What You Will Need

• Magnifying glasses – 1 per child
• Small plates – 1 per child
• Paint – 1 small puddle per child

What To Do

1. Tell the children they will be using a magnifying glass to learn about themselves.
   
2. Distribute magnifying glasses.
   
3. Encourage the children to begin looking at their own hands and fingers through the magnifying glass (see Guiding Student Inquiry).
   
4. Have the children turn to a partner and examine their hands and fingers to compare.
   
5. Invite the children to look at their nails under the magnifying glass and describe what they see.
   
6. Place a small puddle of paint on a plate for each child, and distribute.
   
7. Invite the children to rub some paint on their hands, then examine them with the magnifying glasses.
   

Guiding Student Inquiry

• Explain what happens when you look through your magnifying glass.
• Tell me what happens when you move the magnifying glass farther away from your hand.
• Describe how your hands look different under the magnifying glass.
• Tell me the difference between the palms of your hands and the backs of your hands.
• Describe how your hands are different from your partners. How are they similar?
• Tell me what your nails look like under the magnifying glass.
• Explain how your skin looks different when it is wet with the paint.
• Tell me how your skin looks different when the paint is dry.

Explore, Extend and Integrate

• Allow the children to examine other living things in the classroom. Encourage them to compare their skin to a leaf or an animal’s skin.
• Have the children compare their skin to a doll’s skin. How are they the same and different?
• Encourage the children to examine other areas of their skin such as their arms and legs, and compare to their hands.

Check for Children’s Understanding

• Could children describe what their hands looked like under the magnifying glass?
  
• Could children explain how their hands were the same and different from their partners?
  
• Can children describe their skin as covering their entire body?

Did You Know?

Just like our brains, hearts, and lungs, the skin is an organ. It is the largest organ in your body. Your body is completely covered by your skin. Your skin is stretchy and has many important jobs. Our skin protects us by keeping our muscles, other organs, and body fluids inside our bodies. It also keeps germs and dirt from getting inside our bodies. The skin is waterproof—rain slides off our skin. The skin can tell the temperature of things and also tells us when we have been hurt. If your skin gets damaged, it can repair itself. The skin is constantly replacing itself with new skin as our old skin flakes off. In order to keep your skin healthy, you need to take care of it. The best way to take care of your skin is to keep it clean.

Learn More »

Vocabulary

• skin
• body
• magnifying glass
  
• epidermis
  
• dermis 
• subcutaneous
  

Child-Friendly Definitions »

Resources

• Lesson Tips
• Books*
• Home/School Connections
• Las Conexiones a la Casa