Year 1 Science: My arms, elbows, hands and fingers
Part of the Year 1 Science my body and my senses chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
My arms, elbows, hands and fingers
Your arms reach out in front of you. They help you pick things up and carry them. Each arm has an elbow, which is the place where your arm bends. Your hands are at the end of your arms.
Each hand has five fingers. One of the fingers is your thumb. Count the thumb too.
Key ideas
- You have two arms, and each arm has an elbow.
- Your elbows bend, so your arms can bend.
- You have two hands. Each hand has five fingers, including the thumb.
Key words. Elbows means the bendy joints in the middle of your arms.
Method. Find the elbows on the body picture. Each part has its own letter.
- Find the elbows. The elbows is the bendy joints in the middle of your arms.Look for the elbows on the picture
- Read the letter next to it. Each part has one letter. Check you have the letter on this part.elbows: letter F
- Write the answer. F
Check. Point to the elbows with your finger. The letter by it is F. ✓
Watch out. Check that the letter is on the elbows, not on a part next to it.
Method. Count the fingers on one hand, including the thumb.
- Hold up one hand. Each finger is one thing to count.1, 2, 3, 4
- Count the thumb too. The thumb is a finger as well, so count it.4 fingers and 1 thumb
- Write the answer. 5 fingers
Check. Count your other hand. It is the same. ✓
Watch out. Do not forget the thumb.
Method. Count the fingers on each hand, then add the two numbers.
- Count the fingers on one hand. Each hand has five fingers.5
- Count the fingers on the other hand. The other hand also has five fingers.5
- Add the two hands. Five and five make ten.5 + 5 = 10
- Write the answer. 10 fingers
Check. Count all ten fingers one at a time: 1, 2, 3 and so on up to 10. ✓
Watch out. Count the thumbs as fingers too. There are ten altogether.
Watch out
Watch out: your elbows bend in one direction only. Do not try to bend your elbow the wrong way. Do not say a thumb is not a finger. The thumb is one of the five fingers on each hand.
Try it at home
With a grown-up, find the bend in your arm. Put your other hand on your elbow. Now bend and straighten your arm five times. Count the bends out loud.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to hold a plastic cup, then straighten and bend the arm. Ask: “Which part of your arm bent?” Practise counting the five fingers on each hand together.
Exercise 6B Arms, elbows, hands and fingers
Key words. Arms means the two long parts from your shoulders to your hands.
Method. Find the arms on the body picture. Each part has its own letter.
- Find the arms. The arms is the two long parts from your shoulders to your hands.Look for the arms on the picture
- Read the letter next to it. Each part has one letter. Check you have the letter on this part.arms: letter E
- Write the answer. E
Check. Point to the arms with your finger. The letter by it is E. ✓
Watch out. Check that the letter is on the arms, not on a part next to it.
Key words. Elbows means the bendy joints in the middle of your arms.
Method. Find the elbows on the body picture. Each part has its own letter.
- Find the elbows. The elbows is the bendy joints in the middle of your arms.Look for the elbows on the picture
- Read the letter next to it. Each part has one letter. Check you have the letter on this part.elbows: letter F
- Write the answer. F
Check. Point to the elbows with your finger. The letter by it is F. ✓
Watch out. Check that the letter is on the elbows, not on a part next to it.
Key words. Hands means the two parts at the end of your arms.
Method. Find the hands on the body picture. Each part has its own letter.
- Find the hands. The hands is the two parts at the end of your arms.Look for the hands on the picture
- Read the letter next to it. Each part has one letter. Check you have the letter on this part.hands: letter G
- Write the answer. G
Check. Point to the hands with your finger. The letter by it is G. ✓
Watch out. Check that the letter is on the hands, not on a part next to it.
Key words. Fingers means the five parts on each hand, including the thumb.
Method. Find the fingers on the body picture. Each part has its own letter.
- Find the fingers. The fingers is the five parts on each hand, including the thumb.Look for the fingers on the picture
- Read the letter next to it. Each part has one letter. Check you have the letter on this part.fingers: letter H
- Write the answer. H
Check. Point to the fingers with your finger. The letter by it is H. ✓
Watch out. Check that the letter is on the fingers, not on a part next to it.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Count each one once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Point to each one once, so you do not miss any.1, 2
- Look at the last number. The last number tells you how many there are altogether.The last number is 2.
- Write the answer. There are 2 arms.
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 2 again. ✓
Watch out. Point to each one only once. If you move it, you can keep your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Count each one once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Point to each one once, so you do not miss any.1, 2
- Look at the last number. The last number tells you how many there are altogether.The last number is 2.
- Write the answer. There are 2 hands.
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 2 again. ✓
Watch out. Point to each one only once. If you move it, you can keep your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Count each one once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Point to each one once, so you do not miss any.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Look at the last number. The last number tells you how many there are altogether.The last number is 5.
- Write the answer. There are 5 fingers on one hand.
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 5 again. ✓
Watch out. Point to each one only once. If you move it, you can keep your place.
Method. Count the fingers on each hand, then add the two numbers together.
- Count the fingers on one hand. Each hand has five fingers.5
- Count the fingers on the other hand. The second hand also has five fingers.5
- Add them together. Add the two hands to get the total.5 + 5 = 10
- Write the answer. 10
Check. Count from 1 to 10 and touch each finger once. ✓
Watch out. Do not forget to count both hands.
Method. Think about the bendy part on your arm.
- Think about how your arm bends. Your arm bends in the middle, at the joint.bends in the middle
- Find the name of the bendy part. The bendy part of the arm is the elbow.elbow
- Write the answer. elbow
Check. Bend your arm. Point to the elbow. ✓
Watch out. The knee is on the leg, not the arm.
Method. Think about where each word belongs on a body.
- Look at the four words. Elbow, knee, hand and finger are body parts.elbow, knee, hand, finger
- Check which one is on the arm. Elbow, hand and finger are on the arm. A knee is on the leg.knee is on the leg
- Write the answer. knee
Check. Point to a knee on your leg. It is not on your arm. ✓
Watch out. Look at where each part is, not at how it sounds.
Method. Count the fingers on one hand, including the thumb.
- Hold up one hand. Count each finger and the thumb.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Compare with what Ali said. Ali said four fingers. We counted five.Ali: 4. Count: 5.
- Write the answer. No. Each hand has five fingers.
Check. Count the fingers on your other hand as well. Five again. ✓
Watch out. Do not forget the thumb when you count.
Method. Draw a hand, then count the fingers you drew.
- Draw one hand. Start with a palm and draw the fingers.a palm and fingers
- Count the fingers. Count each finger and the thumb once.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Write the answer. 5 fingers, including the thumb
Check. Your drawing should have five fingers. ✓
Watch out. Count the thumb as one of the five.
Method. Think about what your elbow helps you to do.
- Think about picking up a cup. We bend our elbow to lift a cup to our mouth.lift a cup
- Predict what happens. Without a bendy elbow, lifting the cup would be much harder.Harder to lift
- Plan a test. Hold your arm straight, then try to lift a plastic cup. Then bend your arm and try again.Test: straight arm, then bent arm
Check. Try the test with a grown-up. Was the bent arm easier? ✓
Watch out. Use a light plastic cup, and keep the test safe.