Grades 2-5

This unique book combines a detailed anatomy lesson with a Shakespearian sonnet. Although these two topics are not ordinarily paired, Random Body Parts provides humorous riddles for students to discover interesting details about how their bodies function. This book is perfect for reading out loud with a health or science class, and having the students laugh along as they try to decipher which body part each riddle references. Try this activity with your class as you read Random Body Parts aloud.

  •  Divide your class into groups of five.
  • Cut out shapes or print pictures of the following body parts. Make sure each group of five has one copy of each paper body part. Body parts: ear, eye, bone, spleen, kidney, nose, pancreas, liver, eyelid, brain, lung, heart, tongue, teeth, stomach, skin, blood, red blood cells, white blood cells, and muscles. Be sure to label each body part.
  • As you read the story aloud, have the group quietly decide which body part the poem references before you get to the end of the particular riddle.
  • The first group to hold up the correct body part gets 3 points. Each group that holds up the correct body part thereafter receives one point.
  • Keep score on a white board or chalk board.
  • After the story is completed, the team with the most points wins!

Click here for the full summary of Random Body Parts and here for the full teacher’s guide.