? Whiteford Elementary School students were treated to hands-on lessons about the functions of the human body with a traveling exhibit from COSI.


Nathan McCloud used a handheld microscope to see his skin cells.

"It looks really weird," he said.

The Whiteford Elementary School fourth-grader investigated what his skin and hair looked like using the device during the COSI on Wheels event Thursday at his school.

The science center's traveling exhibit on the body visited the elementary students, who had a morning assembly to learn more about the human body. Throughout the day, each grade level was brought back into the cafeteria to participate in a variety of hands-on activities.

"My skin looked really wide on the tops of my hands and tan on my palms," Nathan, 9, said. "I looked at my hair, and it was really blond and white. It was so cool to see how different things looked."

DeShaun Wood, 10, ran in place while trying to get his blood pumping. When he was finished, he checked his pulse to determine how many beats a minute his heart pumped.

"I was really surprised to learn that if you run, you will get your heart pumping faster," he said after the experimentation. "I didn't know you could feel your heartbeats on your neck."

During the assembly, Kevin Seymour, director of COSI on Wheels Outreach Programs, talked to the school about the brain.

"Our brains are our little computers," he said. "Do you sit and think, 'Breathe, heart beat, wiggle around?' No, your brain does it for you."

Mr. Seymour demonstrated how the brain communicates with the body through a demonstration. Volunteer Milly Iott used her foot to tap a drum to symbolize the heart beating. She was given two bicycle horns to squeeze between her arms to show how the lungs work. At the same time, she was twirling a stick with a red ribbon to show blood flow. Milly even had to demonstration how the eyes and ears work — all at the same time.

The presenter also talked to students about food and how it is used to fuel the body. Mr. Seymour asked the audience members whether they would prefer to eat a fried chicken dinner or a grilled chicken meal. The kids — and even the adults — said they would prefer the fried variety.

Mr. Seymour explained how fatty foods often stay in the body and cause a buildup of fat. He emphasized the importance of exercising to eliminate the extra fat.

"If you didn't get enough exercise or activity, those extras won't go anywhere," Mr. Seymour said.

Eating properly helps keep the body running and remain healthy, he added. Mr. Seymour then showed students a variety of snacks, including yogurt, grapes and carrots, that are good for the body and provide proper nutrients.

When her class was exploring the activities, Milly said she enjoyed the COSI visit.

"I learned so much about the body," she said. "It needs so much protein and good fats."

In one exhibit, students could compare the fats in items such as milkshakes and cheeseburgers.

"I had no idea there was so much fat in a milkshake," Milly said.

Kasey Alcorn, 10, said she was impressed with the section on the lungs. She saw the difference between a healthy lung and one that has been affected by smoking.

"It was so damaged and looked gross," she said. "The healthy lung was so much cleaner."

The traveling exhibit was paid for by the Whiteford Parents Association and the elementary Student Council. This is the seventh year the school has hosted the program.