Name _________________________________ Hour _______ Teacher _________________________
Date __________ Reason For Written Work: ISS At Home Sick Dr. Note
Health/PE Long Term Absence Assignment – Mr. Pohl
Investigation – Broken Bones
Good For Up To 2 Classes
Developed By: Lynn Wiegand - Clarksburg, Maryland.
Objectives
Students will understand the following:
1. There are a variety of injuries to the human body.
2. The process of maintaining healthy bones.
3. The healing process of a broken bone.
Needed Materials
• Paper
• KWL chart (What We Know; What We Want to Know; What We’ve Learned.)
• Pencil
What To Do: Answer All the questions in this packet completely USING COMPLETE SENTENCES.
The very last page of this packet has a chart where you will record/list much of your work. It is called a KWL
Chart: The first column you list what you ALREADY know about the topic. The second column you list what
you WANT TO LEARN about the topic. The third column you list WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED about the
topic. For obvious reasons you will have to put your answers on the chart at different times in order to be
successful. Good Luck!
1st – Go to the KWL Chart and brainstorm what you already know about bones: What are bones made of? Are
bones solid? What makes bones strong? What do bones do for us? Tell me as much as you can!
2nd – List a few things you would like to know more about bones in the second column of the KWL Chart!
( I know, you’re thinking, I really don’t want to know anything else, but this is for a grade! )
3rd – Read the following information on bones. Later you will use the information to create a timeline.
Our skeletal system is very important. It is responsible for creating cells that help keep us healthy (white
blood cells). It protects our vital organs. It supports our muscular system, allowing us to move. Bones
maintain themselves, and they must constantly break down and rebuild the collagen and minerals that they
are made of. Cells called osteoclasts are multinucleated cells that eat away the bone’s mineral coating and
collagen. You can think of them as “bone destroyers.” Cells called osteoblasts are cells that lay new
collagen and coat the bone with fresh minerals. You can think of them as “bone creators.”
Osteoclasts break down the “old” collagen and minerals that make up healthy bones. Then the osteoblasts
follow and lay down fresh collagen and minerals. The process is never ending. As a result of this constant
breakdown and replacement, human bones are never more than 20 years old. Although bones are very
strong, they do sometimes break. When a bone breaks, the injury is flooded with natural painkillers called
endorphins, which temporarily block out pain. An injury will swell because the body is sending extra
oxygen and nutrients to the injury to begin the healing process. A large hematoma, which is a collection of
blood, surrounds the break in the bone. Stem cells, which are responsible for making new cells, usually
divide every one to two days. Now that there is an injury, they will divide every three minutes.
Within four weeks the hematoma will harden around the break, making the injured area extra strong.
Over the next several months, osteoclasts will “eat away” the hardened hematoma and the injury will be
repaired. Within a year of the injury, the bone will be almost as strong as it was before the break!
Using the above information, create a visual time line of the steps involved as a bone repairs itself. The
time line should begin at the moment of injury and end with the injury healed. Identify the chemicals
and cells involved in each stage of the process. (Be Specific!)
4th – Answer the following questions using the information from the reading, and if needed from researching it
on the internet. Be sure to use complete sentences!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more males than females are affected by
serious injury each year. Why do you think this is so?
Bones regenerate faster in children than they do in adults. What is responsible for this difference?
Analyze the importance of endorphins at the time of injury. How would a serious injury be different if there
were no such chemical? How might it help the injured person that endorphins are not long lasting?
Why does an injury swell? Can you think of any advantages of this swelling? Are you more likely to ignore
an injury that does not swell?
Explain the idea that your bones are never more than 20 years old.
Name one way the body responds when a bone is broken. How does this response help the injured person?
Additional Information On Fractures/Broken Bones – Learn More About What Happens & What You Can Do!
Broken Arm
A broken arm may involve any of the three bones in your arm — the ulna, radius and humerus. One of the most
common causes of a broken arm is falling onto an outstretched hand. If you think you or your child has
sustained a broken arm, seek prompt medical attention. It's important to treat a broken arm as soon as possible
for proper healing.
Treatment for a broken arm depends on the exact site and severity of the injury. A simple break may be treated
with a sling, ice and rest. A more complicated broken arm may require surgery to realign the broken bone and to
implant wires, plates, nails or screws into the broken bone to maintain proper alignment during healing.
Broken Hand/Wrist
A broken wrist or broken hand is a break or crack in one of the many bones within your wrist and hand. The
most common of these injuries occurs in the wrist — when people try to catch themselves during a fall and end
up landing hard on an outstretched hand.
Risk factors for a broken wrist or broken hand range from participation in certain sports — such as American
football, soccer, skiing and snowboarding — to having osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become thinner
and more fragile.
It's important to treat a broken wrist or broken hand as soon as possible. Otherwise, the bones may not heal in
proper alignment, which can affect your ability to perform everyday activities, such as grasping a pen or
buttoning a shirt. Early treatment will also help minimize pain and stiffness.
Broken Leg
A broken leg (leg fracture) is a break or crack in one of the bones in your leg. A broken leg may be as simple as
a hairline stress fracture, which is common in runners. Or it may be a severe, shattering break resulting from a
serious car accident.
If you or your child has any signs or symptoms of a broken leg, seek immediate medical attention, especially if
the break follows a fall or motor vehicle accident. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of a broken leg is critical to
complete healing.
The right treatment for you or your child depends on the exact site and severity of the injury. A severely broken
leg may require surgery to implant devices into the broken bone to maintain proper alignment during healing.
Other injuries may be treated with a cast or splint until they're healed.
Broken Ankle/Foot
A broken ankle or broken foot is relatively common. After all, you have more than two dozen bones in each
foot and three bones in each ankle joint. And these bones take a pounding every time you walk across a room,
run for a bus or play a game of basketball.
The seriousness of a broken ankle or broken foot varies. Fractures can range from tiny cracks in your bones to
shattering breaks that pierce your skin.
Treatment for a broken ankle or broken foot depends on the exact site and severity of the fracture. A severely
broken ankle or broken foot may require surgery to implant wires, plates, rods or screws into the broken bone to
maintain proper position during healing.
First Aid For Broken Bones
A fracture is a broken bone. It requires medical attention. If the broken bone is the result of major trauma or
injury, call 911 or your local emergency number. Also call for emergency help if:
■The person is unresponsive, isn't breathing or isn't moving. Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if
there's no respiration or heartbeat.
■There is heavy bleeding.
■Even gentle pressure or movement causes pain.
■The limb or joint appears deformed.
■The bone has pierced the skin.
■The extremity of the injured arm or leg, such as a toe or finger, is numb or bluish at the tip.
■You suspect a bone is broken in the neck, head or back.
■You suspect a bone is broken in the hip, pelvis or upper leg (for example, the leg and foot turn outward
abnormally).
Take these actions immediately while waiting for medical help:
■Stop any bleeding. Apply pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage, a clean cloth or a clean piece of
clothing.
■Immobilize the injured area. Don't try to realign the bone, but if you've been trained in how to splint and
professional help isn't readily available, apply a splint to the area.
■Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until emergency personnel arrive. Don't apply ice
directly to the skin — wrap the ice in a towel, piece of cloth or some other material.
■Treat for shock. If the person feels faint or is breathing in short, rapid breaths, lay the person down with the
head slightly lower than the trunk and, if possible, elevate the legs.
5th - Return to the KWL chart, and share several facts you have learned about bones.
What I Already Know About Bones What I Want To Learn About Bones What I Have Learned About Bones