As a final project students will work in groups to create life-size murals of each of the systems. These murals will be displayed and presented by each group to their peers and parents with the help of the teacher.
The students would be grouped at the teacher's discretion and assigned one of the body systems. Each group would get large paper, such as butcher paper, and the materials to create a mural of the system they are drawing. You may treat these murals as collages and have the students glue the systems on using various materials. This would create an interesting three-dimensional effect. You could also have them use markers paint, crayons or pastels. Whatever materials you use make certain that the materials are bright and beautiful on the paper so that students feel successful with their creation.
Give the students access to their journals, any visuals used and websites if possible. Depending on your class dynamics you can have them decide who will do what task, or you can assign specific tasks for each person in the group. Each group will be in charge of one of the systems. They will need to create a life-size piece of the system that portrays what they learned and observed about that system. The students can trace one another for the shape of the body, and use the materials you've chosen to design the mural. When the mural is displayed and presented the students will be responsible for explaining the system's primary function and its relationship to other systems. They will also need to explain why they created the mural they did.
I like final projects to be celebratory. They encourage pride in hard work and allow students to celebrate their successes and learning. Because of this unit's artistic influence the final presentation could mimic an art opening. I would send invitations to parents and administrators and whoever else we planned on inviting. I would have students or parents bring food that was healthy for each system. After the presentations there would be a feast for our anatomical systems.