• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Body parts and the five senses). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which body part do you use for tasting salty crisps (chips)? (tongue / nose / skin / ears) → tonguePrompt: Is it about seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting or touching?
2. Which of these do you do with your ears? (hearing a whisper / tasting a lemon / feeling a cat's soft fur / seeing a rainbow) → hearing a whisperPrompt: Act out each one. Which body part are you using?
3. Our senses: which statement is true? (Smell helps us taste food. / Only fingers can feel touch. / Each part of the tongue can only taste one flavour. / We hear with our eyes.) → Smell helps us taste food.Prompt: Think about what each body part does.

• Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
• Share the objective: Skeleton and muscles. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: What are the three main jobs of the skeleton?
• Step 1: The skeleton holds us up, protects organs and works with muscles so we can move.
• Step 2: So the answer is: support, protection and movement
• Answer: support, protection and movement
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. How do muscles move bones? (by growing longer / by pushing them / by melting / by contracting (getting shorter) and pulling on them) → by contracting (getting shorter) and pulling on themPrompt: Muscles can only pull, never push.
2. Skeleton and muscles: which statement is true? (An adult human skeleton has about 206 bones. / Babies and adults have exactly the same number of bones. / Bones are dead, like rocks. / Muscles can push bones as well as pull them.) → An adult human skeleton has about 206 bones.Prompt: Think about what happens when you break a bone.

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Skeleton and muscles: which statement is true? (Babies and adults have exactly the same number of bones. / Bones are dead, like rocks. / Muscles can push bones as well as pull them. / Calcium helps keep bones strong.) → Calcium helps keep bones strong.Prompt: Think about what happens when you break a bone.
2. To bend your arm at the elbow, which muscle contracts? (the triceps / the heart / the biceps / the stomach) → the bicepsPrompt: It is on the front of your upper arm.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-3.