of the human body.
The day will begin with a team of students from each school taking the “bee” quiz to assess their knowledge of the human body, a major component of the fifth-grade science curriculum. Following the quiz, groups of thirty will have a chance to participate in at least five activities with Clarke faculty and students.. The Clarke academic departments involved include biology, chemistry, computer science, drama, education, nursing, and physical therapy. During lunch, the results of the “bee” quiz will be shared and the school with the highest cumulative score will be named the 2018 Human Body Bee champions.
The event runs from 9:15 a.m. – 1:10 p.m. and takes place all throughout the Clarke campus.
“The human body is fascinating in scientific and non-scientific ways,” said event organizer Bill O’Dell, professor and chair of physical therapy at Clarke. “The students have an opportunity to learn about the human body by working with human organs, seeing how the brain can be fooled with optical illusions, and examining how many germs we carry on our hands every day. In addition, they learn about the body through a reader’s theatre and see how we can express our emotions through body movements and postures. We hope they leave Clarke with a new appreciation and excitement for the wonders of the human body.”
Event sessions will use various hands-on activities to teach students about the human body. A sample of session offerings are : muscles and electrical stimulation; the use of virtual reality to explore human anatomy; first aid and CPR type activities; the exploration of body language; signs of chemical reactions; an interactive reading and speaking activity of a piece entitled “The Skeletal System;” and simulated challenges including physical, visual, and breathing disabilities.
This year’s Human Body Bee participating schools are Audubon, Bryant, Carver, Eisenhower, Fulton, Holy Ghost, Hoover, Kennedy, Lincoln, Marshall, Prescott, Resurrection, Sageville, St. Joes in WI, and Table Mound.