Growth Myths Busted: teacher key

How You Grow, grade 6 edition, written for 6th grade. Do bones grow like balloons? Does extra food make you taller? Sort the growth myths from the facts.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. Where does a long bone grow?
   • From the middle outward
   • At each end, next to a growth plate (answer)
   • Along its whole side at once
2. What does eating extra food or extra vitamins do?
   • It makes a child grow taller
   • It does not make a child grow taller (answer)
   • It closes the growth plates
3. What is the best way to build muscle?
   • Eating a lot of protein
   • Sleeping more
   • Exercise (answer)
4. Why is deep sleep important for growing kids?
   • The body releases hormones that kids need for growth (answer)
   • It makes bones heavier
   • It stops growth plates from closing
5. What does living tissue mean when talking about bone?
   • Bone never changes
   • Old bone is removed and new bone replaces it (answer)
   • Bone is soft like cartilage

Words

• cartilage: rubbery body stuff
• recumbent: lying down
• stadiometer: tall measuring device
• tissue: body material
• genes: body instructions