Exploring our legs

Background

While human beings have forelimbs quite different from other animals, the legs serve a very similar purpose. Hence they have a similar structure and functionality. What are the parts of the legs? How do they move and work? How do different people's legs differ are some of the questions children can explore and learn from. 

Aim

Explore the use of various parts of our legs and recognise their structure and functions

Recognise the limitations of these parts

Recognise the similarities and differences between the legs of different people 

Activities

How long are your feet? [Place a cm. ruler against the wall. Put your foot on the top of the ruler with the heel touching the wall] Is your right foot the same length as the left foot? Measure the width of your feet. Is the longest foot also the widest foot?

Repeat this activity with your friends. Compare the lengths of their feet. Who has the longest feet in the class? Who has the shortest?

Are people's footprints different? [Paint a foot and press it on to a sheet of clean paper - Put some water colour on a large flat sponge, press the foot very lightly on the surface of the sponge and then press it on the floor or a sheet of newspaper. Observe your footprint. How many of your friends have a footprint like this?

Observe your toes carefully. Which toe is the longest? Which is the shortest? Is the order the same as your fingers?

Compare your toes with that of your friends. Does everyone have similar toes? How are they different?

What can you do with your toes? Try doing with your toes, all the activities that you do with your fingers. Is it easy? Is it difficult? Which of them are impossible? Why?

Which part of your feet touches the ground? When you walk? When you run? [Observe your foot prints on sand / mud]

How high can you jump? [Stick some large sheets of paper on the wall. Dab your fingers on to an inkpad or some other watercolour. Stand alongside the sheets of paper with your heels flat on the ground and arm held as high as possible above your head. Make a mark on the paper with your inky finger. Leap as high as you can and make a mark again. What is the distance between the two marks?

Who can jump the longest from a standing position? How long is your jump?

Does your shoe fit properly? [Draw around your feet - with and without your shoe]

What are the movable parts in your leg? How do they move?

How do the different parts of your leg move when you walk, run, hop, jump, kick a ball? 

Related Questions

How does your feet change as you grow? Compare the feet of a small baby, someone younger than you, someone older than you and an old person. Do they look alike?

Some people do not have a part or the whole leg. How do they manage? What are the activities they cannot do?

Compare your feet with that of other animals. How are they different?

Observe the legs of animals which can run very fast, like a deer, a dog or a cat. How are their legs different from ours?

Observe the feet of birds. How are they different from ours? Does it help them do something we cannot do with our feet?