Make A Model Hand
One of our favorite activites was making a model of an arm. We’ve been experimenting with the flexibility of muscles, and looking back at some past skeletal and muscular system activities that we did with my daughter a couple of years ago. It also helps that he is a hockey player and we talk muscles and bones all the time when it comes to training and injuries.
I’ve had the model hand project in the back of my mind for years, so we finally broke it out for this study. It’s not a new one, but it’s fun and easy. You can use different materials to make it your own. This is what worked for us.
How To Make A Model Hand
To make a model hand, you will need a few simple supplies:
- cardboard
- tape or glue
- straws
- string or pipe cleaners
Have the student place straws on the cardboard hand where tendons are located on a real hand. These will act as the tendon sheaths that surround the tendons. Glue or tape the straws in place.
After the joints are cut away from the straws, glide string or pipe cleaners through each of the straws from one end of the hand to the other. Bend the pipe cleaners at the top of the finger so that the string is not pulled out of the straw. If you use string, tie a bead in the end of the string to keep it in place.
Leave approximately 6 inches of string or pipe cleaner at the bottom of the hand. These are the tendons of the hands. Pull the tendons and watch the fingers move. This is how the tendons of the hands actually work to move the fingers. Tip: Bend the fingers of your hand before using your string or pipe cleaners to loosen up the cardboard and make it easier to move.
Virtual Hand Anatomy Resources
- This video from Austin Sports Medicine gives a simple and complete explanation of hand anatomy.
- InnerBody.com is an awesome interactive tool for learning human anatomy, including the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the hands and wrists
Human Anatomy Resources
