Breaking Bendy Bones! (Experiments at Home)
From Operation Ouch! · 2018
13 min3rd4th5th6thScience
Summary
A full "Experiments at Home" Operation Ouch episode. An at-home experiment shows what makes bones rigid -- and what happens when you remove the minerals that keep them stiff. Free on the official Operation Ouch YouTube channel.
Viewer safety
Ages 7+
Some gross-but-friendly body science (real footage) -- a quick preview is wise.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
What makes a bone stiff instead of bendy? A simple kitchen experiment shows the answer.
- What gives a bone its hardness?
- What do you predict happens to a bone without its minerals?
- Why is it important that our bones stay stiff?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: bone, mineral, calcium, stiff, flexible.
Try it: Predict: would a bone bend or break more easily without minerals? Write your guess, then watch.